Windows 10 System Image Manager

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When you need to install a fresh copy of Windows 10, you typically start your computer with a bootable media and go through the setup process to manually configure various settings, including region and language, product key, and partitions. Then after the installation completes, you're presented with the out-of-box experience (OOBE) to finish the setup, configuring personal settings like keyboard, account, and privacy settings.

Although it's not a difficult process to handle for most tech-savvy users, you still have to sit through the installation and answer questions which can take a very long time, even more when you need to install Windows 10 on multiple devices.

  1. Windows System Image Manager opens,using this tool,we’ll create unattended.xml files needed for automatic Windows 10 installation. Windows System Image Manager (WSIM) uses Windows image (.wim) files and catalog (.clg) files to display the available components and packages that can be added to an unattended answer file.
  2. After installing the Windows System Image Manager, you can import the installation files to your device, and set up the environment to create an answer file. Importing Windows 10 image files to.

Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM) Windows SIM is an authoring tool for Unattend.xml files. When using MDT and/or Configuration Manager, you don’t need Windows SIM very often because those systems automatically update the Unattend.xml file during the deployment, greatly simplifying the process overall.

If you want to speed up and automate the installation process, you can create a special file with the answers to every question, which you can save in the bootable media and the setup can read automatically to perform an unattended installation of Windows 10.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the steps to create an autounattend.xml answer file containing all the necessary settings to perform a basic unattended installation of the OS.

How to create unattended Windows 10 installation media

There are many ways to create and set up an answer file to install Windows 10 hands-free. In this guide, we show you the steps to get started to create an answer file to install the 64-bit version of Windows 10 Pro on a device using Basic Input-Output System (BIOS) or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) with a single drive.

The answer file that we'll be creating erases everything on the hard drive, it creates and configures the required partitions, and installs Windows 10 using the most common settings.

Warning: This is a friendly reminder that the installation process will completely erase the hard drive of your computer. If you have anything important on this device, it's recommended to make a full backup of your PC before proceeding.

Before proceeding

Before diving into this project, you'll need a few things:

  • Windows Assessment and Development Kit (ADK).
  • Windows 10 installation media.
  • Windows 10 account with administrator privileges.
  • USB flash drive with 8GB of space.
  • Spare computer to test the installation.

How to install Windows System Image Manager

If you have the skills, you can create an answer file manually, but most people will need to use the Windows System Image Manager (SIM) feature from the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) to create the file that the setup will use to install Windows 10 without user interaction. So follow these steps:

  1. Download the Windows ADK installer for Windows 10 version 1803.
  2. Double-click the adksetup.exe file to begin the installation.

  3. Select the Install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit - Windows 10 to this computer option. (You're not installing every component, as such the installation will only take a few megabytes.)

  4. Click the Next button.
  5. Select your privacy option.
  6. Click the Next button.
  7. Click the Accept button to agree to the license agreement.
  8. Clear all preselected items.

  9. Check the Deployment Tools package, which contains the Windows System Image Manager component.

  10. Click the Install button.
  11. Click the Close button.

Once you create the answer file, you can adjust the settings and reuse it for other installations, instead of having to use the Windows System Image Manager tool.

How to create a new answer file project

After installing the Windows System Image Manager, you can import the installation files to your device, and set up the environment to create an answer file.

Importing Windows 10 image files to your PC

In order to create an answer file, you need to open a Windows 10 image and create a catalog of all the components to automate an installation, but to do that you must first import the installation files onto your device. Here's how:

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Browse to the folder where you saved the Windows 10 ISO file.
  3. Right-click the ISO file, select Open with, and click File Explorer to mount it. (Alternatively, you can also connect the USB flash drive with the installation files.)
  4. Open the drive with the Windows 10 installation files.
  5. Select all the files (Ctrl + A).

  6. Right-click the selection, and select copy (Ctrl + C).

  7. Browse to the folder that you want to use to store this project files.

  8. Right-click inside the folder and select Paste (Ctrl + V).

In order to continue, you need an ISO file that contains an install.wim image file. If you have an ISO that you built using the Media Creation Tool, you're likely to have an install.esd, which you won't be able to open because it's encrypted.

If you don't have an .wim image file, you can get the required image format by downloading the latest Windows 10 ISO file from the Windows Insider Program or MSDN with a subscription.

Creating an install.wim file

Alternatively, after importing the installation files onto your device, you can use the DISM command tool to export the image files and create an .wim image from an .esd file using these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, select Run as administrator.

  3. Type the following command to identify the index number of the edition you want to use and press Enter:

    dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:C:pathtofoldersourcesinstall.esd

    In the command make sure to change the path to the sources folder with the install.esd file on your device.

  4. Identify the Index number for the edition you want. For example, we're extracting Windows 10 Pro, which in this case has an index number of 6.

  5. Type the following command to create an install.wim file and press Enter:

    dism /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:C:pathtofoldersourcesinstall.esd /SourceIndex:6 /DestinationImageFile:C:pathtofoldersourcesinstall.wim /Compress:Max /CheckIntegrity

    In the command make sure to change the path to the sources folder with the install.esd file on your device. The destination path should be the same as the source.

Setting up an answer file environment

In order to prepare the environment to create a new answer file project, do the following:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Windows System Image Manager, click the top result to open the experience.

  3. Click the File menu, and select the Select Windows Image option.

  4. Navigate to the folder you exported the Windows 10 installation files.

  5. Inside the 'sources' folder, select the install.wim image file, and click the Open button.

    Important: Make sure that image is an install.wim file. Otherwise, if you have an install.esd image, this will not work.

  6. Select an edition of Windows 10 you want to use. (Usually, you want to select the edition that you're planning to install.)

  7. Click the OK button.

  8. If you get a message, click the Yes button to create a new catalog file. (This process will take some time, but it's a one-time process. The .clg file will be saved in the same location where the install.wim is stored, and you can reuse it later on other projects.)

  9. Click the File menu, and select the Select Distribution Share option.

  10. Navigate to the folder that you're using to store the project folders and files.
  11. On 'Folder name,' type a name (such as Distribution) to create a folder to store additional project files.
  12. Click the Open button.

  13. Click the File menu, and select the New Answer File option.

After completing the steps, you now have the environment set up to create an answer file. You'll also know that a new answer file has been created with the various stages you can configure to automate the installation of Windows 10.

How to create a Windows 10 answer file

An answer file contains seven different stages (passes), and the passes that you need to configure will depend on the type of automation you want to create.

In this guide, we'll be configuring an autounattend.xml answer file with the minimum requirements to automate the entire installation of Windows 10 Pro, as such we will be configuring passes 1 windowsPE, 4 specialize, and 7 oobeSystem.

Pass 1 windowsPE

Configuring the pass '1 windowsPE,' you'll be able to setup region and language, hard drive configuration, installation location, and product key.

Important: Depending on the image you have, you may see the components name starting with amd64_Microsoft-Windows for the 64-bit version of Windows 10, or the x86_Microsoft-Windows name for the 32-bit version. For the purpose of this guide, we'll be using the amd64_Microsoft-Windows name format.

Configuring language and region settings

In order to configure the region and language settings during an installation, do the following:

  1. Under 'Windows Image,' expand the Components folder.
  2. Expand the amd64_Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE component.

  3. Right-click the SetupUILanguage component, and select the Add Setting to Pass 1 windowsPE option.

  4. On the right side, under 'Answer File,' select the amd64_Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE component.

  5. On the right side, under 'Settings,' define your keyboard, region, primary and fall back language, and device location. For instance, if you're located in the U.S., you can configure these settings:

    • InputLocale: en-US.
    • SystemLocale: en-US.
    • UILanguage: en-US.
    • UserLocale: en-US.

    Only users outside the U.S. should configure ULLanguageFallback using the en-US value as the fallback language.

    To identify the corrent input profile name, you can check out this Microsoft support page.

  6. Select the SetupUILanguage sub-component.

  7. On the right side, under 'Settings,' set UILanguage with the correct language. For example, because we're doing an install in English, we're using en-US.

Configuring installation settings

In order to perform an unattended installation of Windows 10, you must configure an answer file that specifies the settings to properly configure the hard drive.

  1. Under 'Windows Image,' expand the Components folders.
  2. Expand the amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Setup component.
  3. Expand the DiskConfiguration component.

  4. Right-click the Disk component, and select the Add Setting to Pass 1 windowsPE option.

  5. On the right side, under 'Answer File,' select the DiskConfiguration component.

  6. On the right side, under 'Settings,' set the WillShowUI value to OnError. (If you leave this setting empty, the installation will stop during the hard drive setup process.)

  7. Select the Disk component.

  8. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values:

    • DiskID: 0
    • WillWipeDisk: true

    Configuring the WillWipeDik setting to true will make sure to erase everything on the first hard drive before setting up the partitions. (If you have anything important on this drive, you should backup its content before proceeding.)

Once you've configured the DiskConfiguration settings, you'll need to set up the partition layout depending on whether your device is using a legacy BIOS or UEFI.

The reason is because BIOS-based devices only require two partitions (System Reserved and Windows), and UEFI-based devices requires four partitions (WinRE, EFI, MSR, and Windows).

Quick Tip: You can check if you're using BIOS or UEFI by opening System Information from the Start menu, and checking the 'System Summary.' If 'BIOS Mode' reads Legacy, then you're using BIOS; if it reads UEFI, then you're using UEFI.

BIOS only: Creating and modifying partitions

If you've a computer using legacy BIOS, continue with these steps. Otherwise, skip this part, and follow the UEFI instructions below.

To configure the partition layout for a device using BIOS, use these steps:

  1. On 'DiskConfiguration,' under 'Disk,' right-click CreatePartitions, and select the Insert New CreatePartition option to create the first partition.

  2. Right-click CreatePartitions again, and select the Insert New CreatePartition option to create a second partition.
  3. Select the first CreatePartition.

  4. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values to create a system reserved partition:

    • Extend: false.
    • Order: 1.
    • Size: 500.
    • Type: Primary.

    Using the above settings, you're indicating the setup to create the system reserved partition of 500MB, which is a partition required for Windows to boot.

  5. Select the second CreatePartition.

  6. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values to create a partition to install Windows 10:

    • Extend: true.
    • Order: 2.
    • Type: Primary.

    Using the above settings, you're indicating the setup to create a partition to install Windows 10. Also, you'll notice that we didn't specify the Size value, and we set Extend to true. This is because we want the setup to create a partition with all the available space left on the drive after creating the system reserved partition.

    If you want to create multiple partitions, you need to set the value of Extend to false, and enter a value in megabytes in the Size setting. Then the last partition should have Extend set to true without specifying the Size value to indicate the setup to use the remaining available space to create the partition.

Using the above steps, we carved the partitions. The next step is to specify the required file format and partition properties.

  1. On 'DiskConfiguration,' under 'Disk,' right-click ModifyPartition, and select the Insert ModifyPartition option to modify the first partition.

  2. Right-click ModifyPartition again, and select the Insert ModifyPartition option to modify the second partition.
  3. Select the first ModifyPartition.

  4. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values to configure a system reserved partition:

    • Active: true.
    • Format: NTFS.
    • Label: System.
    • Order: 1.
    • PartitionID: 1.
  5. Select the second ModifyPartition.

  6. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values to configure a partition to install Windows 10:

    • Format: NTFS.
    • Label: Windows.
    • Letter: C.
    • Order: 2.
    • ProductID: 2.

In the steps, using the Order and PartitionID, we're specifying how the setup should configure on each of the two raw partitions we created earlier.

You can learn more about the partition layout required for a BIOS system in this Microsoft support page.

The last thing left to do in this part is to indicate the set up where to install Windows 10:

  1. Under 'Windows Image,' expand the Components folders.
  2. Expand the amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Setup component.
  3. Expand the ImageInstall component.
  4. Expand the OSImage.

  5. Right-click the InstalTo component, and select Add Setting to Pass 1 windowsPE.

  6. On the right side, under 'Answer File,' select InstallTo.

  7. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values:

    • DiskID: 0.
    • PartitionID: 2.

The above settings tell the setup to install Windows 10 on the first drive inside the second partition.

Once you complete these steps continue with the Defining the product key instructions.

UEFI only: Creating and modifying partitions

If you have a computer using UEFI, continue with these steps. Otherwise, skip this part, and follow the BIOS instructions outlined above.

  1. On 'DiskConfiguration,' under 'Disk,' right-click CreatePartitions, and select the Insert New CreatePartition option to create the first partition.

  2. Right-click CreatePartitions again, and select the Insert New CreatePartition option to create a second partition.
  3. Right-click CreatePartitions again, and select the Insert New CreatePartition option to create a third partition.
  4. Right-click CreatePartitions again, and select the Insert New CreatePartition option to create a fourth partition.
  5. Select the first CreatePartition.

  6. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values to create the Windows Recovery (WinRE) partition:

    • Extend: false.
    • Order: 1.
    • Size: 500.
    • Type: Primary.
  7. Select the second CreatePartition.

  8. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values to create an EFI partition:

    • Extend: false.
    • Order: 2.
    • Size: 100.
    • Type: EFI.
  9. Select the third CreatePartition.

  10. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values to create a Microsoft reserved partition (MSR) partition:

    • Extend: false.
    • Order: 3.
    • Size: 16.
    • Type: MSR.
  11. Select the third CreatePartition.

  12. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values to create the Windows partition:

    • Extend: true.
    • Order: 4.
    • Type: Primary.

Using the above steps, we carved the partition. The next step is to specify the require file format and partition properties. Here's how:

  1. On 'DiskConfiguration,' under 'Disk,' right-click ModifyPartition, and select the Insert ModifyPartition option to modify the first partition.

  2. Right-click ModifyPartition again, and select the Insert ModifyPartition option to modify the second partition.
  3. Right-click ModifyPartition again, and select the Insert ModifyPartition option to modify the third partition.
  4. Right-click ModifyPartition again, and select the Insert ModifyPartition option to modify the fourth partition.
  5. Select the first ModifyPartition.

  6. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values to configure the Windows Recovery (WinRE) partition:

    • Format: NTFS.
    • Label: WinRE.
    • Order: 1.
    • PartitionID: 1.
    • TypeID: DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC.
  7. Select the second ModifyPartition.

  8. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values to configure an EFI partition:

    • Format: FAT32.
    • Label: System.
    • Order: 2.
    • PartitionID: 2.
  9. Select the third ModifyPartition.

  10. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use only these two values to configure a Microsoft reserved partition (MSR) partition:

    • Order: 3.
    • PartitionID: 3.
  11. Select the third ModifyPartition.

  12. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values to configure a partition to install Windows 10:

    • Format: NTFS.
    • Label: Windows.
    • Letter: C.
    • Order: 4.
    • PartitionID: 4.

In the steps, using the Order and PartitionID, we're specifying how the set up should configure each of the four raw partitions we created earlier.

You can learn more about the partition layout required for an UEFI system in this Microsoft support page.

The last thing left to do in this part is to indicate the setup where Windows 10 should be installed. Here is how:

  1. Under 'Windows Image,' expand the Components folders.
  2. Expand the amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Setup component.
  3. Expand the ImageInstall component.
  4. Expand the OSImage component.
  5. Right-click the InstalTo component, and select Add Setting to Pass 1 windowsPE.
  6. On the right side, under 'Answer File,' select InstallTo.

  7. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use these values:

    • DiskID: 0.
    • PartitionID: 4.

The above settings will indicate for the set up to install Windows 10 on the first drive inside the fourth partition.

Once you complete these steps continue with the Defining the product key instructions below.

Defining the product key

During the first pass, you can also specify the product key for the version of Windows 10 that you want to install. If you're creating an answer file that you'll use in multiple devices, you should be using a volume or generic product key.

To specify a product key, do the following:

  1. Under 'Windows Image,' expand the Components folders.
  2. Expand the amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Setup component.
  3. Expand the UserData component.

  4. Right-click the ProductKey component, and select Add Setting to Pass 1 windowsPE.

  5. On the right side, select the UserData component.

  6. On the right side, 'under Settings,' use the following settings:

    • AcceptEula: true.
    • Organization: WC.

    In the above settings, you can use any name for the Organization value. For example, home users could simply use 'Family.'

  7. Select the ProductKey.

  8. On the right side, under 'Settings,' make sure to update the Key value using the product key for the edition of Windows 10 you want to install.

You can also use a generic product key to create an answer file:

  • Windows 10 Pro: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T.
  • Windows 10 Home: TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99.
  • Windows 10 Enterprise: NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43.

You can always check this Microsoft support website to find the appropriate generic key for your installation.

Pass 4 specialize

If you want to configure additional settings, such as model, manufacturer, computer name, device owner, timezone, and more during the installation, you can use these steps:

  1. Under 'Windows Image,' expand the Components folders.
  2. Expand the amd64_Microsoft-Shell-Setup component.

  3. Right-click the OEMInformation component, and select the Add Setting to Pass 4 specialize option.

  4. On the right-side, under 'Answer File,' select the amd64_Microsoft-Shell-Setup component.

  5. On the right side, under 'Settings,' use the following values (specifying your custom information):

    • ComputerName: WorkPC.
    • CopyProfile: true.
    • RegisteredOrganization: Windows Central.
    • RegisteredOwner: WC.

    • TimeZone: Eastern Standard Time.

    If you don't configure the TimeZone setting, Windows 10 will set the zone based on the language you're installing. You can check the Microsoft support website to find out the exact name for your time zone.

  6. Under 'amd64_Microsoft-Shell-Setup,' select the OEMInformation component.

  7. On the right side, under 'Settings,' you can specify some computer specific properties (optional), including:

    • Manufacturer: Dell.
    • Model: XPS 13.

Pass 7 oobeSystem

Using an answer file, you can also define the options you want to configure during the out-of-box experience (OOBE) to finish setting up the installation without user interaction, including additional language settings, accept the licensing agreement, create an user account, and a lot more.

  1. Under 'Windows Image,' expand the Components folders.

  2. Right-click the amd64_Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component, and select the Add Setting to Pass 7 oobeSystem option.

    Dwg trueview 64 bit free download Click 'Start'. Select 'Autodesk DWG TrueView' and right click, then select Uninstall/Change. Click 'Yes' to confirm the uninstallation.How do I uninstall Autodesk DWG TrueView in Windows XP?. Click on 'Control Panel'. Under Programs click the Uninstall a Program link.

  3. Under 'Windows Image,' expand the amd64_Microsoft-Shell-Setup component.

  4. Right-click the OOBE component, and select the Add Setting to Pass 7 oobeSystem option.

  5. Expand the UserAccounts component.
  6. Expand the LocalAccounts component.

  7. Right-click the LocalAccount component, and select the Add Setting to Pass 7 oobeSystem option.

  8. Select amd64_Microsoft-Windows-International-Core.

  9. On the right-side, under 'Settings,' specify your language settings:

    • InputLocale: en-US.
    • SystemLocale: en-US.
    • UILanguage: en-US.
    • UserLocale: en-US.

    Only users outside the U.S. should configure ULLanguageFallback using the en-US value as the fallback language.

    To identify the corrent input profile name, you can check out this Microsoft support page.

  10. Expand the amd64_Microsoft-Shell-Setup component.
  11. Select the OOBE component.

  12. On the right-side, under 'Settings,' use the following values:

    • HideEULAPage: true.
    • HideOENRegistrationScreen: true.
    • HideOnlineAccountScreens: true.
    • HideWirelessSetupinOOBE: true.
    • ProtectYourPC: 1.

    While most settings are self-explanatory, you'll notice that we're also configuring the ProtectYourPC setting, which defines how the express settings (such as speech, inking, typing, error reporting, and suggestions) should be handled. Using the value of 1, we're telling the setup to turn on the express settings using the default options.

  13. Expand UserAccounts.
  14. Select LocalAccount.

  15. On the right-side, under 'Settings,' use the following configuration to create a primary local account:

    • Description: My primary local account.
    • DisplayName: admin.
    • Group: Administrators.
    • Name: John.

    Using the above settings, you'll be creating an account called 'admin' for user 'John,' and we're adding the account to the 'Administrators' group that gives the user unrestricted access to the device. Of course, you can always define your custom preferences, including for 'Description,' 'DisplayName,' 'Group,' and 'Name.'

  16. Expand LocalAccount.
  17. Select Password (optional).

  18. On the right-side, under 'Settings,' type a password in the Value field.

While you'll see the password in plain text, after saving the autounattend.xml file, the value you entered will be encrypted.

How to save a Windows 10 answer file project

Once you've completed setting up all the configurations to install Windows 10 automatically, you need to remove all the unmodified components, validate the answer file, and save changes as an .xml file.

Removing unmodified components

  1. Select the component that you didn't configure. (These are those with light purple color.)

  2. Right-click the components, and select Delete.

  3. Repeat steps No. 1 and No. 2 until you remove all the components that you didn't modify.

Validating answer files

  1. Click on Tools.
  2. Select the Validate option.

  3. Under 'Messages,' check the Validation tab, if you don't see any warning errors the file is good to go.

Saving the answer file

  1. Click on File.
  2. Select the Save Answer File As option.
  3. Navigate to the folder you want to save the file.

  4. Under 'File name,' use the autounattend.xml file name.

  5. Click the Save button.

If you're configuring multiple answer files, it'll be best to save the files on a different folder with a descriptive name.

Adding the answer file to a USB installation media

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Browse to the autounattend.xml file location.

  3. Right-click the file, and select Copy.

  4. Open the USB media with the Windows 10 installation files.

  5. In the root of the drive, right-click the Paste to copy the autounattend.xml to the Windows 10 installation media.

In the case that you don't have a Windows 10 USB installation media, you can create one using the Media Creation Tool or using a third-party tool, such as Rufus.

How to install Windows 10 using an answer file

Once you have the USB bootable media with the answer files, you can perform an unattended installation of Windows 10 using an answer file using these steps:

Warning: This process will delete everything on your computer and install Windows 10 without the user interaction, as such make sure to connect the USB flash drive to the correct device. Otherwise, you may end up wiping out the incorrect computer.

  1. Turn off the computer you want to install Windows 10.
  2. Connect the USB flash bootable media with the autounattend.xml file.
  3. Power on the computer and then Windows 10 should install automatically.

In order for the media to boot you have to make sure that the device is configured to boot from the correct drive. This means you'll need to access the BIOS or UEFI firmware on your motherboard to change the boot order.

This process typically requires hitting one of the function keys (F1, F2, F3, F10, or F12), the ESC, or Delete key as soon as you start your device. However, these settings will vary by manufacturer, and even by model. Make sure to check your PC manufacturer's support website for more specific instructions.

After getting access to the BIOS interface, look for the Boot menu, and make sure to change the boot order to start with the USB drive that includes the installation files, and save the settings (usually using the F10 key).

If your device has a UEFI firmware, then the steps to change the boot order will be different as well.

On a Windows 10 device, you need to go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, and under 'Advanced Startup,' click the Restart now button.

Then click on Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings, and click Restart.

Once you're in the UEFI firmware interface, look for the Boot options, and change the boot order to start with the USB drive that includes the installation files, and then save the settings.

If the drive is empty, check your manufacturer support website for details to access the UEFI firmware.

How to troubleshoot a Windows 10 answer file

Although an answer file can simplify and completely automate the process to install Windows 10, if you don't configure the settings perfectly, you may encounter errors and other problems that will cause the installation to stop and wait for the user input to continue.

If you're having problems validating the answer file, double-check the components you configured and make sure to delete any unmodified component.

In the case that you made a mistake configuring a setting value, don't empty the field, instead right-click the setting, and select the Revert Change option.

Before proceeding with the installation, disconnect the device from the network, because sometimes you may come across problems while Windows 10 tries to download updates. You can always reconnect to the network after the installation.

If you use an answer file with BIOS settings on an UEFI-based device, you may come across problems. Always make sure to use the correct settings for the device that you want to automate the installation of Windows 10.

If after triple-checking the settings using the Windows System Image Manager, you're still unable to get the answer file to work, then you'll need to open the autounattend.xml file with a text editor (such as Notepad) and correct any error.

For instance, in my case, the autounattend.xml file didn't work the first time, but after looking into the file, I found that the TypeID setting inside 'ModifyPartition' was an empty option, so I removed it, and then Windows 10 installed automatically.

You can also check out this Microsoft support website to learn more about each and everyone of the settings, which you can configure to create an answer file to perform an automated installation of Windows 10.

Wrapping things up

Although setting up an automated installation of Windows 10 may seem like a complicated process, it can end up being more difficult and time consuming trying to go through the installation and configuration manually, even more if you have to repeat the same steps on multiple computers.

In this guide, we looked at the steps to perform an unattended installation of Windows 10 using an autounattend.xml answer file that contains the minimum set of configurations to get you familiar with this process. It's virtually impossible to create an answer file that will fit every scenario, and you'll have to dig through the settings and figure out the components you need. Also, depending on your installation requirements, you may need to create multiple answer files.

While anyone can create and use an answer file, Microsoft designed this feature for organizations, as such you won't find an option to perform an installation using a Microsoft account. However, you can always create an installation with a Windows 10 local account and then link it to your Microsoft account. You can do this on Settings > Accounts > Your info, and clicking the Sign in with your Microsoft account instead link.

More Windows 10 resources

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Windows System Image Manager Windows 10 1903

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To successfully deploy the Windows 10 operating system and applications for your organization, it is essential that you know about the available tools to help with the process. In this topic, you will learn about the most commonly used tools for Windows 10 deployment.

Microsoft provides many tools, services, and solutions. These tools include Windows Deployment Services (WDS), the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT), the User State Migration Tool (USMT), Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM), Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE), and Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE). Keep in mind that these are just tools and not a complete solution on their own. It’s when you combine these tools with solutions like Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) or Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager that you get the complete deployment solution.

In this topic, you also learn about different types of reference images that you can build, and why reference images are beneficial for most organizations

Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit

Windows ADK contains core assessment and deployment tools and technologies, including Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM), Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer (Windows ICD), Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM), User State Migration Tool (USMT), Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT), Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE), Windows Assessment Services, Windows Performance Toolkit (WPT), Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT), and Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Express. For more details, see Windows ADK for Windows 10 or Windows ADK for Windows 10 scenarios for IT Pros.

Figure 1. The Windows 10 ADK feature selection page.

Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM)

DISM is one of the deployment tools included in the Windows ADK and is used for capturing, servicing, and deploying boot images and operating system images.

DISM services online and offline images. For example, with DISM you can install the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.1 in Windows 10 online, which means that you can start the installation in the running operating system, not that you get the software online. The /LimitAccess switch configures DISM to get the files only from a local source:

In Windows 10, you can use Windows PowerShell for many of the functions performed by DISM.exe. The equivalent command in Windows 10 using PowerShell is:

Figure 2. Using DISM functions in PowerShell.

For more information on DISM, see DISM technical reference.

User State Migration Tool (USMT)

USMT is a backup and restore tool that allows you to migrate user state, data, and settings from one installation to another. Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) and System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager use USMT as part of the operating system deployment process.

Note Occasionally, we find that customers are wary of USMT because they believe it requires significant configuration, but, as you will learn below, using USMT is not difficult. If you use MDT and Lite Touch to deploy your machines, the USMT feature is automatically configured and extended so that it is easy to use. With MDT, you do nothing at all and USMT just works.

USMT includes several command-line tools, the most important of which are ScanState and LoadState:

  • ScanState.exe. This performs the user-state backup.

  • LoadState.exe. This performs the user-state restore.

  • UsmtUtils.exe. This supplements the functionality in ScanState.exe and LoadState.exe.

In addition to these tools, there are also XML templates that manage which data is migrated. You can customize the templates, or create new ones, to manage the backup process at a high level of detail. USMT uses the following terms for its templates:

  • Migration templates. The default templates in USMT.

  • Custom templates. Custom templates that you create.

  • Config template. An optional template, called Config.xml, which you can use to exclude or include components in a migration without modifying the other standard XML templates.

Figure 3. A sample USMT migration file that will exclude .MP3 files on all local drives and include the folder C:Data and all its files, including its subdirectories and their files.

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USMT supports capturing data and settings from Windows Vista and later, and restoring the data and settings to Windows 7 and later (including Windows 10 in both cases). It also supports migrating from a 32-bit operating system to a 64-bit operating system, but not the other way around. For example, you can use USMT to migrate from Windows 7 x86 to Windows 10 x64.

By default USMT migrates many settings, most of which are related to the user profile but also to Control Panel configurations, file types, and more. The default templates that are used in Windows 10 deployments are MigUser.xml and MigApp.xml. These two default templates migrate the following data and settings:

  • Folders from each profile, including those from user profiles as well as shared and public profiles. For example, the My Documents, My Video, My Music, My Pictures, desktop files, Start menu, Quick Launch settings, and Favorites folders are migrated.

  • Specific file types. USMT templates migrate the following file types: .accdb, .ch3, .csv, .dif, .doc*, .dot*, .dqy, .iqy, .mcw, .mdb*, .mpp, .one*, .oqy, .or6, .pot*, .ppa, .pps*, .ppt*, .pre, .pst, .pub, .qdf, .qel, .qph, .qsd, .rqy, .rtf, .scd, .sh3, .slk, .txt, .vl*, .vsd, .wk*, .wpd, .wps, .wq1, .wri, .xl*, .xla, .xlb, .xls*.

    Note The OpenDocument extensions (*.odt, *.odp, *.ods, etc.) that Microsoft Office applications can use are not migrated by default.

  • Operating system component settings

  • Application settings

These are the settings migrated by the default MigUser.xml and MigApp.xml templates. For more details on what USMT migrates, see What does USMT migrate? For more information on the USMT overall, see the USMT technical reference.

Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer

Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer (Windows ICD) is a tool designed to assist with the creation of provisioning packages that can be used to dynamically configure a Windows device (PCs, tablets, and phones). This is particularly useful for setting up new devices, without the need for re-imaging the device with a custom image.

Figure 4. Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer.

For more information, see Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer.

Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM)

Windows SIM is an authoring tool for Unattend.xml files. When using MDT and/or Configuration Manager, you don’t need Windows SIM very often because those systems automatically update the Unattend.xml file during the deployment, greatly simplifying the process overall.

Figure 5. Windows answer file opened in Windows SIM.

For more information, see Windows System Image Manager Technical Reference.

Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT)

If you don’t use KMS, you can still manage your MAKs centrally with the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT). With this tool, you can install and manage product keys throughout the organization. VAMT also can activate on behalf of clients without Internet access, acting as a MAK proxy.

Figure 6. The updated Volume Activation Management Tool.

VAMT also can be used to create reports, switch from MAK to KMS, manage Active Directory-based activation, and manage Office 2010 and Office 2013 volume activation. VAMT also supports PowerShell (instead of the old command-line tool). For example, if you want to get information from the VAMT database, you can type:

For more information on the VAMT, see VAMT technical reference.

Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)

Windows PE is a “Lite” version of Windows 10 and was created to act as a deployment platform. Windows PE replaces the DOS or Linux boot disks that ruled the deployment solutions of the last decade.

The key thing to know about Windows PE is that, like the operating system, it needs drivers for at least network and storage devices in each PC. Luckily Windows PE includes the same drivers as the full Windows 10 operating system, which means much of your hardware will work out of the box.

Figure 7. A machine booted with the Windows ADK default Windows PE boot image.

For more details on Windows PE, see Windows PE (WinPE).

Windows Recovery Environment

Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) is a diagnostics and recovery toolset included in Windows Vista and later operating systems. The latest version of Windows RE is based on Windows PE. You can also extend Windows RE and add your own tools if needed. If a Windows installation fails to start and Windows RE is installed, you will see an automatic failover into Windows RE.

Figure 8. A Windows 10 client booted into Windows RE, showing Advanced options.

For more information on Windows RE, see Windows Recovery Environment.

Windows Deployment Services

Windows Deployment Services (WDS) has been updated and improved in several ways starting with Windows 8. Remember that the two main functions you will use are the PXE boot support and multicast. Most of the changes are related to management and increased performance. In Windows Server 2012 R2, WDS also can be used for the Network Unlock feature in BitLocker.

Figure 9. Windows Deployment Services using multicast to deploy three machines.

In Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Deployment Services can be configured for stand-alone mode or for Active Directory integration. In most scenarios, the Active Directory integration mode is the best option. WDS also has the capability to manage drivers; however, driver management through MDT and Configuration Manager is more suitable for deployment due to the flexibility offered by both solutions, so you will use them instead. In WDS, it is possible to pre-stage devices in Active Directory, but here, too, Configuration Manager has that capability built in, and MDT has the ability to use a SQL Server database for pre-staging. In most scenarios, those solutions are better than the built-in pre-staging function as they allow greater control and management.

Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) configuration

In some cases, you need to modify TFTP Maximum Block Size settings for performance tuning reasons, especially when PXE traffic travels through routers and such. In the previous version of WDS, it was possible to change that, but the method of do so—editing the registry—was not user friendly. In Windows Server 2012, this has become much easier to do as it can be configured as a setting.

Also, there are a few new features related to TFTP performance:

  • Scalable buffer management. Allows buffering an entire file instead of a fixed-size buffer for each client, enabling different sessions to read from the same shared buffer.

  • Scalable port management. Provides the capability to service clients with shared UDP port allocation, increasing scalability.

  • Variable-size transmission window (Variable Windows Extension). Improves TFTP performance by allowing the client and server to determine the largest workable window size.

Figure 10. TFTP changes are now easy to perform.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit

MDT is a free deployment solution from Microsoft. It provides end-to-end guidance, best practices, and tools for planning, building, and deploying Windows operating systems. MDT builds on top of the core deployment tools in the Windows ADK by contributing guidance, reducing complexity, and adding critical features for an enterprise-ready deployment solution.

MDT has two main parts: the first is Lite Touch, which is a stand-alone deployment solution; the second is Zero Touch, which is an extension to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager.

Note Lite Touch and Zero Touch are marketing names for the two solutions that MDT supports, and the naming has nothing to do with automation. You can fully automate the stand-alone MDT solution (Lite Touch), and you can configure the solution integration with Configuration Manager to prompt for information.

Figure 11. The Deployment Workbench in, showing a task sequence.

For more information on MDT, see the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit resource center.

Microsoft Security Compliance Manager 2013

Microsoft SCM is a free utility used to create baseline security settings for the Windows client and server environment. The baselines can be exported and then deployed via Group Policy, local policies, MDT, or Configuration Manager. The current version of Security Compliance Manager includes baselines for Windows 8.1 and several earlier versions of Windows, Windows Server, and Internet Explorer.

Figure 12. The SCM console showing a baseline configuration for a fictional client's computer security compliance.

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack

MDOP is a suite of technologies available to Software Assurance customers through an additional subscription.

The following components are included in the MDOP suite:

  • Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V). App-V 5.0 provides an integrated platform, more flexible virtualization, and powerful management for virtualized applications. With the release of App-V 5.0 SP3, you have support to run virtual applications on Windows 10.

  • Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V). UE-V monitors the changes that are made by users to application settings and Windows operating system settings. The user settings are captured and centralized to a settings storage location. These settings can then be applied to the different computers that are accessed by the user, including desktop computers, laptop computers, and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) sessions.

  • Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM). AGPM enables advanced management of Group Policy objects by providing change control, offline editing, and role-based delegation.

  • Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT). DaRT provides additional tools that extend Windows RE to help you troubleshoot and repair your machines.

  • Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM). MBAM is an administrator interface used to manage BitLocker drive encryption. It allows you to configure your enterprise with the correct BitLocker encryption policy options, as well as monitor compliance with these policies.

Windows 10 Iot System Image Manager

For more information on the benefits of an MDOP subscription, see Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack.

Internet Explorer Administration Kit 11

There has been a version of IEAK for every version of Internet Explorer since 3.0. It gives you the capability to customize Internet Explorer as you would like. The end result of using IEAK is an Internet Explorer package that can be deployed unattended. The wizard creates one .exe file and one .msi file.

Figure 13. The User Experience selection screen in IEAK 11.

To download IEAK 11, see the Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) Information and Downloads page.

Windows 10 System Image Manager Download

Windows Server Update Services

WSUS is a server role in Windows Server 2012 R2 that enables you to maintain a local repository of Microsoft updates and then distribute them to machines on your network. WSUS offers approval control and reporting of update status in your environment.

Windows 10 System Image Manager Windows Sim

Figure 14. The Windows Server Update Services console.

For more information on WSUS, see the Windows Server Update Services Overview.

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface

For many years BIOS has been the industry standard for booting a PC. BIOS has served us well, but it is time to replace it with something better. UEFI is the replacement for BIOS, so it is important to understand the differences between BIOS and UEFI. In this section, you learn the major differences between the two and how they affect operating system deployment.

Introduction to UEFI

BIOS has been in use for approximately 30 years. Even though it clearly has proven to work, it has some limitations, including:

  • 16-bit code

  • 1 MB address space

  • Poor performance on ROM initialization

  • MBR maximum bootable disk size of 2.2 TB

As the replacement to BIOS, UEFI has many features that Windows can and will use.

With UEFI, you can benefit from:

  • Support for large disks. UEFI requires a GUID Partition Table (GPT) based disk, which means a limitation of roughly 16.8 million TB in disk size and more than 100 primary disks.

  • Faster boot time. UEFI does not use INT 13, and that improves boot time, especially when it comes to resuming from hibernate.

  • Multicast deployment. UEFI firmware can use multicast directly when it boots up. In WDS, MDT, and Configuration Manager scenarios, you need to first boot up a normal Windows PE in unicast and then switch into multicast. With UEFI, you can run multicast from the start.

  • Compatibility with earlier BIOS. Most of the UEFI implementations include a compatibility support module (CSM) that emulates BIOS.

  • CPU-independent architecture. Even if BIOS can run both 32- and 64-bit versions of firmware, all firmware device drivers on BIOS systems must also be 16-bit, and this affects performance. One of the reasons is the limitation in addressable memory, which is only 64 KB with BIOS.

  • CPU-independent drivers. On BIOS systems, PCI add-on cards must include a ROM that contains a separate driver for all supported CPU architectures. That is not needed for UEFI because UEFI has the ability to use EFI Byte Code (EBC) images, which allow for a processor-independent device driver environment.

  • Flexible pre-operating system environment. UEFI can perform many functions for you. You just need an UEFI application, and you can perform diagnostics and automatic repairs, and call home to report errors.

  • Secure boot. Windows 8 and later can use the UEFI firmware validation process, called secure boot, which is defined in UEFI 2.3.1. Using this process, you can ensure that UEFI launches only a verified operating system loader and that malware cannot switch the boot loader.

Versions

UEFI Version 2.3.1B is the version required for Windows 8 and later logo compliance. Later versions have been released to address issues; a small number of machines may need to upgrade their firmware to fully support the UEFI implementation in Windows 8 and later.

Hardware support for UEFI

In regard to UEFI, hardware is divided into four device classes:

  • Class 0 devices. This is the UEFI definition for a BIOS, or non-UEFI, device.

  • Class 1 devices. These devices behave like a standard BIOS machine, but they run EFI internally. They should be treated as normal BIOS-based machines. Class 1 devices use a CSM to emulate BIOS. These older devices are no longer manufactured.

  • Class 2 devices. These devices have the capability to behave as a BIOS- or a UEFI-based machine, and the boot process or the configuration in the firmware/BIOS determines the mode. Class 2 devices use a CSM to emulate BIOS. These are the most common type of devices currently available.

  • Class 3 devices. These are UEFI-only devices, which means you must run an operating system that supports only UEFI. Those operating systems include Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2. Windows 7 is not supported on these class 3 devices. Class 3 devices do not have a CSM to emulate BIOS.

Windows support for UEFI

Microsoft started with support for EFI 1.10 on servers and then added support for UEFI on both clients and servers.

With UEFI 2.3.1, there are both x86 and x64 versions of UEFI. Windows 10 supports both. However, UEFI does not support cross-platform boot. This means that a computer that has UEFI x64 can run only a 64-bit operating system, and a computer that has UEFI x86 can run only a 32-bit operating system.

How UEFI is changing operating system deployment

There are many things that affect operating system deployment as soon as you run on UEFI/EFI-based hardware. Here are considerations to keep in mind when working with UEFI devices:

  • Switching from BIOS to UEFI in the hardware is easy, but you also need to reinstall the operating system because you need to switch from MBR/NTFS to GPT/FAT32 and NTFS.

  • When you deploy to a Class 2 device, make sure the boot option you select matches the setting you want to have. It is common for old machines to have several boot options for BIOS but only a few for UEFI, or vice versa.

  • When deploying from media, remember the media has to be FAT32 for UEFI, and FAT32 has a file-size limitation of 4GB.

  • UEFI does not support cross-platform booting; therefore, you need to have the correct boot media (32- or 64-bit).

For more information on UEFI, see the UEFI firmware overview and related resources.

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