System Preparation Tool Must be Administrator

Question

Hello,
I am attempting to run the System Preparation Tool with Windows 8.1 Enterprise x86 on an Asus T100TA. I have all of my drivers and software I want already installed on my image.
But I am unable to run the Sysprep through the UI or Command Prompt, even though I am in the Audit Mode's Administrator account. What options are there? I already had to reinstall twice after leaving the tablet on overnight and wasn't able to get back into
the Administrator account. I get the "You must be an administrator to run this application" message.
Thanks,
Zach
zmb

Answer 1

Hi Zach,
I did some tests on my machines and it took some time. I apologize for that.
I found the following rights are needed to run sysprep.exe:
•Back up files and directories
•Modify firmware environment values
•Restore files and directories
•Shutdown the system
I got following error message in setuperr.log if one of the rights that are essential for running Sysprep.exe have been removed, even I am already in Administrator account.
2014-12-18 19:49:34, Error      [0x0f0053] SYSPRP ValidateUser:User does not have required privileges to sysprep machine
2014-12-18 19:49:34, Error      [0x0f00a1] SYSPRP WinMain: you must be an administrator.
2014-12-18 19:49:36, Error      [0x0f0053] SYSPRP ValidateUser:User does not have required privileges to sysprep machine
2014-12-18 19:49:36, Error      [0x0f00a1] SYSPRP WinMain: you must be an administrator.
Please use the Local Security Settings tool to check the user rights assignments first.
Click Start, click Run, type
secpol.msc, and then click OK.
In the Local Security Settings window, expand
Local Policies, and then double-click User Rights Assignment.
Look through the list of user rights and verify that the Administrators group has the rights that are needed to run Sysprep.exe.
If you need to add a right, double-click the right, and then click Add.
In Select Users or Groups, click Administrator, and then click
Add.
Click OK twice to add Administrator to the list of users who have that right.
Note: If the policy that removed the necessary rights from the Administrators group is set at the Domain, Site, or Organizational Unit level, you need to modify the Group Policy
of the domain.
Regards
DiWuNewfolder