[SOLVED] - How to Rename a Win 7 Computer Using Powershell (deployment)

Question

For those who just want to know what I'm trying to do here's my question:
How I can programmatically rename machines during the auditSystem/auditUser portion of Sysprep using PowerShell?
What is the exact command and/or function should I be issuing?
History:
I've scoured the web for a while but unsuccessfully located what I was looking for.  I'm preparing a Windows 7 Enterprise x86 image for deployment, and I need to rename the machine to match our current PC name schema before it is joined to the domain. 
I've managed to pull the information I needed to build the corret computer name thanks to Win32_BIOS.SerialNumber, Win32_ComputerSystem.Model and some IP<->Hashtable Array matching.  The next step is to actually rename the machine; This is
where I'm having trouble.
I found this code online :
Function Rename-ComputerName ([string]$NewComputerName){
$ComputerInfo = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_ComputerSystem
$ComputerInfo.rename($NewComputerName)}
I also found
this code online :
function renameAndReboot([string]$computer, [string]$newname){
$comp = gwmi win32_computersystem  -computer $computer
$os   = gwmi win32_operatingsystem -computer $computer
$comp.Rename($newname)
$os.Reboot()}
Unfortunately, neither work in PowerShell on my reference image PC running Windows 7.  (However the first one works in PowerShell on my XP Virtual PC.)
The ReturnValue is 1326 when run on the Win 7 machine as the Administrator.  I'm not quite certain I understand what & why that fails or what exactly that code means.
Moving on, I decided to go down the WMIC path instead:
 WMIC ComputerSystem where Name="%computername%" call Rename Name="$NewName"
This works in CMD.exe on Windows XP and to my surprise, in CMD.exe on Windows 7 as well!  But, when run from PowerShell I get "Error: Invalid query".
Thinking PowerShell might not like the CMD.exe %COMPUTERNAME% environment variable, I sprang for the PowerShell $env:computername environment variable instead:
 WMIC ComputerSystem where Name="$env:computername" call Rename Name="$NewName"
That unfortunately results in an 'Unexpected switch at this level' error.
Other suggestions I've seen online were to use netdom, but that's not part of the Win 7 install and since I've historically been able to do this through WMI calls, it should be possible to do this in Win 7, Vista, Server etc.
I'm completely open to the idea that perhaps I'm doing something wrong.  If you have a tested solution, please share.

Answer 1

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="generalize">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<SkipRearm>1</SkipRearm>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="specialize">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<RunSynchronous>
<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<Order>1</Order>
<Path>net user administrator /active:yes</Path>
</RunSynchronousCommand>
</RunSynchronous>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<OEMInformation>
<Manufacturer>Company Name</Manufacturer>
<Model>Company Owned Hardware</Model>
<SupportHours>Mon-Fri 8 AM - 8 PM Central Time; excluding Holidays</SupportHours>
<SupportPhone>1-888-xxx-xxxx</SupportPhone>
<SupportURL>http://our.support.url.information</SupportURL>
<Logo>%WINDIR%\WallPapr2.bmp</Logo>
</OEMInformation>
<OEMWelcomeCenter>
<link>http://our.helpdesk.information</link>
</OEMWelcomeCenter>
<ComputerName></ComputerName>
<CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>
<ShowWindowsLive>false</ShowWindowsLive>
<TimeZone>Central Standard Time</TimeZone>
<ProductKey>FJ82H-XT6CR-J8D7P-XQJJ2-GPDD4</ProductKey>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<Identification>
<Credentials>
<Domain>domainname</Domain>
<Password>password</Password>
<Username>domainadmin</Username>
</Credentials>
<JoinDomain>domainname</JoinDomain>
<MachineObjectOU>OU=OU Information,DC=com</MachineObjectOU>
</Identification>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<InputLocale>en-us</InputLocale>
<SystemLocale>en-us</SystemLocale>
<UILanguage>en-us</UILanguage>
<UserLocale>en-us</UserLocale>
<UILanguageFallback>en-us</UILanguageFallback>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<AutoLogon>
<Password>
<Value>encrypted info</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</Password>
<Enabled>true</Enabled>
<LogonCount>3</LogonCount>
<Username>administrator</Username>
</AutoLogon>
<FirstLogonCommands>
<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<CommandLine>%WINDIR%\Setup\Scripts\NewPC1.cmd</CommandLine>
<Description>Change Machine Name and Reboot</Description>
<Order>1</Order>
<RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput>
</SynchronousCommand>
<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<CommandLine>%WINDIR%\Setup\Scripts\NewPC2.cmd</CommandLine>
<Order>2</Order>
<RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput>
<Description>More Cleanup Work</Description>
</SynchronousCommand>
</FirstLogonCommands>
<OEMInformation>
<Manufacturer>Company Name</Manufacturer>
<Model>Company Owned Hardware</Model>
<SupportHours>M-F, 8 am - 8 pm Central excluding Holidays</SupportHours>
<SupportPhone>1-888-xxx-xxxx</SupportPhone>
<SupportURL>http://our.support.url.information</SupportURL>
</OEMInformation>
<OEMWelcomeCenter>
<link>http://our.helpdesk.information</link>
</OEMWelcomeCenter>
<OOBE>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
<NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
<ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
</OOBE>
<UserAccounts>
<AdministratorPassword>
<Value>encrypted info</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</AdministratorPassword>
<LocalAccounts>
<LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
<Password>
<Value>encrypted info</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</Password>
<Description>Local Administrator</Description>
<DisplayName>Administrator</DisplayName>
<Group>Administrators</Group>
<Name>Administrator</Name>
</LocalAccount>
</LocalAccounts>
</UserAccounts>
<RegisteredOrganization>Company Name</RegisteredOrganization>
<RegisteredOwner>Licensed CompanyEmployee</RegisteredOwner>
<TimeZone>Central standard Time</TimeZone>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:location/of/install.wim#Windows 7 PROFESSIONAL" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>
Jnaas. My Answer file?
I hope I didnt leave anything incriminating in that file...
The product key is the generic one for Windows 7 to tell it to use the KMS server.