Enterprise LTSC 2019 (aka 1809) SYSPREP dilemma

[Deleted]

So..... I went to install a fresh clean LTSC 2019 and upon installation, wasn't able to activate it. Found a "known issue" that'll be fixed in about a month. So I installed LTSB 2016 and then upgraded to LTSC 2019. All is good at this point. Went through several steps to get system/image ready to sysprep and all was good until we sysprep'd (bare with me below, it's detailed steps through the entire issue):

SYSPREP Log:

2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP ========================================================
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP === Beginning of a new sysprep run ===
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP ========================================================
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info [0x0f004d] SYSPRP The time is now 2018-11-27 15:17:08
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info [0x0f004e] SYSPRP Initialized SysPrep log at C:\WINDOWS\system32\Sysprep\Panther
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info [0x0f0054] SYSPRP ValidatePrivileges:User has required privileges to sysprep machine
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info [0x0f007e] SYSPRP FCreateTagFile:Tag file C:\WINDOWS\system32\Sysprep\Sysprep_succeeded.tag does not already exist, no need to delete anything
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info [0x0f005f] SYSPRP ParseCommands:Found supported command line option 'GENERALIZE'
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info [0x0f005f] SYSPRP ParseCommands:Found supported command line option 'OOBE'
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info [0x0f005f] SYSPRP ParseCommands:Found supported command line option 'UNATTEND'
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info [0x0f005f] SYSPRP ParseCommands:Found supported command line option 'QUIT'
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info [0x0f00d7] SYSPRP WinMain:Pre-validing 'cleanup' internal providers.
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Running platform actions specified in action file for phase 3
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateSession: Successfully created instance with action file C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Cleanup.xml, and mode <null>
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::Validate: Beginning action execution from C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Cleanup.xml
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateXPathForSelection: Sysprep mode in registry is <null>
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateXPathForSelection: Processor architecture in registry is AMD64
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Executing method 'Sysprep_Clean_Validate_Opk' from C:\Windows\System32\spopk.dll
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP Sysprep_Clean_Validate_Opk:Sysprep will run on an upgraded OS.
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Successfully executed 'Sysprep_Clean_Validate_Opk' from C:\Windows\System32\spopk.dll without error
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info [0x0f00d7] SYSPRP WinMain:Pre-validing 'generalize' internal providers.
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Running platform actions specified in action file for phase 1
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateSession: Successfully created instance with action file C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Generalize.xml, and mode <null>
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::Validate: Beginning action execution from C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Generalize.xml
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateXPathForSelection: Sysprep mode in registry is <null>
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateXPathForSelection: Processor architecture in registry is AMD64
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Executing method 'SysprepGeneralizeValidate' from C:\Windows\System32\AppxSysprep.dll
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Info SYSPRP Entering SysprepGeneralizeValidate (Appx) - validating whether all apps are also provisioned.

2018-11-27 15:17:08, Error SYSPRP Package Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience_10.0.0.0_neutral__cw5n1h2txyewy was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users. This package will not function properly in the sysprep image.

2018-11-27 15:17:08, Error SYSPRP Failed to remove apps for the current user: 0x80073cf2.

2018-11-27 15:17:08, Error SYSPRP Exit code of RemoveAllApps thread was 0x3cf2.

2018-11-27 15:17:08, Error SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Failure occurred while executing 'SysprepGeneralizeValidate' from C:\Windows\System32\AppxSysprep.dll; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Error SYSPRP SysprepSession::Validate: Error in validating actions from C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Generalize.xml; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Error SYSPRP RunPlatformActions:Failed while validating Sysprep session actions; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Error [0x0f0070] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:An error occurred while running registry sysprep DLLs, halting sysprep execution. dwRet = 0x3cf2
2018-11-27 15:17:08, Error [0x0f00d8] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while pre-validate sysprep generalize internal providers; hr = 0x80073cf2

KB2769827

Found a KB2769827 on "this" issue.....

Followed their steps (with a change on the publisher due to our sysprep error) and get a long list. Below is the top/important part:

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-AppxPackage -AllUser | Where PublisherId -eq cw5n1h2txyewy | Format-List -Property PackageFullName,PackageUserInformation

PackageFullName : Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience_10.0.0.0_neutral__cw5n1h2txyewy
PackageUserInformation : {S-1-5-21-1325067119-2131063280-3858848497-1001 [{USER-X}]: Installed}

PackageFullName : 1527c705-839a-4832-9118-54d4Bd6a0c89_10.0.17763.1_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
PackageUserInformation : {S-1-5-21-1325067119-2131063280-3858848497-1001 [{USER-X}]: Installed}

PackageFullName : c5e2524a-ea46-4f67-841f-6a9465d9d515_10.0.17763.1_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
PackageUserInformation : {S-1-5-21-1325067119-2131063280-3858848497-1001 [{user logged in}]: Installed}

PackageFullName : E2A4F912-2574-4A75-9BB0-0D023378592B_10.0.17763.1_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy

So proceeded to removing the package (logged on as Administrator and get the below freaking message (btw, there's *very* little installed at this point in the Add/Remove features: IE11 and .NET framework 2/3.

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Remove-AppxPackage -Package Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience_10.0.0.0_neutral__cw5n1h2txyewy
Remove-AppxPackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073CFA, Removal failed. Please contact your software vendor.
(Exception from HRESULT: 0x80073CFA)
error 0x80070032: AppX Deployment Remove operation on package
Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience_10.0.0.0_neutral__cw5n1h2txyewy from:
C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience_cw5n1h2txyewy failed. This app is part of Windows and
cannot be uninstalled on a per-user basis. An administrator can attempt to remove the app from the computer using Turn
Windows Features on or off. However, it may not be possible to uninstall the app.
NOTE: For additional information, look for [ActivityId] 77e70012-8717-0001-e408-e7771787d401 in the Event Log or use
the command line Get-AppPackageLog -ActivityID 77e70012-8717-0001-e408-e7771787d401
At line:1 char:1
+ Remove-AppxPackage -Package Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : WriteError: (Microsoft.Windo...__cw5n1h2txyewy:String) [Remove-AppxPackage], IOException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : DeploymentError,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.RemoveAppxPackageCommand

So..... can't uninstall it and can't proceed. Another bug? Thoughts/suggestions? The Windows Add/Remove features is essentially completely empty. These were not an issue until LTSC 2019 was installed/upgraded.

[#2]

Anyone?  Anything?

I might add a couple of details off.   Did delete the infamous defaultuser0 account and enabled/logged onto the default administrator to try and configure/install the feature to satisfy the original sysprep error without any luck.  I then re-installed, which surprised me it executed since it was already installed/upgraded, the LTSC 2019 update under Administrator but no luck there either.  Still the same error on our self-created admin account.