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On Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012 R2 machines, disable the scheduled
maintenance task that recovers disk space by removing unused features.
For example: Schtasks.exe /change /disable /tn "\Microsoft\Windows\AppxDeploymentClient\Pre-
staged app cleanup"
If left enabled, this maintenance task can remove the Sysprep customization script after the linked
clones are created, which would cause subsequent recompose operations to fail with customization
operation timeout errors. For more information, see the Microsoft KB article available at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2928948.
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On Windows Server 2012 machines, apply the Microsoft hotfix available at
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3020396.
This hotfix allows Sysprep to customize a Windows Server 2012 virtual machine that has the RDS role
enabled. Without the hotfix, Sysprep customization will fail on the Windows Server 2012 linked-clone
machines that are deployed in an automated farm.
What to do next
Use vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client to take a snapshot of the parent virtual machine in its powered-
down state. This snapshot is used as the baseline configuration for the first set of linked-clone machines that
are anchored to the parent virtual machine.
IMPORTANT Before you take a snapshot, completely shut down the parent virtual machine by using the Shut
Down command in the guest operating system.
Activating Windows on Linked-Clone RDS Hosts
To make sure that View Composer properly activates Windows Server operating systems on linked-clone
RDS hosts, you must use Microsoft volume activation on the parent virtual machine. The volume-activation
technology requires a volume license key.
To activate Windows with volume activation, you use Key Management Service (KMS), which requires a
KMS license key. See your Microsoft dealer to acquire a volume license key and configure volume
activation.
NOTE View Composer does not support Multiple Activation Key (MAK) licensing.
Before you create linked-clone machines with View Composer, you must use volume activation to activate
the operating system on the parent virtual machine.
When a linked-clone machine is created, and each time the linked clone is recomposed, the View Composer
agent uses the parent virtual machine's KMS server to activate the operating system on the linked clone.
For KMS licensing, View Composer uses the KMS server that is configured to activate the parent virtual
machine. The KMS server treats an activated linked clone as a computer with a newly issued license.
Disable Windows Hibernation in the Parent Virtual Machine
The Windows hibernation feature creates a hidden system file, Hiberfil.sys and uses this file to store
information that is needed for hybrid sleep. Disabling hibernation reduces the size of an instant clone's or a
View Composer linked clone's virtual disk.
CAUTION When you make hibernation unavailable, hybrid sleep does not work. Users can lose data if a
power loss occurs.
Procedure
1 In vSphere Client, select the parent virtual machine and select Open Console.
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
110 VMware, Inc.