Windows 10: Create Windows 10 ISO image from Existing Installation

Adding the tree structure :





Cheers, *Wink

 

I am quite convinced that's not going to work. OEM install media is the worst possible base for a customized install.wim / ISO.

I'm not sure why you would like to use it? The install.wim will be created from an existing installation, an already set up Windows. The rest should come from standard Windows 10 ISO.

 

Hi,

Actually I would like to do it the other way around. Taking the MS AU install.wim and adding the OEM customizations to it or is that a bad idea too ?

Cheers, *Wink

 

Honestly, I don't know it just might work.

I can't even test this; since days of Windows Vista I have never used OEM Windows. When I get a new machine with pre-installed Windows, be it laptop or desktop, I don't even boot it to this pre-installed OS. Instead I boot from my own install media clean installing Windows, throwing manufacturer's OS disks if included to trash.

 

Hi,

LOL.
I know what you mean but this one is aimed at big businesses worldwide so it's exceptionally clean and comes with just the right set of drivers to make it ready for use right out of the box and that's that.

At this point in time and using AU instead of 10240 (and it's because of 10240 that I want to bring it up to date) it hardly needs any extra drivers except for Intel's RAID drivers. All else is detected quite fast by Windows Update.

Thanks for offering to test it but I'll start by mounting the OEM 10240 install.wim and try to figure out how the OEM integrated everything in their image.
With some luck it may well be quite easy to do.

Thanks for your help, Kari.

 

All scenarios without an answer file to capture install.wim from Windows installation with relocated Users folder fail:


Install.wim will be created, ISO can be created and it boots and Windows installation goes almost to the end, then gives the above error message.

Next to test various scenarios with an answer file.

 

So, in reading the first two files, it looks like the first file is a language selector, inserting various languages as modules. The second file is the .INI for Windows 10 Recovery language selection. Or, at least, something along those lines.

Frank, if you really want OEM customizations, you should probably start reading up on the Multi-OEM tool over at MDL - that will probably accomplish more what you are looking for (and be a lot easier than trying o reinvent the whell, eh?)

See https://forums.mydigitallife.info/th...ject-Continued

 

I had a feeling this was true. However, if I can set up everythnig including the answer file, then I'll be able to make new installs by simply replacing the Instal.WIM file and re-creating the .iSO every single time, correct?

 

I'll answer when I have tested how this works with an answer file with FolderLocations component and with relocated Users folder in Windows used to capture the install.wim.

 

Hi John,

That's correct as far as I can tell. On both counts it seems.


Thanks, *Wink

 

I had a long day at work, so I could not finish installing everything, so I still am. I am also, howev,re building a couple of VMs, including one with moved \Users tree to see if it works with an answer file.

IIRC, I tried to use answer files in Win 7 to accomplish much the same thing with a pre-existing installation with moved \Users and \ProgramData but it got cumbersome then, and I found it was easier to reinstall from scratch as my SSDs were rather quick. So was installing from a UFD versus DVD lol....

You're welcome. I've been paying a lot more attention over there as of late because of some really interesting tools over there, particularly DISM++ and NSudo.

 

I've printed off the tutorial and read it. It makes much more sense to me now. I'll try it out tomorrow and report back.

 

Skipping the whole thing . . . didn't understand a bit of it! *What*What*What*Doh*Doh*Doh

 

I just noticed a serious mistake in instructions in Part Two; in a Note box following the part title I had posted something meant for note in Part One.

The below text was now removed from note in Part Two and moved to note in Part One where it was missing:

Note in Part Two is now updated:


Note This method will produce an ISO image which can be compared to any original Windows 10 ISO you download from Microsoft, apart from the fact that it already contains pre-installed software according to your choice and pre-set user accounts each which its settings, customisations and personalisations.

ISO created will include all user profile folders and personal user files.

As the settings and user accounts are pre-set, installation using this ISO will be faster than using a standard ISO because Windows don't have to run OOBE setup. Shorter install time, with pre-installed software (depending on the amount of*personal files in user folders).

This method is recommended if and only when the ISO will never be used to install Windows on any other computer to 10 than your own.

Recommended: To speed up capturing install.wim in Part Four, and make installation using your customised ISO faster, move as much of personal user content from each profile folder to an external drive before proceeding. When ready, move the data back to respective user profiles.

My sincere apologies, I have no excuse for such a rookie mistake.

 

That must've been the whiskey talking....

Seriously, I didn't notice it....