Windows could not complete the installation

[Simon-Weel]

Searching this forum and internet as a whole for this issue reveals a LOT of similar messages. Seen most of them, tried all methods to fix it, but they don't work.

Here's the situation. Windows 10 Pro 1809 clean install on a HP Z240 workstation. Downloaded the ISO file at Microsoft. Created a bootable USB stick. Downloaded the driverpack for this machine. Added the drivers to install.wim using DISM. Booted one machine off this stick. Starts Windows Setup automatically. I don't want to upgrade, so I choose the alternative way. Remove all existing partitions and let Windows install on the blanc partition. After installation, it presents the OOBE. Follow the questions and a couple of minutes later, I have a working system. So far so good.

Since we have a number of Z240 machines, I want to create an image to deploy to the other ones. I install all the nesssary applications and verify everything is working. Before creating the image to roll out, I first save the current Windows state to a file using AOMEI backup. So I reboot the machine with a USB key containing AOMEI Backup. Use that program to create an image to a USB drive. In case things go wrong, I don't need to reinstall everything - just restore the 'raw' image.

Now it's time to create the generalized image. I run Sysprep:  c:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /shutdown 

Sysprep finishes, machine is shut down. I reboot the machine with a USB key containing AOMEI Backup. Use that program to create an image to a USB drive. Start another Z240 using the same USB key and restore the image to that machine. Machine restarts and then the fun begins. First, it takes hours to complete the Preparing-fase.

What happens next varies. Sometimes a window appears in which I have to set the country, keyboard layout etc. Clicking Next results in a window with the dreaded message. And sometimes it displays that window right after the Preparing-phase.

Since I have no way to solve this problem, I restore the earlier made 'raw' image and the machine work fine again. As said,  been looking for a solution for a while. This website wraps up most of the 'solutions' I came accross: 
https://troubleshooter.xyz/wiki/fix-windows-could-not-complete-the-installation/

but none of them do the trick. 

It boils down to two questions:

1) How do I create a working generalized image

2) Why does the Preparing-fase take so long?

Simon

[Simon-Weel · Accepted solution]

Turns out my modifications to the installation caused the problem. Removing a good deal of the standard Windows 10 apps is not a good idea. After restoring them and a reboot, SysPrepped the machine and copie the image to another machine. And runs fine.