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How to create a custom Vista DVD

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The steps below outline how to create a custom Vista DVD. The idea here is that you can manually install one Vista machine with all your software and settings, and then easily capture an image to install other machines very simply. If you have more than one machine to setup with Vista, then this is the way to go.

Two systems are required for this process - the build machine can be Vista or XP or Server 2003 – the image machine will be the Vista baseline. The WIM created with this process can also be used to install Vista via Windows Deployment Services.

 

1. Gather and install the necessary files and tools (on the build machine)

a. Copy the following to a local directory

                                                               i. Vista RC1 ISO (from the Connect portal, MSDN, or TechNet)

                                                             ii. Vista RC1 Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) Vista RC1 ISO (from the Connect portal, MSDN, or TechNet)

b. Burn the Vista RC1 ISO to a DVD (use your favorite DVD burning software)

c. Install the RC1 WAIK

d. Build a WinPE ISO image and burn a CD

                                                               i. cd Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools\ 

                                                             ii. copype.cmd x86 c:\temp\winpe_x86

                                                            iii. copy “c:\program files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\imagex.exe” c:\temp\winpe_x86\iso\ 

                                                           iv. copy wimscript.ini (sample attached to this post) to c:\temp\winpe_x86\iso\

                                                             v. oscdimg -n –bc:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com c:\temp\winpe_x86\ISO c:\temp\winpe_x86.iso

                                                           vi. Burn this ISO to a CD (use your favorite CD burning software)

                                                          vii. Test the ISO (use it to boot the image machine)

1. This is very important so that the baseline system is not rebooted to the hard drive after sysprep

2. Build baseline system (on the image machine)

a. Start with the machine on A/C power, but not connected to any network (turn wireless off)

b. To automate the build process, create an autounattend.xml file, copy it to the root of a USB memory device, and ensure that the device is connected upon DVD boot

                                                               i. Contact us for a sample file that provides a completely automated build

c. Wait for the Vista build to complete; with good hardware this should take about 20 minutes

3. Customize the baseline (on the image machine)

a. Install whatever software you would like included in your image

4. Run SysPrep (on the image machine)

a. Start a CMD window

b. Navigate to \windows\system32\sysprep

c. Run “sysprep.exe /generalize /shutdown /oobe”

d. The machine will shutdown

e. DO NOT REBOOT THE MACHINE INTO ANYTHING OTHER THAN WINPE

f. If you reboot the machine to the Vista build, then you should go back step 2 “Build baseline system” and start over.

5. Capture a Windows Image (WIM) of the baseline (on the image machine)

a. Re-read steps 5e and 5f above

b. Boot to Windows PE

c. Watch for the “Press any key to boot from CD” prompt

d. Watch the system to make sure WinPE boots

e. Map a z: drive to the build machine (a dedicated high speed network or cross over cable is best)

f. d:\imagex.exe /compress fast /capture c: z:\temp\VistaRC1v1.wim "Windows Vista ULTIMATE" /flags “Ultimate” /verify

                                                               i. The file name of the WIM can be changed, keep everything else the same

g. Wait for the image to be created, with good hardware and a fast network this should take about 20 minutes

6. Build and burn a custom DVD with the new WIM (on the build machine)

a. Copy the entire contents of the Vista RC1 DVD to a directory (c:\temp\VistaDVD)

b. Delete install.wim from \VistaDVD\sources

c. Rename \temp\VistaRC1v1.wim to install.wim and move it to \VistaDVD\sources

d. To automate the build process, create an autounattend.xml file, copy it to \temp\VistaDVD

                                                               i. Contact us for a sample file that provides a completely automated build

e. Build a DVD ISO image from \temp\VistaDVD

                                                               i. cd Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools\ 

                                                             ii. oscdimg -n –m –lVistaRC1v1 –h –b”\x86\boot\etfsboot.com c:\temp\VistaDVD c:\temp\VistaRC1v1.iso

                                                            iii. Wait for the ISO to be created, with good hardware and a fast network this should take about 20 minutes

f. Burn the newly created ISO to a DVD (use your favorite DVD burning software)

7. Install Vista and be happy (on any machine)

a. The autounattend.xml file that we included on the DVD showed the following prompts during setup:

                                                               i. Product Key (use an Ultimate key if all steps in the process were followed)

                                                             ii. Destination drive

                                                            iii. Choose a user name and picture

                                                           iv. Choose a machine name and wallpaper

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    PingBack from http://www.nbwheeling.org/~aball/?p=111
  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    PingBack from http://www.nbwheeling.org/~aball/?p=111
  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    I'm trying to create my custom vista dvd and capturing my c: my image size is nearly 5.6 GBs. And OSCDIMG Tool has 4 Gb limitation, And I am unable to create my Vista DVD. Please help me to come out from this problem !!! Thanks In Advance,
  • ErSehmi