Edit

Share via


Provisioning errors when deploying custom images

Applies to: ✔️ Windows VMs

Summary

Provisioning errors arise if you upload or capture a generalized VM image as a specialized VM image or vice versa. The former causes a provisioning timeout error and the latter causes a provisioning failure. To deploy your custom image without errors, you must ensure that the type of the image doesn't change during the capture process.

The following table lists the possible combinations of generalized and specialized images, the error type you 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's uploaded and/or captured with the generalized setting, then there won't be any errors. Similarly, if the OS is Windows specialized, and it's 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's uploaded as specialized, you'll get a provisioning timeout error with the VM stuck at the OOBE screen.

N2: If the OS is Windows specialized, and it's uploaded as generalized, you'll 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's captured as specialized, you'll get a provisioning timeout error because the original VM isn't usable as it's marked as generalized.

N4: If the OS is Windows specialized, and it's captured as generalized, you'll get a provisioning failure error because the new VM is running with the original computer name, username, and password. Also, the original VM isn't usable because it's 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).