Windows 10: Customize Windows 10 Image in Audit Mode with Sysprep

OK, after checking this it seems ADK for Win10 was released 28th of January. I cannot understand why I did not find it this weekend when searching.

 

Sorry about that... *Redface

One thing I noticed in the video, is that you use the sysprep command with the /shutdown parameter.

When I tried this at the weekend, using VirtualBox, in EFI mode, then it wouldn't let me press F12 to boot from a WinPE disk at the next startup and would always go back into Windows (which I didn't want).

It did this a few times until I came up with this theory... I think this might be because Windows 8 onwards default to a 'fast startup' which means a shutdown doesn't do a full shutdown, but instead is doing a form of hibernate. So instead I shutdown myself after the sysprep using this command in the command prompt, which seemed to work better as it is a full shutdown.
Code: shutdown /s /t 10[/quote]

 

[/quote] Thanks for letting me know that @David.

I use Hyper-V virtual machines in making the tutorials, the procedure as described works on Hyper-V. I will give the tutorial a "facelift" today and add alternative Sysprep command for scenarios like yours where the vm cannot be booted with WinPE / recovery disk afterwards.

In your case now before the tut has been updated, use the QUIT switch instead of SHUTDOWN:
Code: %windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /quit /unattend:X:\MyAnswerFile.xml[/quote] This runs the Sysprep with your answer file but stays in Audit Mode desktop when done. Now shutdown or restart simply by pressing WIN+X to open Start system menu and select Shutdown or Restart.

 

Thanks for that Kari,

Unfortunately I won't get a chance to try it again for a couple of days, but I suspect that Win-X then Shutdown will have the same problem. Restart is probably OK , as it doesn't do a hybrid hibernate. Again this is just my theory rather than something I've tested properly.

 

In any case, use the QUIT switch with Sysprep, then after it has finished you can use the shutdown -s -t 1, or if the WinPE or imaging boot disk is in drive, the shutdown -r -t 1.

 

David, to boot from another disk in VirtualBox you can just shut down and add it to the top (by changing the SATA port numbers). For example I just did this this morning to use CentOS to delete junk left over from KB3001652 failed install that I couldn't delete using Windows. VirtualBox will boot the first thing it finds.

Attachment 12386

 

@Adam, may I use your screenshot? I am currently working with getting the tut and video up to date trying to get it done today, a lot of work still to do. It would speed my process if I didn't have to install to me relatively unknown VirtualBox only to get screenshots.

 

Sure - of course. If you want some more let me know.

 

Sure - of course. If you want some more let me know. If you could post screenshots of the whole process, how do you change the boot order on UEFI vm when it's shutdown, to boot from CD/DVD? I'll add text and arrows *Wink.

 

@Kari - here you go.

1. Create VM under VirtualBox like this..
Attachment 12403

2. Setting for storage are like this - boot from ISO.

Attachment 12404

3. Install Windows, download ADK, make PE ISO as per tutorial.
4. Shutdown windows from inside the VM (same as normal).
5. Select your VM (picture 1 above) and click on settings (yellow cog) and then storage tab.
6. Right click on the icon of the CD (on the RHS of the picture below) and change the ISO from Windows install ISO to the PE ISO that you created
Attachment 12405

7. Start the VM and you boot into PE.
Attachment 12402

 

Thanks in advance Adam *Smile.

 

@Adam THANK YOU!

 

Pictures updated in previous post (See post #39​) - I tested it and it works fine without EFI (standard set-up).

I tested also with EFI boot and it doesn't work. EFI is not supported by VirtualBox for Windows and for a VM I see no benefit in using it so I'm not looking for a workaround. Worth noting though.

Don't enable EFI here:
Attachment 12408

Or you'll get this when you boot from your PE ISO.
Attachment 12407

 

But according to David he have Windows 10 vm in EFI: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3...tml#post193797 I just created 2 9926 VM's - one with EFI and one with BIOS. Both installed correctly. I downloaded the Windows 10 ADK and made a PE ISO. The EFI one would not boot the PE ISO while the BIOS one did.

After a bit more testing, to make it work with EFI you have to do this: (I know this is off on a bit of a tangent from this tutorial, but you can boot PE using both BIOS and EFI in VirtualBox only the ISO method doesn't work with EFI).

1. Create a new VHD
Attachment 12412

2. Make sure it is top of your list by altering the SATA ports. Note: Remember what SATA port Windows was on for step 7!
Attachment 12413

3. Format it in Windows and assign a drive letter (for example:V)
Attachment 12446

4. Write the PE Image using MakeWinPEMedia /UFD C:\WinPE_amd64 V: ( https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn293200.aspx )
Attachment 12415

5. Remove the Windows 10 installation ISO and PE then boots OK.
Attachment 12418

7. When you have finished with PE disconnect the PE drive and reset to SATA port for Windows to its original value from step 2. The default is zero. Otherwise Windows will not boot.