Python 3.13.3 silently fails to install with invalid unattend.xml

[simon-callan]

Bug report

Bug description:

If I try to install Python on Windows Server 2025 (x64) with an invalid "unattend,xml" file (as below - SimplInstallDescription is bad), the installation fails with no error message.
There does not appear to be be any messages in the windows events log.

<Options>
    <Option Name="InstallAllUsers" Value="yes" />
	<Option Name="CompileAll" Value="yes" />
	<Option Name="AppendPath" Value="yes" />
    <Option Name="SimpleInstall" Value="yes" />
    <Option Name="SimpleInstallDescriptionInstalling Python for ClearCore</Option>
</Options>

CPython versions tested on:

3.13

Operating systems tested on:

Windows

[picnixz]

cc @zooba

[zooba]

Are there logs in %TEMP%, where they normally go?

In any case, this functionality is deprecated along with the rest of the installer. Silent all-user installs will need an alternative, it's not a scenario we are supporting anymore.

[zooba]

So the logs show there was an error, and the process exit code is non-zero, which also indicates an error. I don't think there's anything we'd change here, certainly not post-deprecation.

[0E18:0854][2025-05-07T17:46:41]e000: Error 0x8007006e: Failed to read C:\Users\Administrator\Downloads\unattend.xml
[0E18:0854][2025-05-07T17:46:41]e000: Error 0x8007006e: Failed to initialize data in bootstrapper application.
...
[0E18:102C][2025-05-07T17:46:41]i007: Exit code: 0x6e, restarting: No

[cris1200]

Bug report

Bug description:

If I try to install Python on Windows Server 2025 (x64) with an invalid "unattend,xml" file (as below - SimplInstallDescription is bad), the installation fails with no error message.
There does not appear to be be any messages in the windows events log.

<Options>
    <Option Name="InstallAllUsers" Value="yes" />
	<Option Name="CompileAll" Value="yes" />
	<Option Name="AppendPath" Value="yes" />
    <Option Name="SimpleInstall" Value="yes" />
    <Option Name="SimpleInstallDescriptionInstalling Python for ClearCore</Option>
</Options>

CPython versions tested on:

3.13

Operating systems tested on:

Windows