Sysprep not working anymore on Win10 2004

Hey Raniel, good day to you too and thanks for the quick answer.

I've tried the above and unfortunately it doesn't work, gives me back the following:

Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers InputApp_1000.18362.387.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy

Remove-AppxPackage : Removal failed. Please contact your software vendor.

Deployment Remove operation with target volume C: on Package InputApp_1000.18362.387.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy from:   failed with error 0x80070032. See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=235160 for help diagnosing app deployment issues.

At line:1 char:1

+ Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers InputApp_1000.18362.387.0_neutral_neutra ...

+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Remove-AppxPackage], COMException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.RemoveAppxPackageCommand

Hi Raniel,

Tried the above and unfortunately it won't remove InputApp.

I'll give it all another go from scratch (install win10 pro 2004  from an iso) and see if that works.

I'll report back here with the results.

Thanks so far.

Regards,

Wesley

Instal as local user, don't sign-in using MS account.

Same issue here.  Trying to update system images for 4 different OEM systems.  Two of them now will not sysprep with failure to remove "InputApp".  PowerShell/DISM/APPX commands won't get it done (I have years of experience with this process)...

*****   Here is the "COMExcpetion" error which is posted:

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> import-module appx
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> import-module dism
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Remove-AppxPackage -AllUser -Package InputApp_1000.17134.1.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
Remove-AppxPackage : Removal failed. Please contact your software vendor.
Deployment Remove operation with target volume C: on Package InputApp_1000.17134.1.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
from:   failed with error 0x80070032. See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=235160 for help diagnosing app
deployment issues.
At line:1 char:1
+ Remove-AppxPackage -AllUser -Package InputApp_1000.17134.1.0_neutral_ ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Remove-AppxPackage], COMException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Comman
   ds.RemoveAppxPackageCommand

*** Here are the details on the package which can't be removed and is causing SYSPREP to fail:

Name                   : InputApp
Publisher              : CN=Microsoft Windows, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US
Architecture           : Neutral
ResourceId             : neutral
Version                : 1000.17134.1.0
PackageFullName        : InputApp_1000.17134.1.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
InstallLocation        :
IsFramework            : False
PackageFamilyName      : InputApp_cw5n1h2txyewy
PublisherId            : cw5n1h2txyewy
PackageUserInformation : {S-1-5-21-3008522267-3944218512-4277749475-1001
                         [S-1-5-21-3008522267-3944218512-4277749475-1001]: Installed}
IsResourcePackage      : False
IsBundle               : False
IsDevelopmentMode      : False
NonRemovable           : True
IsPartiallyStaged      : False
SignatureKind          : System
Status                 : Ok

Please advise direct solution.  Pointing us at some voluminous knowledgebase article is a pretty good indication that the specific answer/solution is NOT known...

The following packages are preventing SYSPREP from completing successfully (Win 10 2004) on four of my platforms.  All three of these are seen on all four of the platforms I am trying to SYSPREP.  Sometimes a "versionary" number (17763) in the names have changed, but it is always been these three packages:

- InputApp_1000.17763.1.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
- Microsoft.PPIProjection_10.0.17763.1_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
- Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_1.11.5.17763_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy

The following "usual" Powershell commands do NOT work to uninstall theses packages:

- import-module appx

- import-module dism

- Remove-AppxPackage -AllUser -Package InputApp_1000.17763.1.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
- Remove-AppxPackage -AllUser -Package Microsoft.PPIProjection_10.0.17763.1_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
- Remove-AppxPackage -AllUser -Package Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_1.11.5.17763_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy

Apparently, it is because they are now PROTECTED ("NonRemovable  : True").  So, you can't SYSPREP your system because these packages can't be removed (NICE!).  Catch-22!

In order to WORKAROUND this Microsoft Nonsense, you will first have to unset the "NonRemovable" field.  This is actually called "IsInBox" and it has to be changed from "1" to "0".  Unfortunately the folder, database, and files are all protected and owned by SYSTEM so it requires you to jump through some hoops.  This can all be done manually, but its very tedious and frustrating.

I have found the following user-developed package which will unset this "feature" on these apps automatically.  It works VERY WELL, quickly, and is well written.  Run it in TEST mode to see what file entries it will be changing before you run it for real.  You can tweak its targets by editing the "AppxPackageList.txt" file before you run it for real.  This app will automatically unset the "IsInBox" field so you can then run the "usual" Powershell commands (above) to remove the offending packages:

https://github.com/SoftSonic83/AppxDBEditor/

Here are the contents of my AppxPackageList.txt which the above app will use to search for the intended packages:

     # Modern UI Dialog-App for entering Japanese Characters
     InputApp=0

     # App to project the Screen to a Wireless Display
     Microsoft.PPIProjection=0

     # Cortana
     Microsoft.Windows.Cortana=0

Good Luck - Cause Microsoft isn't going to help you!