Configure Components and Settings in an Answer File
Applies To: Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2
The following procedure describes how to do the following:
Add a component to an answer file
Customize a setting value in an answer file
Add a list item to an answer file
List items are settings that can be declared multiple times, and each declaration contains different values. For example, the Windows® Internet Explorer® FavoritesList setting is used to specify multiple Favorites links. For each new Favorites link that you want to add to Internet Explorer, you add a new FavoritesList setting.
To add a component to an answer file
Open Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM).
Open a Windows image. For more information, see Open a Windows Image or Catalog File.
Create or open an answer file. For more information, see Create or Open an Answer File.
In the Windows Image pane, locate the component or package that you want to add to the answer file.
Right-click the component, and then select a configuration pass.
The component is added to the answer file in the specified configuration pass.
Note
To search the entire Windows image (.wim) file, press Ctrl+F.
To customize a setting value in an answer file
Open Windows SIM.
Open a Windows image. For more information, see Open a Windows Image or Catalog File.
Create or open an answer file. For more information, see Create or Open an Answer File.
In the Answer File pane, find the configuration pass that contains the component for the setting that you want to change.
Select the component or package that contains the setting that you want to change.
In the Settings section of the Properties pane, change the value of the setting to update it. Depending on the type of setting, you can enter a new setting or select from a drop-down list of possible settings.
For more information about the various settings and properties, see Component Settings and Properties Reference.
To add a list item to an answer file
Open Windows SIM.
Open a Windows image. For more information, see Open a Windows Image or Catalog File.
Create or open an answer file. For more information, see Create or Open an Answer File.
In the Windows Image pane, add the component or setting to the answer file.
In the Answer File pane, right-click the list item, and then click Insert.
Windows SIM inserts a new list-item type. For example, right-click the DriverPaths setting, and then click Insert new PathAndCredentials. A new PathAndCredentials setting is added to the answer file.
To add more list items, repeat the previous step.
Important
Each list item should contain a unique Key value to differentiate the list item from other list items of the same type.
See Also
Tasks
Create or Open an Answer File
Validate an Answer File
Hide Sensitive Data in an Answer File
Add a Device Driver Path to an Answer File
Add a Package to an Answer File
Add a Custom Command to an Answer File
Find a Component, Setting, or Package in Windows SIM