Before you can save an answer file, you must validate the settings. After you successfully validate an answer file, you can apply all the setting values in the answer file to the Windows® image.

To validate the settings in an answer file

  1. Open Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM).

  2. Open a Windows image. For more information, see Open a Windows Image or Catalog File.

  3. Create or open an answer file. For more information, see Create or Open an Answer File.

  4. On the Tools menu, click Validate Answer File.

    Windows SIM compares the setting values in the answer file with the available settings in the Windows image.

    If the answer passes validation, a message appears in the Messages pane on the Validation tab. This message verifies that no warnings or errors occurred in the answer file. Otherwise, error messages appear in the same location.

    If an error occurs, double-click the error in the Messages pane to browse to the setting.

    If no modifications have been made to component settings, the values of the component settings are not saved in the answer file.

See Also