Aim of this guide

This guide will walk through the steps I’ve taken to create a deployable Windows 10 Enterprise .wim image which can then be used to deploy Windows 10 across our domain via our PXE environment.

Prepare a machine with Windows 10

The first step is to create an Autounattend.xml file which will be copied to a USB Pen drive and attached to a target test machine, in this case a Dell 9020 along with the Windows 10 Enterprise DVD. The presence of this file in an attached USB Pen drive will cause the installation of Windows 10 to become automated and will force the machine into [Audit Mode], which is where we can begin stripping out the unwanted Windows 10 Apps before sysprep-ing and powering down the machine.

One thing to note is that this answer file formats the disk under the GPT scheme, NOT MBR. So if you have an MBR formatted drive you’ll need to first reformat it as GPT. This can be completed using the Windows 10 Installation DVD by pressing SHIFT+F10 when booting from the DVD to open a command prompt followed by:

diskpart

list disk

select disk 0

(where disk 0 is your target deployment disk indicated from list disk)

clean

covert gpt

I’m assuming that you’ve installed the [Deployment Tools] and, optionally the [Windows Preinstallation Environment] from the Windows 10 Automated Deployment Toolkit [https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/itpro/windows/deploy/windows-deployment-scenarios-and-tools] on your development machine, in my case this is our Windows Server.

Launch [as Administrator] the Windows System Image Manager

It will need a valid [install.wim] from the [sources] directory of a LTSB release of Windows 10.
Create an answer file with the following components and settings:

1 windowsPE:

  • amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Internationl-Core-WinPE_neutral
    InputLocale= en-GB
    SystemLocale= en-GB
    UILanguage= en-US
    UserLocale= en-GB
    -> SetupUILanguage
    UILanguage= en-US
    WillShowUI= OnError
  • amd64_Microsoft_Windows_Setup_neutral
    ->->DiskConfiguration WillShowUI= OnError
    ->->-> Disk[DiskID=”0″] Action= AddListItem
    DiskID= 0
    WillWipeDisk= True
    ->->->-> CreatePartitions
    ->->->->-> CreatePartition[Order=”1″] Action= AddListItem
    Extend= False
    Order= 1
    Size= 500
    Type= Primary
    ->->->->-> CreatePartition[Order=”2″] Action= AddListItem
    Extend= False
    Order= 2
    Size=
    Type= Primary
    ->->->-> ModifyPartitions
    ->->->->-> ModifyPartition[Order=”1″] Action= AddListItem
    Active= true
    Extend= false
    Format= NTFS
    Label= System
    Letter= S
    Order= 1
    PartitionID= 1
    ->->->->-> ModifyPartition[Order=”2″] Action= AddListItem
    Active= true
    Extend= false
    Format= NTFS
    Label= Windows
    Letter= C
    Order= 2
    PartitionID= 2
    ->->ImageInstall
    ->->->OSImage WillShowUI= OnError
    ->->->-> InstallTo DiskID= 0
    PartitionID= 2
    ->->UserData AcceptEula= true
    ->->->ProductKey WilLShowUI= never

4 specialize:

  • amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Deployement_neutral
    -> RunAsynchronous ->-> RunAsynchronousCommand[order=”1″] Action= AddListItem
    Order= 1
    path= net user administrator /active:yes
  • amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX_neutral SkipAutoActivation= true
  • amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_neutral ComputerName= Replaceme1
    DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet= false
    RegisteredOrganisation= <<YOUR COMPANY HERE>>
    RegisteredOwner= <<YOUR DEPARTMENT HERE>>
    ShowPowerButtonOnStartScreen= true
    ShowWindowsLive= false
    SignInMode= 1
    TimeZone= GMT Standard Time
    -> OEMInformation HelpCustomized= false
    SupportHours= <<YOUR WORKING HOURS HERE>>
    SupportPhone= <<YOUR PHONE NUMBER HERE>>
    SUPPORTURL= <<YOUR SUPPORT WEBSITE HERE>>

7. oobeSystem:

  • amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Deployement_neutral
    -> Reseal     Mode= Audit
  • amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_neutral ShowWindowsLive= false
    SignInMode= 1
    TimeZone= GMT Standard Time
    -> AutoLogon Enabled= true
    LogonCount= 5
    Username= Administrator
    -> OOBE HideEULAPage= true
    HideLocalAccountScreen= true
    HideOEMRegistrationScreen= true
    HideOnlineAccountScreens= true
    HideWirelessSetupInOOBE= true
    NetworkLocation= Work
    ProtectYourPC= 1
    -> UserAccounts
    ->-> AdministratorPassword Value= <<YOUR PASSWORD HERE>>

Save the file and then copy it to a USB Pen drive and attach it to the target test machine along with the Windows 10 DVD, power on and boot from DVD then make a cuppa while the system installs.

Once the installation has completed you should be logged in as the Administrator in Maintenance mode with a Sysprep GUI window open on-screen.

Now you can begin configuring applications and programs that you want to be installed or removed for all systems.

Remove Apps from the Windows 10 Audit Mode Machine

To remove apps from Windows 10 you can use PowerShell commands:

Uninstall Calendar and Mail: Get-AppxPackage *windowscommunicationsapps* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Get Office: Get-AppxPackage *officehub* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Get Skype: Get-AppxPackage *skypeapp* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Get Started: Get-AppxPackage *getstarted* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Groove Music: Get-AppxPackage *zunemusic* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Microsoft Solitaire Collection: Get-AppxPackage *solitairecollection* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Money: Get-AppxPackage *bingfinance* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Movies & TV: Get-AppxPackage *zunevideo* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall News: Get-AppxPackage *bingnews* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall OneNote: Get-AppxPackage *onenote* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall People: Get-AppxPackage *people* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Phone Companion: Get-AppxPackage *windowsphone* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Photos: Get-AppxPackage *photos* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Store: Get-AppxPackage *windowsstore* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Sports: Get-AppxPackage *bingsports* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Weather: Get-AppxPackage *bingweather* | Remove-AppxPackage

Uninstall Xbox: Get-AppxPackage *xboxapp* | Remove-AppxPackage

Remove / Install Any Other Applications & Sysprep

Complete any other software installations or removals you require and then prepare an “unattend.xml” answer file which will be used to configure the system the image is deployed to.

TODO : Details of initial unattend.xml

Copy the “unattend.xml” file to:

C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\unattend.xml

Then sysprep the target machine using the following command:

C:\windows\system32\Sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:"C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\unattend.xml"

Image the target machine, capture that .wim!

The next stage is to image the now shutdown machine’s partitions into .wim files. I created a bootable .iso file using the Windows 10 Automated Deployment Toolkit and then copied in the DISM folder (which includes the imagex.exe utility) into the ISO.

Copied from https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/commercialize/manufacture/desktop/winpe-create-a-boot-cd-dvd-iso-or-vhd :

Install the Windows ADK

  • Install the following features from the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK):
    • Deployment Tools: includes the Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment.
    • Windows Preinstallation Environment : includes the files used to install Windows PE.

Install Windows PE to a DVD, a CD, or an ISO file

  1. Click Start, and type deployment. Right-click Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment and then select Run as administrator.

  2. Create a working copy of the Windows PE files. Specify either x86 or amd64: ``` copype amd64 C:\WinPE_amd64

    ```

  3. Create an ISO file containing the Windows PE files: ``` MakeWinPEMedia /ISO C:\WinPE_amd64 C:\WinPE_amd64\WinPE_amd64.iso

    ```

  4. To burn a DVD or CD: In Windows Explorer, right-click the ISO file, and select Burn disc image > Burn, and follow the prompts.

You can either burn that ISO to a CD or use an ISO virtual drive such as the Zalman ZM-VE400 http://www.zalman.com/contents/products/view.html?no=161 to boot from.

Attach another larger disk drive to the system, or map a network drive from within the Windows 10 PE (Live) environment you’ve booted into and then run the following commands to image the partitions:

  1. Identify the volume letter assigned to the SYSTEM and WINDOWS partitions using the following commands: ``` Diskpart

    list vol ```

    TODO* : IMAGE OF list vol OUTPUT