Windows 10: Creating a single custom install disk for different computers

I am a small business, home user tech.

When I give a someone a new computer I do several things to it so that the user has a better OOB experience.

What I want to know is, is there a way to automate those task so that I can do an install using a custom answer file regardless of the type of machine or license?

These are machines that I pick up from local computer store (MicroCenter). They already have an OS installed just waiting on the new user to customize.

Here are just a few of the things that I do to a machine:
• Recycle bin – Make size 1111kb
• Power settings – No Standby, screen off after 1 hr
• Start Menu – Clear all check marks
• Start Menu – Only Calendar, News, Calc, Notepad, Snip-n-sketch, IE, Chrome and Firefox
• Start Menu – Removed program list
• System Restore – Turn on
• Uninstall Onedrive

My guess is that there is no way to do this due to the different machines and Windows key.

Any thought are greatly appreciated.

:)

 

W7 Hard drive partition issue

to get rid of that 100 meg windows partition that setup creates for you on a new install on a blank hdd:

- press shift+f10 when on the partition management screen in setup <-- this opens a command prompt
- diskpart <-- start the windows command line partition management tool
- list disk <--- list the installed hdds in this computer for the next step
- select disk 0 <- might have to replace 0 with the number of the correct disk
- clean <-- this will erase all data on the disk you selected one step up- dont use the wrong disk!
- create partition primary <- creates a primary partition taking up all space on the drive, adjust the command if necessary
- exit, exit to exit diskpart and the command prompt
- click refresh in partition manager and select your newly created partition and install to that

 

Steam does not install from disk?!?!

no you're doing steps 1 and 2 wrong. steam creates the directory, you stop steam and then you install the game from the disk to that directory.

also steam must be off, not in offline mode but off, aka no steam services in the task manager when you install the game.

 

Windows 10 installation. Error: Windows Cannot Be Installed to This Disk. This Computer's Hardware May not Support Booting to This Disk".

Hi,

Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.

I suggest to try with the below mentioned steps

If you have more than one hard drive connected to your computer, remove the additional hard drives and keep only the primary one.

If it does not work, back up your data, delete all the existing partitions and let installer create the new partitions.

I also suggest to try with changing the hard drive mode in BIOS.

If it is set to IDE, change it to
AHCI, if the current mode is AHCI, change it to
IDE.

Disclaimer: Modifying BIOS/ complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) settings incorrectly can cause serious problems that may prevent your computer from booting properly. Microsoft
cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the configuring of BIOS/CMOS settings can be solved. Modifications of the settings are at your own risk.

If none of these suggestions work, boot the computer to Windows Recovery environment using the installation media.

1. Choose Repair your computer on the initial Windows setup screen.
   
2. Go to Troubleshoot->Advanced options->Command prompt and execute the following commands one by one.
   
3. Diskpart
   
4. List Disk
   
5. Select disk disk 0 (Note: remove all additional disks).
   
6. Create partition primary.
   
7. Exit.
   

Reboot the computer and see if you can proceed with installation.

If you still get the same error, delete the partition, select the unallocated partition and click
Next to proceed with installation.

Hope it helps.

Peer Samie

Microsoft Community-Moderator