Image Windows 10 laptops with DISM (or other free tool)

xy677 said:

So I copied your answer file to my image and still get prompted at the language screen so I'm guessing I've screwed something up in my image or it's the version I'm using.

Let's check that you are doing this correctly. No offence, I just don't know how experienced you are with the process.

• You install Windows on a technician machine from a valid, standard install media (not your customized ISO)?
• You reboot to Audit Mode before any user accounts have been created, when installation is done and stops to ask regional settings?
• You customize Windows as you wish and sysprep with /generalize switch?
• You capture the image and deploy it to a production machine?

Is answer to all four questions above Yes?

Kari

xy677 said:

1. Install Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 1607 (en-gb_windows_10_enterprise_2016_ltsb_x64_dvd_9060114.iso)
2. At Get Going Fast screen hit Ctrl+Shift+F3 to enter Audit mode
3. Click Cancel on the Sysprep dialog after reboot
4. Install VMware tools and reboot and clicked Cancel on the Sysprep dialog again
5. Copied (your) answer file to c:\windows\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml
6. Ran: c:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe
7. Power on VM, boot from original installation ISO and do a Shift F10 at the language screen to go to cmd
8. Dism /capture-image /imagefile:d:\install.wim /capturedir:c:\ /name:System
9. Shutdown machine
10. Create a new ISO with the new install.wim using UltraISO
11. Create new VM and install Windows using newly created ISO (with customised wim and answer files)
12. And this is when I get prompted for the language selection expecting an unattended install

One test I would like to ask you to do:

Repeat steps 1 through 5 on your list. Step 6, run sysprep command with additional /reboot switch:

Code:

c:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /reboot

Let Windows sysprep and restart, does it skip OOBE now or do you still get normal OOBE?

Kari

OK, first test done. Copied your answer file from post #28, didn't change a character in it, run Sysprep on freshly installed Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016.

Worked without issues, setup skipped OOBE. This is the first stop after installation:

No issues, worked exactly as it should.

I cannot understand why it does not work for you.

Kari

xy677 said:

So I ran through steps 1 to 6 but for step 6 I ran this instead (/restart didn't work)

That was a typo, I fixed it already but apparently you read my post before typo was fixed. The restart switch is /reboot, not /restart as I first wrote. Sorry.

xy677 said:

So I ran through steps 1 to 6 but for step 6 I ran this instead (/restart didn't work)
After doing all this and rebooting I am back at the "Get going fast" screen:

Really strange. Did you see this post?

Kari

xy677 said:

Now, the confusing thing is, how do I now get this working with a customised install.wim and updated ISO? The tests above verify that the answer file is working correctly so what is causing this to not work later on?

Only difference I can see is that I use Hyper-V VM as technician machine, you use VMware. That shouldn't matter, though.

I'll run one more test, capturing install.wim, making ISO, clean installing from it. This takes time, an hour and half to two hours. Will post back.

Kari