You plan to clone a Windows 2000 computer by using the System Preparation Tool (Sysprep). When you run Sysprep on the reference Windows 2000 computer before imaging, what happens to the user specific information and settings that currently exist on that computer?

Introduction / Context:
Sysprep is the System Preparation Tool used in Windows 2000 to generalize a system image before deployment to multiple computers. One of its tasks is to remove machine specific and user specific information so that the cloned systems can receive unique identities and be customized during mini setup. Understanding what happens to user specific settings helps administrators plan how user profiles and configurations will be handled after deployment.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• A reference computer is running Windows 2000.
• The goal is to use Sysprep to prepare this system for imaging and deployment to other computers.
• There is user specific information and profile data on the reference system.
• You need to know how Sysprep treats that user specific information.

Concept / Approach:
Sysprep is designed to remove user specific and security specific information to avoid conflicts when the image is applied to another machine. This includes resetting security identifiers and removing user profiles that should not be replicated. The tool does not preserve user specific data in additional files for reinstallation; instead, any required user settings should be configured after deployment or stored in domain profiles, not on the reference machine.'

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Understand that cloning a system requires removing unique identifiers and user data that should not be duplicated.Step 2: Recognise that Sysprep prepares the operating system by resetting identifiers and removing user specific customizations.Step 3: Review the options. Preserving user information in usset.inf or automatically reinstalling it would defeat the purpose of creating a generic image.Step 4: Consider the option that user information is not altered; this would mean cloned machines share the same user settings and possibly sensitive data, which is undesirable.Step 5: Conclude that Sysprep removes user specific information so that each deployed system starts in a generalized state.

Verification / Alternative check:
Microsoft documentation on Sysprep explains that the tool removes computer specific and user specific information, then configures the system to run mini setup when it next boots. Administrators can verify this by examining user profiles before and after running Sysprep in a test environment and observing the reset state upon deployment of the image. No automatic reinstallation of old user data occurs.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The idea that user information is preserved in a file such as usset.inf is not part of Sysprep behaviour. Sysprep does not save and reinstall user profiles as part of cloning. Leaving user specific data unaltered would create security and configuration problems across cloned computers. Therefore, the only correct behaviour among the options is that user specific information is removed.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is using a heavily customised user profile on the reference machine and expecting those customisations to appear on cloned machines without properly using default profile techniques. Another pitfall is failing to back up important user data before running Sysprep, leading to unexpected data loss. Administrators should clearly distinguish between system imaging and user data migration when planning deployments.

Final Answer:
When you run Sysprep on a Windows 2000 computer, the user specific information on that computer is removed.