To complete this walkthrough, you need the following:

• A technician computer, which provides all of the tools and source files. For more information, see Building a Technician Computer.
  
  
• A Windows® 7 product DVD.
  
  
• A master computer on which you will install and capture your custom image.
  
  
• Bootable Windows PE media with the ImageX tool. There are several types of Windown PE media that you can create. For more information about these options, see Windows PE Walkthroughs.
  
  
• Access to a network share to store your custom image and Windows 7 Setup source files.
  
  

On your technician computer, copy the entire content of the Windows product DVD to a network share. For example,

net use N: \\server\share\
xcopy <drive> N:\\WindowsDVD\ /s

Where <drive> is your DVD-ROM drive on your local computer.

1. Create a master installation by using one of the following methods:
   
   
   • Walkthrough: Deploy Windows by Booting from a DVD
     
     
   • Walkthrough: Deploy Windows by Using a Configuration Set
     
     
2. After the installation is complete, shut down the computer.
   
   

In this step, you will capture an image of the reference installation by using the ImageX tool and then store the custom image on a network share.

1. Boot the reference computer by using your bootable Windows PE media.
   
   
2. At a command prompt, capture an image of the installation. You specify a name and description as part of your image capture. All values are required by Windows Setup. If a .wim file does not include these values, then the image will not install properly. For example,
   
   

   imagex /compress fast /check /scroll /capture C: 
   C:\myimage.wim "x86_Ultimate" "My x86 Ultimate"
   

3. Replace the default Install.wim on the network share with your custom image. The image must be called Install.wim. For example,
   
   

   net use N: \\server\share\
   copy C:\myimage.wim N:\WindowsDVD\sources\install.wim
   

   If necessary, provide network credentials for appropriate network access.
   
   

In this step, you will create an answer file that points to your custom image. This step assumes you have already built an answer file and have a working catalog.

1. On your technician computer, open Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM). On your desktop, click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Windows OPK (or Windows AIK), and then click Windows System Image Manager.
   
   
2. On the File menu, click New Answer File.
   
   
3. In the Windows Image pane of Windows SIM, expand the Components node to display available settings.
   
   
4. Add the following components to your answer file by right-clicking the component and then selecting the appropriate configuration pass.
   
   

   Component	Configuration Pass
   Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk\CreatePartitions\ CreatePartition	windowsPE
   Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk\ModifyPartitions\ ModifyPartition	windowsPE
   Microsoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\OSImage\InstallTo	windowsPE

   	Note:
   	Expand the component list until you see the lowest setting listed above, and then add that setting to your answer file. This shortcut will add the setting and all parent settings to your answer file in one step.

5. All of the settings that you added must appear in the Answer File pane. Select and configure each setting as specified below.
   
   

   Component	Value
   Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration	WillShowUI = OnError
   Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk	DiskID = 0 WillWipeDisk = true
   Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk\CreatePartitions\CreatePartition	Extend = false Order = 1 Size = 300 Type = Primary
   Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk\CreatePartitions\CreatePartition	Extend = true Order = 2 Type = Primary
   Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk\ModifyPartitions\ModifyPartition	Active = true Extend = false Format = NTFS Label = System Letter = S Order = 1 PartitionID = 1
   Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk\ModifyPartitions\ModifyPartition	Extend = false Format = NTFS Label = Windows Letter = C Order = 2 PartitionID = 2
   Microsoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\OSImage\	WillShowUI = OnError
   Microsoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\OSImage\InstallTo	DiskID = 0 PartitionID = 2

6. Copy the answer file to a network location. For example, in a Command Prompt window,
   
   

   net use N: \\server\share\
   md N:\AnswerFiles
   copy C:\deploy_unattend.xml N:\AnswerFiles\
   

   If necessary, provide network credentials for appropriate network access.
   
   

In this step, you will deploy your custom image from a network share onto a destination computer.

1. Boot the destination computer by using your bootable Windows PE media.
   
   
2. Connect to your network share specified in "Step 4: Create a custom answer file," and then run Setup with your answer file. For example, in a Command Prompt window, type:
   
   

   net use N: \\server\share
   N:\WindowsDVD\setup /unattend:N:\AnswerFiles\deploy_unattend.xml
   

   If necessary, provide network credentials for appropriate network access.
   
   

You can further customize your answer file to include additional options. You can also build a DVD deployment media that contains the same content that you placed on the network share. A single deployment DVD provides a portable installation solution that requires no network or any additional resources. The process includes building a configuration set and recapturing all source files into a single DVD.

	Important:
	The DVD media that you create is for internal deployment use only. You cannot redistribute this media.

• Deploy Windows by Using Windows Setup
• Windows Setup Technical Reference