Building A Standard Image of Windows 7 - Step-By-Step Guide

29/4/2560 BuildingaStandardImageofWindows7:StepbyStepGuide
Building a Standard Image of Windows 7:

StepbyStep Guide
Updated: September 23, 2009
Applies To: Windows 7
Installing a custom image is similar to installing the Windows7 operating system from the Microsoft Volume Licensing or
retail media, but it uses an operating system image that includes your customizations and applications. This process takes a bit
more time to set up but can save you time in the end.
The guidance in section is designed specifically for small and medium business that may not have prior experience with Windows
deployment or do not have enterprise deployment infrastructure.
Watch the companion video tutorial for more information.
Also see the following related documents:
Upgrading to Windows 7 for Small and Midsize Businesses
Upgrading to Windows 7 with a Standard Image: Overview
Manual Installation of Windows 7: Overview
Automated Installation of Windows 7: Overview
Automated Installation to Upgrade to Windows 7: StepbyStep Guide
Note
For a complete view of Windows7 resources, articles, demos, and guidance, please visit the Springboard Series for
Windows7 on the Windows Client TechCenter.
For a downloadable version of this document, see Building a Standard Image of Windows7: StepbyStep Guide in the
Microsoft Download Center http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=162740.
https://technet.microsoft.com/enus/library/ee523217(v=ws.10).aspx 1/26
Creating a custom image for the Standard Image method has seven major steps. You need two computers to build the custom
image for this method: You configure your tools on the technician computer and customize your image on the reference
computer. Table1 has a column for each computer. You complete steps in the On the technician computer column on your
own computer. You complete steps in the On the reference computer column on the computer that you are using to build the
custom image.
Table1. Steps for Creating a Custom Image
Step On the technician computer On the reference computer
1. Install the Windows Automated Installation Kit

WindowsAIK.
2. Create a Windows Preinstallation Environment

WindowsPE startup disk.
3. Install and customize Windows7.
4. Start the reference computer in Audit mode to clean

the image.
5. Generalize the reference computer to prepare the

image for duplication.
6. Capture the reference computer to an image file by

using ImageX.
7. Create new Windows7 installation media for the

custom image.
The following sections provide detailed instructions for each step. To use these instructions, you must have the Windows7
Volume Licensing media, two USB flash disks UFDs that you can use to start computers 8gigabytes [GB] or larger, depending
on the size of the Windows7 image you create, and a reference computer on which you can build and customize the standard
image. You will be formatting the reference computers disk, so make sure you back up important files if you are using an
existing computer for this purpose.
Install the WindowsAIK

The WindowsAIK provides the tools required to build custom Windows7 images. In particular, it includes ImageX, which you use
to capture an image of the reference computer, and the files necessary to build a WindowsPE startup disk.
First, download the Windows Automated Installation Kit AIK for Windows 7 from the Microsoft Download Center
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=136976.
The file KB3AIK_EN.iso is an International Organization for Standardization ISO image that you must burn to a DVD or mount to
a virtual machine. Windows7 can burn ISO files to DVDs. For more information, see Tip: Burn a Disc Image from an ISO or IMG
file in Windows7 in TechNet Magazine.
To install the WindowsAIK from the WindowsAIK

https://technet.microsoft.com/enus/library/ee523217(v=ws.10).aspx DVD 2/26
To install the WindowsAIK from the WindowsAIK DVD
1. Open the WindowsAIK DVD in Windows Explorer.
2. Perform one of the following tasks based on the computer on which you are installing the WindowsAIK:
If your computer is a 32bit computer, rightclick wAIKX86.msi, and then click Install.
If your computer is a 64bit computer, rightclick wAIKAMD64.msi, and then click Install.
3. Click Next.
4. On the License Agreement page, click I Agree, and then click Next.
5. On the Select Installation Folder page, click Next to install to the default installation folder for anyone who uses the
computer.
6. On the Confirm Installation page, click Next to begin installation.
7. Click Close to finish installation.
Create a Bootable UFD

You use the bootable UFD that you create in this step to start the reference computer so you can capture an image of the hard
disk after you install and customize Windows7. WindowsPE does not include ImageX, so these instructions include a step for
copying ImageX.exe from the WindowsAIK installation folder to the WindowsPE source files before you create the WindowsPE
ISO file.
To create a bootable UFD with WindowsPE
1. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Microsoft WindowsAIK.
2. Rightclick Deployment Tools Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
3. Click Yes to open the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window with elevated permissions.
TipYou can copy and paste commands from these instructions into the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window.
Doing so saves time and helps ensure that you run the command correctly.
4. In the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window, perform one of the following tasks, and then press ENTER:
If the reference computer is a 32bit computer, type copype.cmd x86 C:\winpe_x86.
If the reference computer is a 64bit computer, type copype.cmd amd64 C:\winpe_amd64.
If the reference computer is a 32bit computer, type copy C:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim

C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim.
If the reference computer is a 64bit computer, type copy C:\winpe_amd64\winpe.wim

C:\winpe_amd64\ISO\sources\boot.wim.
If the reference computer is a 32bit computer, type copy "C:\Program Files\Windows

AIK\Tools\x86\ImageX.exe" C:\winpe_x86\ISO\.
If the reference computer is a 64bit computer, type copy "C:\Program Files\Windows

AIK\Tools\amd64\ImageX.exe" C:\winpe_amd64\ISO\.
7. Insert a UFD into the computer.
8. In the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window, type diskpart, and then press ENTER.
9. Perform the following tasks to prepare the UFD to start the reference computer:
a. Type list disk, and then press ENTER.
b. From the list of disks, identify the number of the UFD. It is important that you identify the correct disk, as you will
be formatting the disk. Make sure the size and free space match what you expect for the UFD.
c. Type select disk number, where number is the disk number of the UFD, and then press ENTER.
d. Type clean, and then press ENTER.
e. Type create partition primary, and then press ENTER.
f. Type select partition 1, and then press ENTER.
g. Type format fs=fat32 quick, and then press ENTER.
h. Type active, and then press ENTER.
i. Type exit, and then press ENTER.
10. In the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window, type xcopy /s C:\winpe_x86\iso\*.* D:\, where D is the drive letter
of the UFD. Alternatively, you can copy all the files in C:\winpe_x86 to the UFD using Windows Explorer.
Install Windows7
After completing the previous two stepsinstalling the WindowsAIK and creating a bootable UFDyou have the tools
necessary to capture a custom image. You will complete these steps on the reference computer. Now, you need your Windows7
Volume Licensing media, which you will install on the reference computer.After installing Windows7 on the reference computer,
customize it by installing any applications, device drivers, and updates that you want to include in the custom image. Remember
that anything you install in the custom image will be on each computer to which you install the image. Examples of applications
and updates you might want to install in the image include:
Antivirus software
The 2007Microsoft Office system
Windows VirtualPC
Virtual WindowsXP
To install Windows7 on the reference computer
1. Turn on your computer, insert the Windows7 Volume Licensing media into the computers DVD drive, and then perform
one of the following tasks:
If you are asked to press a key to boot from the Windows7 Volume Licensing media, press any key. If the Install
Windows page appears, go to step2.
If the Install Windows page does not appear and you are not asked to press a key to start from the Windows7
Volume Licensing media, you might have to specify that your computer uses its DVD drive as the startup device.
For more information, see the Windows Help and Howto article Start Windows from a CD or DVD. After you select
your DVD drive as the startup device, restart your computer, and then start Windows7 from the Volume Licensing
media.
2. On the Install Windows page, shown in Figure1, perform the following tasks, and then click Next:
a. In the Language to install list, click the language you want to install on your image.
b. In the Time and currency format list, click the location you want in your image.
c. In the Keyboard or input method list, click the keyboard layout you want in your image.
Figure1. The Install Windows page
3. On the Install Windows page, click Install now.
4. On the Please read the license terms page, if you accept the license terms, select I accept the license terms. You must
accept to continue the installation. Click Next.
5. On the Which type of installation do you want? page, click Custom.
6. On the Where do you want to install Windows? page, perform one of the following tasks:
If you do not want to specify a specific partition to install Windows7 on or create partitions on your hard disk, click
Next to begin the installation.
If you want to create, extend, delete, or format a partition, click Drive options advanced, select the option you
want, and then follow the instructions. Click Next to begin the installation.
Windows7 continues installing on the reference computer, as shown in Figure2.
Figure2. The Installing Windows page
7. On the Set Up Windows page, which you will see only after Windows7 finishes installing on the reference computer,
perform the following tasks, and then click Next:
a. In the Type a user name box, type a temporary user name. You can use any user name, as you will remove this
user account before capturing the image.
b. In the Type a computer name box, type a temporary computer name. You can use any computer name, as you
will change the computer name during deployment.
8. On the Set a password for your user account page, perform the following tasks, and then click Next:
a. In the Type a password box, type a password for the temporary user account.
b. In the Retype your password box, type the password again to verify it.
c. In the Type a password hint box, type a password reminder.
9. On the Type your product key for activation page, type your Windows7 Volume Licensing product key, and then click
Next.
10. On the Help protect your computer and improve Windows automatically page, click Use recommended settings to
install important and recommended updates. You can choose a different setting after you install the image on each
computer.
11. On the Review your time and date settings page, set the time and date, and then click Next.
12. Optionally, on the Join a wireless network page, click a wireless network, type the security key, and then click Next. You
can also skip connecting to a wireless network by clicking Skip.
13. On the Select your computers current location page, shown in Figure3, click Work network.
Figure3. Select your computers current location
To customize Windows7 on the reference computer
1. Use Windows Update to install recommended updates as well as the optional updates that you choose to include in the
image. To start Windows Update, click Start; in the Search box, type windows update, and then click Windows Update
in the search results under Programs.
2. Install any applications that you want to include in the custom image.
3. Install any outofbox device drivers device drivers that do not come with Windows7 that you want to include in the
custom image.
4. Configure any computerspecific settings that you want to include in the custom image.
Note
You can configure computerspecific settings like hardware settings in the custom image, but you cannot configure user
specific settings using this method without using an answer file or writing a script. For example, you cannot configure a
Windows Internet Explorer8 home page in the custom image, and then deploy that to all users in the organization. For
more information about creating a default user profile, see article 959753 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Clean Up the Image

When you set up Windows7, you created a temporary user account to log on to it. In this step, you start the computer in Audit
mode to remove that temporary user account and its user profile. This is also your last chance to install any applications, device
drivers, and updates in your image.
To start the computer in Audit mode using the System Preparation Tool Sysprep
1. Click Start, type C:\Windows\System32\sysprep\sysprep.exe in the Search box, and then press ENTER to start Sysprep,
shown in Figure4.
Figure4. The System Preparation Tool
2. In the System Cleanup Action list, select Enter System Audit Mode.
3. Select the Generalize check box.
4. In the Shutdown Options list, select Reboot.
5. Click OK to restart the computer in Audit mode.
6. After the computer restarts, Windows7 automatically logs in as Administrator.
To remove the temporary user accounts profile
1. Click Start, type user profile in the Search box, and then click Configure advanced user profile properties in the search
results.
2. In the User Profiles dialog box, click the name of the temporary user account you created when you installed Windows7
on the reference computer, and then click Delete. Click Yes to confirm.
3. Click OK to close the User Profiles dialog box.
To remove the temporary user account
1. Click Start, rightclick Computer, and then click Manage.
2. In the console tree left pane, click Local Users and Groups.
3. In the details pane middle pane, doubleclick Users.
4. Rightclick the name of the temporary account you created when you installed Windows7 on the reference computer,
and then click Delete.
5. Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the temporary user account.
6. Click OK to acknowledge that you are deleting an administrator account.
7. Close the Computer Management window.
Generalize the Image

In this step, you generalize the image and prepare it to start in Windows Welcome after you install it on each computer.
Generalizing the image removes any hardwaredependent information from it, resets the activation timer, and cleans up
Windows7 so that you can duplicate the image on other computers.
To prepare the computer to start in Windows Welcome using Sysprep
1. Open Sysprep. Windows7 automatically runs Sysprep when you start the operating system in Audit mode.
2. In the System Cleanup Action list, select Enter System OutofBox Experience OOBE.
3. Select the Generalize check box.
4. In the Shutdown Options list, select Shutdown.
5. Click OK to run Sysprep and shut down the computer.
Capture the Image

At this point in the process, you have installed Windows7 on the reference computer, and you are ready to capture an image of
it. You use the bootable UFD you created earlier to start the computer. Additionally, you will capture the image to this UFD. For
this reason, you should use a UFD that has a capacity of 8GB or more to ensure that there is room for both WindowsPE and the
image you capture.
To capture an image of Windows7 on the bootable UFD
1. Insert the bootable UFD into a USB port on the reference computer.
2. Turn on the reference computer, and then perform the following tasks:
a. When prompted, open the boot device list. In most cases, pressing F12 during the basic input/output system
[BIOS] splash screen opens the computers boot device list.
b. From the list of boot devices, select the bootable UFD that you inserted in step1 to start the computer using the
bootable UFD.
Note
If you do not see a prompt to display a boot device list, you must enable booting from UFD devices in the
computers BIOS. For more information, see the computers documentation.
3. At the command prompt, identify which drive contains Windows7typically driveD in WindowsPE. To verify this, type
dir d:, and then press ENTER.
If you see the Program Files, Users, and Windows folders, driveD contains Windows7. Otherwise, examine each drive to
determine which drive contains Windows7.
4. At the command prompt, identify which drive is the bootable UFD.
This drive contains Imagex.exe in the root of the drive. It will not be driveX. To determine the drive letter, run dir e:, dir f:,
dir g:, and so on until you locate the drive that contains Image.exe in the root.
5. At the command prompt, type one of the commands shown in Table2, depending on the edition of Windows7 you are
using, and then press ENTER. Substitute the actual drive letter containing Windows7 for D: and the drive letter containing
Image.exe for E: in Table2.
Table2. ImageX Commands
Edition ImageX Commands
Enterprise E:\imagex /compress fast /check /flags Enterprise /capture D:
E:\install.wim Windows 7 Enterprise Windows 7 Enterprise Custom
Professional E:\imagex /compress fast /check /flags Professional /capture D:
E:\install.wim Windows 7 Professional Windows 7 Professional Custom
6. Shut down the reference computer, and remove the UFD from its USB port.
Build Windows7 Media

You have successfully captured a custom Windows7 image that includes applications, device drivers, and updates. It is on the
root of the bootable UFD that you used to start the reference computer and capture the image. In this step, you create new
Windows7 installation media that use your custom image instead of the image that Microsoft provides on the media.
To create the custom Windows7 media, you create another bootable UFD. Then, you copy the installation files from the original
Windows7 Volume Licensing media to the bootable UFD. Finally, you replace the install.wim file on the bootable UFD with the
custom install.wim file you captured in the previous step.
To copy the custom Windows7 image to your computer

To copy the custom Windows7 image to your computer
1. Insert the UFD containing your custom Windows7 image in to your computer.
2. In Windows Explorer, copy the install.wim file from the UFD to C:\install.wim.
3. Remove the UFD containing your custom Windows7 image from your computer.
To create a bootable UFD containing your Windows7 Volume Licensing media
1. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Microsoft WindowsAIK.
2. Rightclick Deployment Tools Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
3. Click Yes to open the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window with elevated permissions.
4. Insert a UFD in to the computer. Do not insert the UFD to which you captured the custom Windows7 image, however, as
you will be formatting this UFD.
5. In the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window, type diskpart, and then press ENTER.
6. Perform the following tasks to prepare the UFD to start the reference computer:
a. Type list disk, and then press ENTER.
b. From the list of disks, identify the number of the UFD. It is important that you identify the correct disk, as you will
be formatting the disk. Make sure the size and free space match what you expect for the UFD.
c. Type select disknumber, where number is the disk number of the UFD, and then press ENTER.
d. Type clean, and then press ENTER.
e. Type create partition primary, and then press ENTER.
f. Type select partition 1, and then press ENTER.
g. Type format fs=fat32 quick, and then press ENTER.
h. Type active, and then press ENTER.
i. Type exit, and then press ENTER.
7. Insert your Windows7 Volume Licensing media into the DVD drive.
8. In the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window, type xcopy /s D:\*.* E:\*.*, where D is the drive letter of the
Windows7 Volume Licensing media and E is the drive letter of the UFD you previously formatted.
Alternatively, you can copy all the files on the Windows7 Volume Licensing media to the UFD using Windows Explorer.
To copy your custom image to the UFD containing Windows7
1. In the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window, type xcopy /r C:\install.wim E:\sources\install.wim, where E is the
drive letter of the UFD you created in the previous step. If prompted, type Y to confirm that you want to overwrite the file.
Alternatively, you can copy C:\install.wim to E:\sources\install.wim using Windows Explorer. If prompted, click Yes to
confirm that you want to overwrite install.wim on the UFD.
2. Safely eject the UFD containing your custom Windows7 image.
Install the Custom Image

Now that you have created a bootable UFD that contains your custom Windows image, you can use the UFD to install
Windows7 on other computers. Consider backing up the contents of the UFD. In addition, you can create multiple UFDs to help
speed up the installation on multiple computers.
To install the custom image from the bootable UFD
1. Insert the bootable UFD containing the custom Windows7 image into a USB port on the destination computer.
2. Turn on the destination computer, and then perform the following tasks:
a. When prompted, open the boot device list. In most cases, pressing F12 during the BIOS splash screen opens the
computers boot device list.
b. From the list of boot devices, select the bootable UFD that you inserted in step1 to start the computer using the
bootable UFD.
Note
If you do not see a prompt to display a boot device list, you must enable booting from UFD devices in the computers
BIOS. For more information, see the computers documentation.
3. Follow the instructions you see on screen to finish installing Windows7. The process is similar to the process described in
the Install Windows7 section earlier in this document.
4. After installing the custom Windows7 image on the destination computer, you must active the operating system with
Microsoft. If your company does not use the Key Management Service KMS, manually activate Windows7 with
Microsoft.
For more information, see Windows Volume Activation on the Microsoft Web site.
Note
Installing the custom image for the Standard Image method is a manual process. You can automate much of this process. For
more information, see Automated Installation of Windows 7: Overview.
Community Additions
Cant find the UFD drive or imagex

I follow the instructions to a T but i cant find the UFD drive that has imagex on it. If i plug the USB into a different machine i can find the
drive no prob. It seems to be with just this one particular model, any suggestion?
HiGHeR KnoWLeDGe
11/22/2016
If imagex.exe is missing
If imagex.exe is missing, plug the UFD back into your PC, start up Administrator Deployment Tools Command with administrative rights and
type in>copy"C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\amd64\ImageX.exe" C:\winpe_amd64\ISO\.
AndreGuillaume Kanyinda
7/13/2016
Split the image for UEFI based PCs.

For those who have an image greater than 4GB in size and have a UEFI BIOS with Secure Boot enabled, is it possible to split the install.wim
file using imagex? I'm using Windows AIK. I go to an elevated command prompt. I change to the C:\Program Files\Windows
AIK\Tools\AMD64 directory. I then run a command like:
.\imagex.exe /split c:\deployment\7\sources\install.wim c:\deployment\7\install.swm 4096
This seems to create two install.swm files, install.swm and install2.swm. Does Windows 7 setup supports splitwims? If so, couldn't
someone with a UEFI Secure Boot machine simply split the wim files and use a FAT32 filesystem with captured image files that are larger
than 4096MB?
I'd also like to point out, by default, imagex /? didn't show any /split options, however, the /split option did in fact work on my system. I
cannot test because I do not have a UEFI system. I hope this helps. If anyone gives it a shot, please let me know how it works out.
Spork_Schivago
5/11/2016
System Cannot find specified file.

Adit is Right.
I am getting the same Error. The File Specified cannot be found.
I did exactly as it is said in this article. But I cant see any imageX.exe file in the USB. How will it run when there is no Imagex.exe file in the
USB.
I prepared the UFD exactly according to the article. Also When I copied the files from WinPEAmd64, there also I couldnt find any ImageX
file.
Jameeel
3/27/2016
Building a Standard Image of Windows XP

How can i do these step for windows XP and make a custom ISO installation disk of windows xp? :
windows xp dosent have WIM file.
Ehsan Alikkhani
7/16/2015
Single command line Imagex command

Adit,
This is a single command... It appears as two because of the text wrap, but it is only one
G:\imagex /compress fast /check /flags Ultimate /capture D:

G:\install.wim Windows 7 Ultimate Windows 7 Ultimate Custom
Provided your drive letters are correct this should work.
~Brian
Spainkee
9/23/2014
Getting Error "The System cannot find the path Specified" after giving the capturing image command
I am on "Capture the Image". I have created the UFD bootable drive per the instructions in this article. The message I get on my screen
when trying to make an image of my system"The System cannot find the path Specified"
i have followed each and every step mentioned thoroughly My windows installation drive is D and my UFD drive is G
in which imagex.exe file is existing. I'm using windows 7 ultimate for which i'm giving the below commands
G:\imagex /compress fast /check /flags Ultimate /capture D:

G:\install.wim Windows 7 Ultimate Windows 7 Ultimate Custom
also tried
G:\imagex /compress fast /capture d: G:\install.wim Windows7" but all in vein i've tried this many times more than 20 but no
results afterall instead
"The System cannot find the path Specified"
I have tried the same creating both NTFS & Fat32 File system UFD for 64 bit OS installed on my reference computer. CanAnyone please
help and get me solve this error?
Regards Adit
Adit Pal
8/30/2014
Tips and Trick : Building Standard Image..

this the tricky when create standard image Windows 7 :
when you'll running sysprep please take note below :
1. Don't install any driver
2. Don't activate your windows licensing
3. customize it by installing any program
if you installed driver and activated windows it's should be facing error message "Fatal error....."
Resolution :
1. type "slmgr /dlv" without quote's on command prompt > to check how many times of windows activation
2. edit GeneralizationState under HKLM\system\setup\sysprepstatus set to 7 and SkimRearm under HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows

NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform set to 1
3. Renaming or deleting "Panther" folder on c:\windows\system32\sysprep\
4. Kill Process wmpnetwk.exe with description is Windows Media Player Sharing Service
then, Run sysprep and remember please check 4 point above before you run it....
Hope its help!
Panjul_Pea
12/13/2013
more issues
First, Thanks to all additional postings above. Here are some issues and resolves that I've had:
Tip: Online research showed that the process WMPNetwork needs to be ended for Generalize to work properly. Ending it with Task
Manager works, but it comes back after 10 seconds. Instead type "Services" from the start menu and select "Services" can't for the life of
me figure out why component services gets listed first. Stop the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service. Not sure if it's necessary
on both, but I do this before the Clean operation as well as before the Generalize operation.
1. Received endless reboot cycle on the Reference machine after Generalize. Online research indicated that leaving the Domain before
Cleaning and Generalizing would prevent this. It did.
2. Received a Fatal Error when trying to Generalize. There is a limit of 3 rearms rearms or generations of creating an image. For example:
Say I create an image, that's the first generation or arming. Six months later, I decide to make a more up to date image with recent patches
and updates. If, for a reference machine, I use a machine whose Windows installation was made with original image from six months ago to
make this new image rather than from media, that becomes the second generation. Therefore I can repeat this process only one more
time. When remaining rearms is 0, then I get the Fatal Error when trying to Generalize. The resolve is to use original media, apply all
updates and install necessary software and create a new fresh firstgeneration image. Or at least use a previous generation image and
update it. To find out what generation an installation is how many rearms are remaining, type "slmgr /dlv" minus the quotes with a space
before the "/" at the command prompt. It will immediately give you another command prompt like nothing happened. Wait 10 seconds
and a report will appear showing Remaining Windows rearm count.
Hope this helps.
Psyanic
7/9/2013
Installing on machine with UEFI and GPT Partition

We encountered a problem whereby our customised image was greater then 4GB so we had to format the UFD with NTFS. However UEFI
does not recognise NTFS devices in its boot menu and if we select the UFD from the legacy boot menu we cannot install Windows 7 on a
GPT enabled partition. To get round this problem we used two UFDs, one formatted with FAT32 and the other with NTFS.
1. Copy the Windows 7 DVD onto both UFD's.
2. Copy your customised install.wim to the sources folder on the NTFS formatted UFD only.
3. Boot the computer using the FAT32 UFD and stop when you get to the Install screen.
4. Remove the FAT32 UFD and insert the NTFS UFD into the same USB port.
5. Click install and continue as descibed in the article.
With UEFI and GPT enabled partitions it is important to select the UFD from the UEFI boot menu and not the legacy boot menu.
Regards,
Steve Perrins
SCP Computers.
scpcompSteve
12/16/2012
Please make correction to guide "To create a bootable UFD with Windows PE"
Item 10 under "To create a bootable UFD with WindowsPE" omits instructions for x64 computers. It should be corrected to read:
If the reference computer is a 32bit computer, type xcopy /s C:\winpe_x86\iso\*.* D:\, where D is the drive letter of the UFD.
If the reference computer is a 64bit computer, type xcopy /s C:\winpe_amd64\iso\*.* D:\, where D is the drive letter of the UFD.
Thanks.
telecentricity1
10/23/2012
Error
While making boot from USB WinPE , the command prompt will come with drive letter X , how to change from this letter to USB letter to
type the command ? as while typing the command F:\imagex/compress fast/check/flags "Ultimate" /capture D: F:\install.wim "Window7
Ultimate" "Window7 Ultimate Custom" , i am getting error like "System cannot find specified path"
My USB drive letter is "F" and window image in machine is in D
An y help would be appreciated :
Maanya
10/18/2012
Error Capturing Image

I'm going throught the steps and I'm at the task in the step to capture the image where you have to type one of the commands from table
2 into the command prompt. It says scanning files and directories... and then after a couple minutes I get an error message as follows:
[ERROR] C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\IMpServiceEDB4FA2353B84AFA8C5D99752CCA7094.lock Error = 32
Error imaging drive [C:\]
The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
Can someone please help and get me past this error?
ITMouse
10/11/2012
Table 2
Would have saved me some time if i had known that the 2 lines were actually one line...
Kazoa
9/6/2012
Image Size
It would be helpful if there was a guideline as to how big the USB Flash Drive should be based on the amount of drive space used on the
reference machine. I used an 8GB drive only to be told the drive was not large enough. The machine was using 21GB of hard drive space
with very little software installed although it did have the numerous updates since the last Service Pack.
How much does Imagex compress the files? May be if I had used NTFS instead of FAT32, as suggested above, it may have worked, but after
2 hours, I had to give up. I will have to try at another time.
bstep55
8/15/2012
Diskpart does not see UFD to be formatted

Under the Create a Bootable UFD section, step 10 has me copy a directory structure that was never even created if I was installing the AIK
for a 64 bit installation. I assume that the instruction should have me copy the 64 bit structure.
I also can not get the UFD formatted using the instructions as Diskpart does not see the UFD even though Windows explorer does see the
flash drive that I will be reformatting and partioning. Has anyone else run into that?
Southerner
6/28/2012
Remove disks or other media

I am on "Capture the Image". I have created the UFD bootable drive per the instructions in this article. The message I get on my screen
when trying to boot to the USB drive is
"Remove disks or other media
Press any key to restart"
When I press any key, I get
"Reboot and Select proper Boot device
or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key"
I have follwed all the instructions to the tee. I've also done some web searches on this particular problem but none of the results directly
address this issue.
Any help/guidance would be appreciated. Thank you.
Steverinos
6/13/2012
Device drivers not found

when i try to install the image on a laptop, just before the select partitionbit it says "devicedrivers not found" and willnot let me progress
with the install.
this image did however work on other computers. do you have any idea why?
Thanks in advance
David
David Microsoft apprentice

5/2/2012
Process works on my small test image but not the actual large image
If my image is made from Windows 7 and a few changes to make about a 4GB image then this process is working for me.
If I make my image from Windows 7 with SP1 and security patches applied and the full company settings it is 23 GB and I get the error:
"Windows could not apply unattend settings during pass offline serving"
I have googled this error and found it to relate to version settings in an unattend.xml file. But this process does not involve an
unattend.xml file so I could use some help.
Scott
Milkboy
3/16/2012
Required device is inaccessible.

After following these directions, when booting from the UFD, I get error "0xc000000f The boot selection failed because a required device
is inaccessible." Has anyone encountered this previously?
The Training Associates

3/8/2012
HI i need to make my Bootable UFD to be Burned to DVD how can i burn the same
HI
i need to make my Bootable UFD to be Burned to DVD how can i burn the same and it shuld work as bootable DVD.
Please Help in this and all your steps are really helped me a lot to make acustomizedimage.
Thanks a lot
Regards,
Manoz
Manoz Denial
2/18/2012
User Prompts
Hi,
I work for a small business who provide practise management software for our clients on small business networks.
We provide them with all their hardware and currently run through the windows enviroment disabling services and features that cause
conflicts.
Really we would like the boot disk to prompt us which version of word to install, install our own client or server software, set the IPs of that
workstation and the terminal server they connect to.
1. Can I set exe files to run as part of the windows installation?

2. Can I select which services and folder options are disabled?
3. Can I add other program installs as part of the installation and still prompt users for info required during the installation? i.e Serial
keys, IP addresses, user names and passwords, etc
Thanks
Thomas Lee
1/6/2012
imagex command
Ran into a problem when copy/pasting the commands.
To create a bootable UFD with Windows PE

Section 6
For 64 bit, the "copy" part of the command is not bold and therefore may be missed. Verify your files imagex in this instance was copied
correctly to the UFD.
Otherwise went as outlined.

Thanks
Hillbilly Hooker
1/6/2012
imagex command problem

the command that are discribed here did not work for me. instead I used
E:\imagex /compress fast /capture d: E:\install.wim Windows7"
Answer... You probably don't have your UFD in drive E:\ ... it would be different on your PC... Another drive could already be using it.
Joshua Woodcraft
11/29/2011
SOLVED: Problems with UDF capturing the Image.
when i attempt to boot into my UDF on the reference computer, it tells me to remove disk and other media and press any key to restart. I
formatted using FAT32 and i made sure in the BIOS that i could boot from a USB. i also tried formatting my USB using NTFS and i would get
an error stating the "bootmgr is missing". I'm not sure why my reference computer Dell Optiplex 780 isn't reading my USB with the files
from step where you create a bootable UFD. If anyone could help me out I would really appreciate it.
Thanks
SOLVED:
when you use a UDF for capturing the system image with FAT32 format, it has an individual file limit of 4GB. meaning if any given file is over
4GB it won't be able to capture it to the FAT32 formatted UFD. solved my issue by using a ntfs quick format and it captured no problem.
Vroomie
9/21/2011
SOLVED the Disk Space Problem

Okay, I followed the direction for creating a UFD to the letter and had the same "Not enough disk space error" so I tried a new approach.
I created a second UFD using format fs:ntfs quick for the file system format. After starting my lapotp with the FAT32 UFD build I replaced
the it with the NTFS formatted UFD. I was able to create the image without any problems. I used a 16Gb UFD, however I will make my next
attempy using a smaller FAT32 UFD since it will only b e used for startup.
As a note I attempted to boot with the NTFS formated UFD, however my systems do not like the NTFS versin for startup.
mafogle
9/20/2011
Windows could not complete the installation

ColorodoRuss went into this issue vaguely. I had the same problem with a smaller network, thinking the local Administrator account was
enabled and working. Here is what you need to do in order to get it to work.
Once you get the error "Windows could not complete the installation" press Shift+F10 and bring up your command prompt. Type mmc and
hit enter. Go to file > add snapin and add Computer Management & Group Policy Object. Hit OK and once you're in the MMC expand
Computer Management > Users and Groups > Users and doubleclick on Administrator. Make sure the account is not disabled and that the
password is set to never expire. If you get a message about the password not meeting complexity cancel out of the Administrator window
and rightclick on the Administrator account and Set Password to something that meets criteria. Once the password is set doubleclick the
Administrator account again and make sure it's not disabled. Click OK and you're done with that.
Expand the Group Policy Object and browse to Local Computer >Computer Configuration > Windows Settings>Security Settings>Local
Policies>Security Option and changed "Accounts:
Administrator Accounts status" to enabled.
Restart and you're golden. You may get an error when you get to the logon screen about a password being incorrect but just enter the
Administrator password you set and you're in.
SkillTech
7/13/2011
Hardware Independence
Hey Guys,
I followed the steps outlined and successfully made an image which I can install to computers similar to the reference computer. My
question is, I was under the impression this process is supposed to produce a hardware independent image? I blue screen with the 7B error
driver problem every time I install it on a different computer. For example, my reference computer was an atom/nvidia ion and I want to
install it to a P4/ati radeon
How can I remove the hardware specific drivers from the reference computer and make Windows always use basic/default ones or find
applicable ones when I install it to each computer?
Thanks.
guardianx5
7/3/2011
video drivers
I have one problem. After I run the sysprep process and the laptop shutsdown. I start the laptop back up, it goes through services and
driver install process, but the video drivers roll back to the origenal version, not the updated one that I installed before I ran sysprep.
can anyone help me with this?
Hello You need to set the persist option to true in your unattend.xml.
Taken from http://technet.microsoft.com/enus/library/cc766514(WS.10).aspx
"Persisting Plug and Play Device Drivers during generalize

You can persist device drivers when you run the sysprep /generalize command by specifying the PersistentAllDeviceInstalls setting in the
MicrosoftWindowsPnPSysprep component. During the specialize pass, Plug and Play scans the computer for devices and installs device
drivers for the detected devices. By default, these device drivers are removed from the system when you generalize the system. If you set
PersistAllDeviceInstalls to True in an answer file, Sysprep will not remove the detected device drivers. For more information, see the
Unattended Windows Setup Reference."
Cheers! jlester3
jlester3
6/17/2011
UFD not accessible after formatting and making active .

I faced issue after completing UFD formatting ,drive was not accessible . So you have enter command: " assign " to assign the drive letter to
UFD then only you can copy the files on it . ..
Ravikaran
6/14/2011
Capture problem
For anyone who receives the error "There is not enough space on the disk." when performing the capture to a UFD, reformat the flash drive
to NTFS instead of FAT32. Worked for me.
Trey Carlee
6/10/2011
RE: imagex command problem

If any one is having issue with imageX command, the command lines shown in Table 2 aren't supposed to be two lines;it's one long
command line.
ProUndeniable
4/22/2011
Local Administrator account

I learned this the hard way. You have to set a password and enable the local "Administrator" account or the system grinds to a halt after
running sysprep. There may be an easier way, but I had to start from scratch.
ColoradoRuss
12/7/2010
Re Video Drivers
You have to provide an XML file for the unattend switch on sysprep.
This is mine
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemasmicrosoftcom:unattend">
<settings pass="generalize">
<component name="MicrosoftWindowsSecurityLicensingSLC" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"

language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State"
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchemainstance">
<SkipRearm>1</SkipRearm>
</component>
<component name="MicrosoftWindowsPnpSysprep" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"

language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State"
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchemainstance">
<DoNotCleanUpNonPresentDevices>true</DoNotCleanUpNonPresentDevices>
<PersistAllDeviceInstalls>true</PersistAllDeviceInstalls>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:c:/mystuff/install.wim#Windows Vista ULTIMATE" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemasmicrosoftcom:cpi" />
</unattend>
NathanSimpson
10/7/2010
NTFS/Fat32
If your image is big or UFD>32GB use NTFS instead of FAT32 formating. Worked well for me.
TudiImprezzio
8/12/2010
important
While doing the process of sysprep you must end the task named wmpnetwork in task manager to run correctly
Thomas Lee
8/2/2010
Device not ready

as soon as I look for E: after inserting the UFD into the computer I'm trying to capture an image of, it keeps coming up "Device not ready".
I've gone through all the other drives and they came up along the line as destination not available so this leads my to believe E: is the
correct drive. anyone else have this problem?
Thomas Lee
8/2/2010
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Building A Standard Image of Windows 7 - Step-By-Step Guide

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Building a Standard Image of Windows 7:

Applies To: Windows 7

Watch the companion video tutorial for more information.

Also see the following related documents:

Upgrading to Windows 7 for Small and Midsize Businesses

Upgrading to Windows 7 with a Standard Image: Overview

Manual Installation of Windows 7: Overview

Automated Installation of Windows 7: Overview

Automated Installation to Upgrade to Windows 7: StepbyStep Guide

Table1. Steps for Creating a Custom Image

Step On the technician computer On the reference computer

1. Install the Windows Automated Installation Kit

2. Create a Windows Preinstallation Environment

3. Install and customize Windows7.

4. Start the reference computer in Audit mode to clean

5. Generalize the reference computer to prepare the

6. Capture the reference computer to an image file by

7. Create new Windows7 installation media for the

Install the WindowsAIK

To install the WindowsAIK from the WindowsAIK

To install the WindowsAIK from the WindowsAIK DVD

1. Open the WindowsAIK DVD in Windows Explorer.

6. On the Confirm Installation page, click Next to begin installation.

7. Click Close to finish installation.

Create a Bootable UFD

To create a bootable UFD with WindowsPE

If the reference computer is a 32bit computer, type copype.cmd x86 C:\winpe_x86.

If the reference computer is a 64bit computer, type copype.cmd amd64 C:\winpe_amd64.

If the reference computer is a 32bit computer, type copy C:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim

If the reference computer is a 64bit computer, type copy C:\winpe_amd64\winpe.wim

If the reference computer is a 32bit computer, type copy "C:\Program Files\Windows

If the reference computer is a 64bit computer, type copy "C:\Program Files\Windows

7. Insert a UFD into the computer.

a. Type list disk, and then press ENTER.

d. Type clean, and then press ENTER.

e. Type create partition primary, and then press ENTER.

f. Type select partition 1, and then press ENTER.

g. Type format fs=fat32 quick, and then press ENTER.

h. Type active, and then press ENTER.

i. Type exit, and then press ENTER.

The 2007Microsoft Office system

To install Windows7 on the reference computer

Figure1. The Install Windows page

3. On the Install Windows page, click Install now.

5. On the Which type of installation do you want? page, click Custom.

Windows7 continues installing on the reference computer, as shown in Figure2.

Figure2. The Installing Windows page

c. In the Type a password hint box, type a password reminder.

Figure3. Select your computers current location

To customize Windows7 on the reference computer

Clean Up the Image

Figure4. The System Preparation Tool

3. Select the Generalize check box.

4. In the Shutdown Options list, select Reboot.

5. Click OK to restart the computer in Audit mode.

6. After the computer restarts, Windows7 automatically logs in as Administrator.

To remove the temporary user accounts profile

3. Click OK to close the User Profiles dialog box.

To remove the temporary user account

1. Click Start, rightclick Computer, and then click Manage.

3. In the details pane middle pane, doubleclick Users.

6. Click OK to acknowledge that you are deleting an administrator account.