Provisioning errors when deploying custom images
Applies to: ✔️ Windows VMs
Provisioning errors arise if you upload or capture a generalized VM image as a specialized VM image or vice versa. The former will cause a provisioning timeout error and the latter will cause a provisioning failure. To deploy your custom image without errors, you must ensure that the type of the image does not change during the capture process.
The following table lists the possible combinations of generalized and specialized images, the error type you will encounter and what you need to do to fix the errors.
The following table lists the possible upload and capture combinations of Windows generalized (gen.) and specialized (spec.) OS images. The combinations that will process without any errors are indicated by a Y, and those that will throw errors are indicated by an N. The causes and resolutions for the different errors you will run into are given below the table.
| OS | Upload spec. | Upload gen. | Capture spec. | Capture gen. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows gen. | N1 | Y | N3 | Y |
| Windows spec. | Y | N2 | Y | N4 |
Y: If the OS is Windows generalized, and it is uploaded and/or captured with the generalized setting, then there won't be any errors. Similarly, if the OS is Windows specialized, and it is uploaded and/or captured with the specialized setting, then there won't be any errors.
Upload errors
N1: If the OS is Windows generalized, and it is uploaded as specialized, you will get a provisioning timeout error with the VM stuck at the OOBE screen.
N2: If the OS is Windows specialized, and it is uploaded as generalized, you will get a provisioning failure error with the VM stuck at the OOBE screen because the new VM is running with the original computer name, username and password.
Resolution
To resolve both these errors, use Add-AzVhd to upload the original VHD, available on-premises, with the same setting as that for the OS (generalized/specialized). To upload as generalized, remember to run sysprep first.
Capture errors
N3: If the OS is Windows generalized, and it is captured as specialized, you will get a provisioning timeout error because the original VM is not usable as it is marked as generalized.
N4: If the OS is Windows specialized, and it is captured as generalized, you will get a provisioning failure error because the new VM is running with the original computer name, username, and password. Also, the original VM is not usable because it is marked as specialized.
Resolution
To resolve both these errors, delete the current image from the portal, and recapture it from the current VHDs with the same setting as that for the OS (generalized/specialized).
Contact us for help
If you have questions or need help, create a support request, or ask Azure community support. You can also submit product feedback to Azure feedback community.