Capture your new laptop as a custom ISO with users and programs

What if you wanted to capture your brand new laptop as a custom bootable Windows 10 ISO already preset with your user settings and pre-installed software?

I performed this capture as an experiment while writing crib notes for accuracy, then fleshed them out further so a computer novice friend (and nearly anybody who can type and click) could follow along. The guide was validated using Windows 10 Pro v1703 on my EVOC Clevo P650HS-G, and some steps include USB-->USB transfers since my laptop is an offline machine. The ISO creation protocol works for Pro and Home, but Hyper-V is not included and can't be installed in Win10-Home; free alternative hypervisors exist.

You can go from a power up, to a custom.ISO, to validating your custom.ISO on your laptop in a virtual machine in less than an hour, not including download times. All without allowing your new laptop on the internet... as long as you have a second computer and USB drive

Download this guide as a text file: https://pastebin.com/9SPSRBRU
Fix Control Center Application error in VM

Phase 1
Get your laptop out of the shipping box, power it up, and install Macrium Reflect free edition; no, seriously, do this. Follow the guide by @Phoenix (but don't move any libraries, folders, etc.) and save an MRIMG or two on an external device or two.

Phase 2
Create a custom ISO with your user settings and pre-installed software.
** It's nowhere near as long or complicated as it looks **

Build Process:
A) Setup drive(s), apply labels, make folders
B) Download/extract Windows ISO template
C) Create bootable WinPE flash drive
D) Download/install ADK Deployment Tool
E) Clean partition
F) Create custom install.wim
G) Replace downloaded ISO install.wim
H) Create new bootable custom.ISO

Test Process:
I) Enable/setup Hyper-V
J) Install/run custom.ISO in the VM
K) Boot/install custom.ISO on your SSD

Phase 3
L) Teleport back to the start using the initial Macrium MRIMG files

============================================================
Capture your new laptop as a custom.ISO

Spoiler: _Sections A-->E, Prep your system

Requirements:

Your laptop and a flash drive,
An Official Windows 10 v1703+ ISO,
The Windows Deployment tools (free from MS).​

Note:

Your complete Windows installation must be 100% on a single partition or it fails.​

Phase 1
*) Save a couple Macrium Reflect MRIMG backups

-Follow the guide by @Phoenix, but don't move any libraries/folders
-Just setup MR and save the MRIMGs.​

Phase 2
A- Setup or partition source machine drives

- partition your primary SSD
- and keep your 2nd SSD as a safe storage reserve​

1) Press Win + R
2) type "diskmgmt.msc", hit enter

Right-click D: (your 2nd drive)

select "Change Drive Letter..."
select "Change"
assign letter "E" or higher, OK.​

Right click E:, select properties,

label E: as Drive2, Storage, or whatever​

Right-click on C:, select "Shrink Volume"
Reduce the volume of C: by >=65GB

ideally ~split volume, e.g. 500-->200/300​

Right-click new Unallocated box graphic

select New Simple Volume
specify size >=65GB = shrink amount
assign drive letter D:
Label volume as "Data", finish wizard.​

Right-click C:, select properties

Label C: as "Windows"​

Label all other drives at this point for clarity.​

3) Exit disk manager
4) On Data(D:)

Create a folder named "Scratch"
Create a folder named "Iso_files"
Create a folder named "Hyper-V"​

5) Restart your laptop.

* Alternatively, use two drives for the setup

- It's a little faster. That's it.​

1) Letter and label SSDs as Windows(C:) and Data(D:)

Right-click drives in Windows Explorer
click properties, type in the names​

2) Label other drives now for clarity
3) On Data(D:)

Create a folder named "Scratch"
Create a folder named "Iso_files"
Create a folder named "Hyper-V"​

B- Download/extract Win10 ISO for the custom build template

-Match your download to your installed OS version​

1) Download ISO from windowsiso.net

(alternatively, use the download tool at HeiDoc.net)​

Select Win10 version from drop-down list

e.g. Win10 1703 CU Download>Standard​

Scroll down, select language/version:

select the English, x64 link on farthest right
=Win10_1703_English_x64.iso (4,232,730 kb)​

You can verify this download via MD5, SHA1, SHA256 checksums:

Download>install HashCalc (or HashMyFiles, etc.)
Browse to Win10 ISO in Data box
Click Calculate, wait 1.5-2 min for sums​

MD5=effccfda8a8dcf0b91bb3878702ae2d8
SHA1=ce8005a659e8df7fe9b080352cb1c313c3e9adce
SHA256=b842a801bf1dedf3acbfd909f91fb2a741eef20fda133daa1878e46a07ec9237​

Note:
Win10 ISO CRC/MD5/SHA1/256 checksum dump:
use browser search to easily find all three calculated sums.
https://pastebin.com/fgqtG3mJ​

Microsoft SHA1 Hash Archive:
you can query using the calculated SHA1 sum
http://www.heidoc.net/php/myvsdump.php​

2) Save downloaded ISO to USB, move to the source laptop

Copy ISO to Data(D:)​

3) Mount the moved ISO by double clicking
4) Copy all of the files to D:\Iso_files

note that the folder D:\Iso_files\Sources now exists​

5) Unmount the ISO by Right-click>Eject

The official ISO file isn't used later, but keep it handy.​

C- Create bootable Win10PE from the Win10 1703+ ISO
1) Quick-format a small flash drive (even 0.5 GB is fine)

Right-click, select format>Quick-format>start​

2) Browse to D:\Iso_files
3) Copy all of the contents EXCEPT the "sources" folder to the USB drive
4) Create a folder named "sources" on the USB drive
5) Browse to D:\Iso-files\sources and find "boot.wim"
6) Copy "boot.wim" to your empty USB "sources" folder

= Finished!
= drive has 0.32 GB of files​

7) Label the USB WinPE drive

Right-click, select Rename = DISM-W10PE

- serves as reminder of the build method.
- DISKPART and DISM work, that's all you need.​

* Nothing stops you from using the remainder of your flash drive.
* Make a folder called "Other files" and use it!​

D- Install Windows Deployment Tools feature
1) Download Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 10

- URL is in my downloads section
- direct install is more time/data efficient (see note below)​

2) Match the ADK version to your Windows version, e.g. use ADK 1703 for a Win 1703

Perhaps unnecessary, but logical​

3) Download and run the installer file

Select download for use on another machine
Opt out of Microsoft data collection
Save toolkit (3.05 GB) to USB drive​

4) Move USB drive to source computer
5) Run ADK setup file

Click through screens, Opt out of data collection
Select ONLY the necessary Deployment Tools feature (67.5 MB)
Click Install

- Windows may not find the .msi file:
- Browse to /Windows Kits/10/ADK/Installers if asked​

6) Restart laptop

-Finalizes all of the changes made so far.​

** Direct Install Note:

If your custom.ISO source machine is allowed on the internet:
a) Run the installer
b) Unselect everything except for the Deployment Tools
c) Directly install only the Deployment Tools feature
d) Restart​

E- Clean source machine partition using Extended Disk Cleanup

-Clean up a little, a lot, or everything as you prefer.
-follow below for the "new laptop ISO"​

1) Open an elevated command prompt

Press Win+X > Powershell (Admin)
type "cmd", hit enter​

2) Run the following command:

"cmd.exe /c cleanmgr /sageset:1 & cleanmgr /sagerun:1"

- the exact sage# isn't important as long as they match​

3) Don't close the command window yet
4) Select everything in the cleanup options popup window EXCEPT:

:the 'green arrow' Windows update/upgrade files
(the 'green arrow' files should go into the custom.ISO)
* Note: "sagesets" won't cleanup Windows setup files (e.g. ~BT, etc.)

To fully clean up after an upgrade, or install in the VM:
type "cleanmgr /autoclean", hit enter​

5) Clean recent files history

In File Explorer:

click File tab > select "Change folder and search options"
click the "Clear" button under Privacy
close File Explorer​

* STOP clicking things!
* Your system is ready for imaging!
* Turn off your laptop.​

Spoiler: _Sections F-->H, Capture your system

F- Create custom install.wim file
1) Boot source machine using DISM-W10PE from step-B (or other WinPE)

Plug in USB stick, reboot while hitting F7
Choose USB drive from the options​

2) Press Shift+F10 at Language/Time/Currency Screen to open command prompt

type "diskpart", hit enter
type "list vol", hit enter

Inspect the list and note volume letters:
-letters ~may vary, but labels are static
-use the volume letters showing labels for:
Windows = source drive to copy from
Data = drive location to save .wim file​

type "exit", hit enter to exit diskpart (but not cmd)​

3) Enter the following command to create the .wim file:

Exact characters and spacing! No brackets!​

[dism /capture-image /imagefile:D:\install.wim /CaptureDir:C:\ /ScratchDir:D:\scratch /name:"W10Pro-slimmolG" /Description:"EVOCp650,W10P plus user, noMods" /compress:maximum /checkintegrity /verify /bootable]

-The Deployment Tool information displays
-The cursor blinks for 30 seconds
-The Saving Image information displays​

**custom install.wim (~10GB) is created in 9.5-10.0 minutes​

4) After .wim file creation, exit cmd window
5) Close Install Media window

click Yes to cancel install and allow reboot​

6) Verify your captured source system info:

Press Win+X > Powershell (Admin)
Enter the below command without brackets:​

[dism /get-wiminfo /wimfile:"d:\install.wim" /Index:1]


Capture Command Notes:
/imagefile:D:\install.wim = save location drive letter and file info
/capturedir:C:\ = Windows source drive letter info
/ScratchDir:D:\Scratch = drive\folder location to let dism find Scratch space
/name:"Anyname" = Necessary argument, but the actual name isn't important. It labels the image created in .wim
/Description:"YourChoice" = Optional argument; can omit whole segment, but adding a descriptive comment helps identify the final ISO.

G- Replace downloaded ISO install.wim with custom version
1) Browse to your custom install.wim on Data(D:)
2) Copy your custom install.wim to the Sources folder in ISO_files (D:\Iso_files\Sources)

- This will replace the original install.wim from the downloaded ISO​

3) Rename your backup copy of D:\install.wim to "FactoryFresh-install.wim"

- Note that it must be changed back to install.wim to reuse​

H- Create the bootable custom.ISO
1) Run Deployment and Imaging Tools from ADK as an administrator

On the start menu, find Windows Kits/Deployment and Imaging Tools
Right-click>More>Run as Administrator​

2) Type "cd\" and hit enter to shorten the long path
3) Run the following command:

Exact characters and spacing! No brackets!​

[oscdimg.exe -m -o -u2 -udfver102 -bootdata:2#p0,e,bd:\iso_files\boot\etfsboot.com#pEF,e,bd:\iso_files\efi\microsoft\boot\efisys.bin d:\iso_files d:\sweetnewfile.iso]

*sweetnewfile.ISO is made in ~1 minute

-BIOS bootable via the [etfsboot.com] bootdata.
-UEFI bootable via the [efisys.bin] bootdata.​

Note:
d:\iso_files = REPLACE all three instances if your copied official ISO files are elsewhere.

You now have:
A) custom.ISO file on D:\
B) custom.wim file on D:\
C) extracted official ISO files in D:\Iso_files
D) an empty folder at D:\Scratch
E) a still empty folder at D:\Hyper-V

Spoiler: _Sections I-->J, Check your custom.ISO in a virtual machine

Test your custom.ISO for functionality
I- Enable Hyper-V virtual machine manager

-perform after step-B to include Hyper-V in your ISO​

1) Run Powershell as administrator

Press Win+X, click on the admin link​

2) Type the following command at the prompt:

"Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V -All"
A few, then more circles appear, then it finishes​

3) Enter Y to allow reboot

Windows integrates Hyper-V, updates settings, auto-reboots​

*Note: Win10-Home does not include Hyper-V. Use 3rd-party hypervisor.​

J- Create/start virtual machine running custom.ISO
1) Open Hyper-V Manager via start menu
2) Adjust Server settings:

Select 'desktop' under Manager in left panel
Click Hyper-V Settings in upper right Actions panel
Ensure Enhanced Session Modes are enabled:

:in the new upper Server panel
:in the new lower User panel​

3) Add new virtual machine

Right-click the server node (the little 'desktop' again)
Select New>Virtual Machine
Name=VirtMach1,
Store location change to D:\Hyper-V
Generation=2
Assign startup memory= 4,096 MB (8,192 MB is better, if laptop has 16GB)

**Unselect Dynamic memory option**​

Networking=not connected
Create VHDx, size=45 GB

*~10 GB ISO expands to ~27 GB in VHDx
* WinSetup balks at 35 GB and recommends 44 GB
(Enhanced Sessions Mode has some virtual bulk)​

Install OS from ISO:

Browse to your sweetnewfile.ISO​

Click Finish.​

4) Adjust VM settings

Right-click VirtMach01, select Settings

In Security panel, uncheck Secure Boot option
In Integration Services panel, add check to Guest Services
In Checkpoints panel, set to Standard​

click Apply, and OK to close window​

5) Run virtual machine

Double-click VirtMach01 to open VMconnect window
click "Start" within window
When asked, press a KEY to boot.
If text is a little fuzzy, adjust VMconnect View>Zoom​

6) Install Windows (this will install your custom version)

Select languages, etc., hit next, hit Install Now
Select "I don't have a product key"
Select CustomInstall, Next, etc.

~5 minutes of installation until restart notice appears
customized Win10 starts in a 4:3 VMconnect window
The VMconnect resolution+resources dialogue box now appears...​

DO NOT immediately click the Connect button.

Let installation initialize devices>get ready>Login screen.
or simply let the installation auto-signin>desktop.​

NOW select Show Options at the bottom of the connect dialogue

check "Save my settings..."​

click CONNECT

VMconnect flashes>resizes>restarts>login screen.
Sign-in to your new prepared virtual machine
​

VM install notes:
* If you forgot to uncheck Dynamic memory, auto-restart will fail.

If you allocated a tiny amount of memory, the same...
but, you can manually Turn off VMconnect at blue screen and Restart VM.​

* If you immediately Connect when you see the 'resolution' dialogue

you will have blue screen Remote Desktop Services problems​

* After ~0-1.5 minutes a Control Center Application dialogue pops up

Just okay it, and ignore. It's an irrelevant "HotKey in VM" issue.
​

7) Create a checkpoint for your virtual machine

Click Action>Checkpoint on the VMconnect toolbar

- a checkpoint will appear in the Hyper-V manager​

Why are checkpoints useful?

1st: Checkpoint>make changes>install programs>etc.>Checkpoint2
2nd: Now Right-click>Apply to switch between two checkpoints in seconds (yes, seconds)​

Notes:
* If you StartMenu>Restart your guest OS (i.e "in the window"), you will see RDS error upon restart
* If you Shut Down via the VMconnect menu it will be fine:

The initial "good resolution" VMconnect shuts down.
VMconnect flashes.
4:3 VMconnect window shuts down OS, goes to black.​

You now have:
A version of your new laptop, running on your new laptop!

Feel free to poke around in the guest OS (i.e. the custom.ISO installed in Hyper-V), your physical laptop system is safe from all your poking. Enable/disable whatever you like, surf the registry, finally get around to deleting that pesky system32 folder...

Spoiler: _Section K, Check your ISO directly on a physical drive

K- Install your custom.ISO on your source machine SSD

* Warning for partitioned drives:
* If you imaged C=full disk, and then decided to partition, reinstall still restores C=full disk.
* Therefore, ensure novel partitions are backed up externally.​

1) Your custom.ISO is already bootable!

Grab and quick-format a flash drive

Right-click, select format
default=NTFS, 4,096 bytes, Quick Format​

Double-click sweetnewfile.ISO on (D:) to mount it
Copy all of the contents to the USB drive

= Finished.​

Reboot while hitting F7
Install your custom Windows10​

Alternate method using Rufus:

Download Rufus onto a flash drive, transfer it to Data(D:)
Open Rufus, point it to your sweetnewfile.ISO
-See the Rufus guide by @Phoenix for more info​

Spoiler: _Notes/info/refs/links

Spoiler: Additional notes for sections A-C

Skip these notes if you can partition without trouble, and already have a Win10 ISO and WinPE USB drive.

Notes.A-###
My primary drive initially couldn't be split due to a system restore file sitting right in the middle of C:

-Resolved by disabling Restore
-Remove hibernation now too if you don't use it.
1) Disable System Restore:

Control Panel>System>System Protection
click "Configure" button
click radio button to Disable sys prot.​

2) Disable Hibernation

Press Win+R for command prompt
type "powercfg /h OFF", hit enter
Note: no confirmation is given.​

3) Trim SSD

Press Win+X > PowerShell (Admin)
type "Optimize-Volume -DriveLetter C -ReTrim -Verbose"​

Notes.B-###
There are a several ways to get your Win10 ISO from Microsoft:

1) Option 1- Use the ISO downloading tool from HeiDoc.net

Download the tool and run the .exe, install isn't needed.
Select your ISO from many download options.​

2) Option 2- Download directly from Microsoft

Your download choice will be selected by Microsoft
Go to the Windows ISO download page
Download what Microsoft lets you, i.e. 1709 right now​

3) Option 3- Download preferred ISO from a list of choices

Go to the Windows ISO download page
*Change the User Agent String in Chrome/Opera by:
opening developer tools = ctrl+shift+i
click "3-dot" drop down box within developer tools

select More Tools>Network Conditions
uncheck Select Automatically
Select a "custom" non-windows choice like Linux, Mac​

refresh browser to reload current webpage

Current page reloads as a Linux/Mac/etc machine page
Choose from new options on webpage and download​

*Closing the webpage restores automatic detection.
*Calculate/record/check the hashes if you like​

4) Save downloaded ISO to USB, move to the source laptop

Copy to Data(D:)​

5) Mount the downloaded ISO by double clicking
6) Copy all of the files to D:\Iso_files
7) Unmount the ISO by Right-click>Eject

The official ISO isn't used later, but keep it handy.​

Notes.C-###
There are several alternative methods to obtain an "official" WinPE via:

-Use your full ADK download from step-D
-Direct download of Windows Install Media
-Use WinPE implemented in a Macrium Reflect rescue disk​

>If you download the full ADK suite you can make an "official" WinPE10"
1) Open ADK setup as in step-D and install WinPE feature
2) Quick-format a USB drive

Right-click, select format>Quick-format>start​

3) Run Deployment and Imaging Tools from ADK as an administrator

On the start menu, find Windows Kits/Deployment and Imaging Tools
Right-click>More>Run as Administrator
type "copype amd64 D:\WinPE_amd64", hit enter​

4) Identify your USB drive letter

type "diskpart", hit enter
type "list vol", hit enter
-note the letter of your USB drive
type exit​

5) Create the WinPE USB drive

* Replace "F:" with your USB drive volume letter if different!
type "MakeWinPEMedia /UFD D:\WinPE_amd64 F:"
hit enter
Type "Y" to proceed with format.
Program displays:

Setting the boot code on F:
Copying files to F:...
Success​

6) Your flash drive is now:

:labeled as WinPE
:populated with 266 MB of files​

>Re-download the entire WinPE dataset from Microsoft:
1) Download the Windows 10 media creation tool
2) Right-click, Run As Administrator

Choose 64-bit
Create installation media for another PC​

3) Insert USB flash drive
4) Select media choice of "USB Flash Drive"

Flash drive now has lots of files (3.55 GB)...​

>Make and use a Macrium Reflect rescue disk
1) Click "Other Tasks" on the file menu

select "Rescue Disk"
follow wizard...​

2) While booting to the MR rescue disk you MUST:

- NOT CLOSE the MR application, or your computer restarts!
- minimize the MR application
- use the command prompt for DISKPART/DISM​

Spoiler: Download links, further info/refs

Links current as of 01/2018​

(*)This guide on pastebin:

https://pastebin.com/9SPSRBRU​

(*) Download the free version of Macrium Reflect 7

https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree​

(B) Download Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 10

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/windows-assessment-deployment-kit​

(C) Download Win10 1703

http://windowsiso.net/windows-10-is...0-creators-update-1703-iso-download-standard/​

(C) Download HashCalc

http://www.slavasoft.com/hashcalc/​

(C) Win10 ISO CRC/MD5/SHA1/256 checksum dump:

https://pastebin.com/fgqtG3mJ​

(D) Download Windows 10 Media Creation tool

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10​

Microsoft's DISM command-line options/explanations
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...gement-command-line-options-s14#capture-image

Microsoft's Oscdimg command-line options/explanations
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/oscdimg-command-line-options

The following two tutorials provide in-depth coverage of specific aspects of this guide, with additional info for actually building the ISO within a VM. Both tutorials contain DISM/Ocsdimg command line examples for comparison.

EchoRelay's Final Thoughts from IT tutorial:
https://finalthought.org/2017/04/12...ws-10-version-1703-media-iso-wim-flash-drive/

Kari Finn's TenForums tutorial:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/72031-create-windows-10-iso-image-existing-installation.html

Spoiler: Section L, Teleport back to the start with Macrium Reflect

Phase 3:
L- Use your MR rescue disk to run MR in WinPE

* Warning for partitioned drives:
* Your pre-partioning MRIMG of C=full disk, will restore C=full disk,
* therefore, ensure any novel partitions are backed up externally​

1) Pop in your Macrium Reflect rescue disk from Phase 1

Follow the guide by @Phoenix to refresh your memory​

2) Browse to your MRIMG file
3) Bam! Experiment over... You're back at the start!

Lather, rinse, repeat as desired.

============================================================
And good luck Dave, your hour starts... now!
Edit: Dave made it in 1.25 hr but blamed it on the "anti-intuitive' effects of too many energy drinks (sure... lol)

 

I have been making multi-boot OS laptops and desktops / servers - with any bootable partition being usable as host or guest. And, this includes taking snapshots of configuration I've built so I can support them away from the datacenter.

It's tough enough to get the average user to do a full metal backup of a drive / set of partitions to be able to restore back to it, going several steps further allowing them to boot into it as VM's as you (apparently) and I do, seems a bit to much to hope for.

Since I do Linux / VM's professionally, I don't provide help or assistance publicly.

So, I hope you can stick with this and help support people past the hiccup's and conceptual steps to success, as I think it's the way to go moving forward, even for individuals.

 

Yes, I was surprised how useful it can be to run in a VM. It took a lot of trial and error troubleshooting, but once I figured out the RDS error issues and RAM provisioning problems it was a snap!

Yup!

 

Fix Control Center Application error in VM

Running your new custom.ISO in a Hyper-V virtual machine produces a "System needs to be restarted again for Control Center Application" dialogue box ~1.5 minutes after you see the guest desktop. Don't worry, the ISO is fine and the issue will not appear when installing to an SSD.
The simple solution = Click okay. That's it.

That new popular spelling for "Information" is popping up everywhere:

Spoiler: The dialogue box is on the 'little' screen

The actual solution = Turn off HotKeyTray in Task Manager:
Note this isn't permanent, and it will revert when you turn off the VM (unless you click to save a checkpoint first, so just click it... why not?)

1) Win+X>select Task Manager

click More Details in the lower left​

2) Select Startup tab
3) Right-click HKeyTray(5) and disable

-one setting disables all HK subheading components​

-the guest OS is fine without HotKey​

4) Save a checkpoint.

Note:
* The host machine Task Manager will show HKeyTray(32 bit), Hotkey Filter Clipboard Service, HotKey service(32bit), and ComboKeyTray(32bit) are running, but the guest OS doesn't run HKeyTray(32bit) or the ComboKeyTray(32bit).
* The host TaskManager entry for HkeyTray has 5 subheadings under the startup tab: two for ComboKeyTray, one for GetSMBIOS, one for HKeyTray, and one for HkeyTray2. The guest Task Manager will only show entries for HKeyTray and HKeyTray2.