What if you saved a file on a different drive (say D: ) but no folders from C was moved or relocated to another drive but the file has been opened on C. Meaning a "link" between D and C was established simply by opening the file from D to C (as can be seen on Quick access folder where the icon for that file is shown after opening it). Will that cause any issue? Will the .wim creation process look for that file?
Any "official" relocation of any system element makes a corrupt install.wim, at least according to my tests. Install.wim will be created, but ISO based on it fails to install Windows.
Two examples:
This is OK:
This would cause a captured install.wim be corrupt:
This is OK:
This would cause a captured install.wim be corrupt:
Kari
And I thought this was a simple question with a simple answer! OMGoodness, I'm so confused . . .
@Kari: OK, I haven't gone in and done any of the things you point out. I did go in and check out Change Where New Content is Saved and found the following:
So, if I were to choose the Toshiba External, for instance, things wouldn't work out as planned, right? Any ISO I attempted to create wouldn't work, right?
If, on the other paw, I leave the options at This PC ( C ), but save my Word or Excel document to the Toshiba by following the path to it; Browse>Toshiba Ext (E: )>Documents>My File Name, would this mess up my attempt at creating an ISO?
No. If you manually Save your files to locations other than default locations, but the default locations in Windows 10 itself have not between changed (see Kari's screenshots) you are fine.And I thought this was a simple question with a simple answer! OMGoodness, I'm so confused . . .
@Kari: OK, I haven't gone in and done any of the things you point out. I did go in and check out Change Where New Content is Saved and found the following:
So, if I were to choose the Toshiba External, for instance, things wouldn't work out as planned, right? Any ISO I attempted to create wouldn't work, right?
If, on the other paw, I leave the options at This PC ( C ), but save my Word or Excel document to the Toshiba by following the path to it; Browse>Toshiba Ext (E: )>Documents>My File Name, would this mess up my attempt at creating an ISO?
IOW, if I read that last part right, you are manually saving your files to a different location. Documents, Downloads, etc. Are all in their default locations, so you should be good to go.
But there may be a caveat - if any program you have installed had decided on its own to face a file to another drive, then according to Kari it might fall as well.
I think we need more clarification on this.
Kari - is the above caveat correct?
Exactly.
When capturing the install.wim file with DISM its switch /capturedir:C:\ tells the volume (partition) which contains Windows system files and folders to be included. Folders %userprofile%\Music, %userprofile%\Documents and %userprofile\Favorites and so on are system folders, too, exactly as ProgramData and Windows and Program Files.
All these folders must be located on same volume than Windows; if any of them is located on another volume, install.wim is lacking them therefore making it incomplete, corrupted.
In my tests install.wim could be created even in these cases, but then the ISO failed Windows installation when almost at end, with somewhat misleading error message:
If you simply save your Word documents to another drive than C:, another folder than %userprofile%\Documents, they are not considered system files nor is the storage folder a system folder. You are good to go.
However, let's say you have installed PowerDirector for video editing manually selecting it to be installed on X:\PowerDirector instead of default C:\Program Files\Cyberlink\PowerDirector15, the X:\PowerDirector folder becomes a system folder (installed applications belong to system). therefore these PowerDirector files are missing from system when capturing install.wim and again ISO will not work as excepted.
Based on above, my recommendation is to use a clean install with all defaults as a technician / reference installation. Install all the preferred software on that system, in preferred installation folders. Create the user accounts you want to have on each of your computers you will use this ISO for, customising desktop and theme.
When ready, capture this reference installation, make an ISO of it, install and only then move storage locations if preferred. Notice that this way the ISO will be smaller, too because it does not contain any personal user data.
Kari
None of the methods (Part One, Two or Three) in this tutorial transfer the activation status in any version or edition of Windows. ISO itself is just as any Windows install media containing / including no license.
Activation, regardless if using Windows install media like ISO images created per this tutorial or any other valid install media to install Windows is always based on either a product key, volume activation or digital license (Windows 10 only).
Whatever install media you use, you have to use a valid activation method. In case of Windows 10, if the computer you use ISO created as per this tutorial has a valid digital license for the same edition it will be automatically activated.
In case of Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 you need to activate with a valid product key, whatever install media you use. The methods told in this tutorial have nothing whatsoever to do with activation, they do not help in preserving or transferring an activation.
The ISO images created as per Part Two or Part Three in this tutorial are just normal install media; customised, yes, yet nothing more than Windows install media.
Kari
Having strange issue with 14986 ISO per Part One, a standard ISO. Windows does not let me run Sysprep (step 1.10). Luckily the log files are quite clear although long, I am inspecting the issue, not going to bed before it's resolved :)
OK, found culprit, easy to fix.
Will test this first thoroughly, only post solution when absolutely sure it works.
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