When you run the sysprep /generalize command on a Windows Vista-based computer, you receive the following error message:

A fatal error occurred while running sysprep.

Additionally, an error message that resembles the following may be logged in the Setuperr.log file:

SYSPRP LaunchDll:Failure occurred while executing ‘C:Windowssystem32msdtcprx.dll,SysPrepDtcCleanup’, returned error code -2146434815[gle=0x000000b7]

This error message is logged if you change the value of the following registry entry to 7:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMSetupStatusSysprepStatusGeneralizationState

For more information on this issue, including potential causes, workarounds, and resolutions, see: Microsoft KB Article KB947466.

Microsoft has a way to automatically fix this problem, click the "Fix It" image to go to the Knowledge Base page that contains the download.