Recently I set up my lab with the brandnew SP1, so I decided to go everthing on 2012, as it is supported since SP1 to use SQL Server 2012 as database backend. So I installed two Windows Server 2012, one with SQL Server 2012 and one with SCCM 2012 SP1. After all was running fine, I wanted to check a use case, which is often required: To get an Operting System Deployment which language is set by collection variables. Business as usual…

I used Windows 8 as Installation, integrated the german language pack and loaded it up to the SCCM Server. I created an unattend file with the Windows System Image Manager, and used the variables (for all who asking what I’m talking about, ask in the comments, then I will make a post about this Topic). I’ve done this several times with SCCM Versions before SP1. The language was not applied. So I made an TechNet Forum post (http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmanagerosd/thread/612d00b8-b989-4e6a-8e14-e96f7ecbdbe5) to ask, if somebody has the same behaviour, or if somebody can tell that this works.

So, as I written in this Forum, the Problem was the second last line in the XML File. This line in the XML file is a reference to the wim file, which was used to create the catalog. Usually it Looks like this one:
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source=”” xmlns:cpi=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi” />

I then tested around, and found a solution:
When this reference line is written in the xml file, and the language settings were set hardcoded (e.g. en-US or de-CH) the unattended file is applied.
When this reference line is written in the xml file, and the language settings were set with variables, the variables will not be resolved in the xml file.
When this reference line is NOT written in the xml file, and the language settings were set with variables, everything works as expected.

Hope this helps.