New
#810
EDIT: Updated because I had some incorrect info
Ahh, I see. Thanks for the clarification.
That is the reason for supplying a generic installation key in your answer file. As an example, if you supply a key for Windows 11 Pro, it knows that you want to install the Pro edition of Windows 11 and therefore will not need to stop and ask you to select an edition.
NOTE: You can still use the Windows 10 generic key but I'm trying to determine if there are any new generic keys for Win 11.
Windows 10 Pro: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
See step 3.9 of Kari's tutorial for details.
I'm trying to determine if there are some new generic keys for Windows 11, if I find any I will post an update.
I hope that this helps!
I see. I was under the impression that "generic keys" were meant for KMS-server activation only. Anyhow, since we don't have a generic key for Windows 11 yet perhaps this suffices a workaround for now. Thanks for the feedback. Very appreciated
Great tutorial Kari.
I found it a little late, I had already setup one unattend.xml with both parts, so it's all good on that part. The question is if I have to redo everything or can I start sysprep inside the reference machine at this stage when all software are installed and then boot up WinPE and run the sysprep command to get the image?
Thanks
fredman, welcome to TenForums!
I hope you don't mind my jumping in.
You can certainly run sysprep after you have installed all your apps. In fact, that's kind of the point. You configure your reference system with all the changes that you wish to make, including the installation of applications, then you sysprep it, followed by creation of an image.
However, you should be doing all of this in Audit Mode. If you are no longer in Audit Mode and you have allowed the system to boot normally, then in that case you will want to go back and recreate your reference system.
TIP: There are a lot of good reasons to create your reference system as a VM. At least for me, this is a personal preference. Most notably is the fact that you can create checkpoints (the Hyper-V term) or snapshots (the VMware term) at various points along the way. For example, I like to do something like this:
1) Install Windows in the VM.
2) Take a snapshot after Windows is installed.
3) Make all my changes to settings and customizations within Windows that I want.
4) Take another snapshot.
5) Install all my apps.
6) Take another snapshot.
7) Place all my assets prior to sysprep (runonce.bat, unattend.xml answer file, etc.)
8) Just before running sysprep, you guessed it, take another snapshot.
9) Create my new install.wim image file.
10) Reboot the reference system normally and copy the install.wim to another location.
By creating the snapshots, I can roll back to any of those points in time, should I need to do so. For example, if a new version of one of my applications is released, I can roll back and install that latest version so that I have an up-to-date image.
Hope this helps!
Version - 21H1 (OS build 19043.1288
Hi Kari thats a lotta work I am just a newbie but even I can gat some Idea of your efforts Thank and well done
I wanted to aske a Question please I want to create a Auto install buas a Lifeboat down the Line and I have Created a bootable USB now I realise that perhaps I should Install Windows 11 First and then onto the USB then your formular for the
Un-attenended Installation. Thanks Kari Cheers Mate Dasha
Last edited by Dasha; 19 Oct 2021 at 22:31. Reason: Version Number
Have accidentally deleted ImageInstall/OSImage. When I click Insert New DataImage it names it DataImage?
Does this matter or will it answerfile fail on install?
EDIT: It won't work. Just found an article OSImage is the correct syntax. DataImage is for any secondary images! I had hoped there would be a way to edit it. I could have perhaps saved it out as XML and edited in there but I've just deleted it and started afresh.
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Brilliant. Top work Kari.
I’d love to know whether it is possible to do network connections and such like in an answer file.
I’ll have a search around.
Hi,
For days I have been trying to add two icons, chrome and VLC, to the taskbar, following the instructions of the microsoft website, I generate the file but when I install the ISO, the file explorer, M. Store and Edge disappear.
Could it be implemented in any of the customization files or modify DefaultLayouts.xml by adding those accesses?
Thanks a lot.