Mounting & Installing

[ricktendo]

Thank you so much ricktendo64, because of your video i finaly could create my own fully customized Windows7.

This way it wouldnt be possible with silent installer packages and so on!

And now guess what - i got another question.

I read about that the created WIM could get installed directly into an empty partition.

I read something about it, all i need is imagex, usually from winpe cd.

"imagex /apply F:\Windows7Ultimate.wim 1 c:"

Are there any basic approaches how to include imagex within the single created WIM on a dvd?

After all i just face the problem about disk management.

Yeah, i want to save some more space on a regular DVD

So imagex + the WIM file on a dvd, need to make it bootable and automatically start into imagex.

But best choice would be to create a 2-steps setup. Firstly to manage the disks (create/allocate/format/...)

and secondly to call the WIM directly over imagex, to install it without any GUI (which is a waste of disk space to me).

I hope you understand what i mean!

Watch the OPK videos I link to in my video post, they show how to create a bootable disk with imagex to capture or apply a wim (I have never tried it myself, I use the setup DVD)

OH that reminds me, did you save space by removing the uneeded files/folders from your DVD?

You can delete these from the root

\support
\upgrade
autorun.inf
setup.exe

And you can delete EVERYTHING EXCEPT these files in \sources (very important to keep setup.exe in \sources)

boot.wim
install.wim
*.clg
setup.exe

Edited April 14, 2011 by ricktendo64

[Markus1234]

Thanks!

I guess with comand line installation you dont need any files, just the WIM.

But yeah, i cleaned the WIM itself, removed languages, windows features, update uninstall files and so on.

Now i installed about 2.5gb of apps into it.

By the way, does the windows feauture to compress files works within the WIM compression?

And what about to compress DLLs, also automatically while creating the WIM?

I could need some more space, but after all i installed most of my apps.

[karikaturs]

Thanks for your replies!

I didnt found any videos in his signature links, so i watched some on youtube (they are kind of rare about sysprep and w7).

I also read technet stuff, it seems to pe pretty easy at all.

Its EXACTLY what i searched! Thank you!

This way i can do all changes, install every single application i want/need, add anything and even more - and what i get in the end is my complete system within the regular w7 installation.

Dear Markus,

as a newly conquerer of win7, can you prepare a guide for very very lamer and newbie such as me?

if possible with descriptive screenshots. Many people can not catch the words in video lessons.

we have many questions now as you started to this work.

thanks in advance

[Markus1234]

The Videos of ricktendo64 are pretty self-explaining

And also there are some Youtube videos about it, even on Technet theres a huge description.

And im sure as you google sysprep wim creation in your language you would find specific tutorials.

[karikaturs]

Thank you very much Markus1234 and Ricktendo64;

I want to ask some simple questions?

In ricktendo capture HD video 1. win7 installed on vmware then its converted to vhd. finally its mounted and captured.

in mounted vhd he especially underline vhd must not have boot files.

but a) in vmware setup boot folder is in the C: then where it was gone?

b)in OPK videos and in other many source the term "reference computer" is a single partition and complete setup with boot folder?

If I will use vmware what is the correct sequence?

If I use a second partition with dualboot as second win7 can I capture with gimagex in first windows 7 without reboot to msdos bart pe?

[ricktendo]

VHD like a HDD can have different partitions, so when you mount a single VHD you may get two new drive letters (one boot, one OS)

If no formatted partitions currently exist on the VHD/VMDK and you let Windows 7 handle the partitioning it will create the boot partition (this is the case with VMware)

If you install to a VHD you create and mount with DISKPART on your physical machine (only works with Win7 Ultimate) then the boot partition is not created

Edited May 14, 2011 by ricktendo64

[Markus1234]

Another question:

Is it possible to convert the vm to vhd,run it on active windows and catch a wim then?

Drive letter wouldnt be C:, but is it important?

Guess it just needs the files - and they shouldnt be locked.

That would save me tons of time in future customizing.

Edited May 15, 2011 by Markus1234

[ricktendo]

Look at the tutorial I link to (only works for Ultimate) showing how you can dual boot/install to a vhd on your physical machine, you dont need VMware you can install to a vhd on your HDD and mount and do what you want

Remember you will have to generalize each time before you capture your image

http://forums.techarena.in/guides-tutorials/1175447.htm

Edited May 15, 2011 by ricktendo64

[Markus1234]

Thats how ive done it the first time.

My thoughts go onto mount a finished Windows vhd as D:\ on the actuall running host system - and capture a wim with the host WAIK.

For sure after it was generalized!

So i thought about if the drive letter (temporary D: or so) matters while capture the wim, and if it affects future installation of it.

My point is that i just got 2 big HDDs, my system one is almost full and the second one ive encoded with truecrypt on windows (cant access on boot/no bootable media on).

So i cant save my wim onto another hdd, thats why i want to capture the generalized, prepared, converted vhd on my host system.

I guess i can remove the vmware files over dism later.

Edited May 15, 2011 by Markus1234

[ricktendo]

The drive letter does not matter, whatever Windows 7 partition you boot to is always C:\

[Markus1234]

So to save time i can:

1.) Install W7 on VmWare

2.) Boot into SysPrep

3.) Configure and install everything

4.) Shut it down

5.) Convert my VMWare to VHD

6.) Load the VHD on my running host system

7.) Capture a WIM by the new Partition of the loaded VHD

(8*) Delete VMWare Tools Stuff through dism

* Is there also a way to export and edit the reg hive of the new captured WIM - or should i do this before capturing?

* Or you think VmWare Tools are listened in packages while i use install_wim_tweak (shown in your vids)?

[ricktendo]

- Dont install VMware tools in the first place, create a ISO of you programs and mount it in VMware to get acces to them

- Add your regtweaks while in sysprep, you can also mount and add it offline but why bother when you can add it while in sysprep

- VMware tools is a MSI installer and will only be listed if you use /Get-Apps (you cannot uninstall it offline)

Edited May 15, 2011 by ricktendo64

[Markus1234]

Ive just tried to uninstall VMWare Tools while being in VMWare - also works - so this is fine now.

Actually im seaching for ways to shrink the wim some more .. i guess ill get into that packages stuff some more as you explained in your vid.

[karikaturs]

markus and ricktendo both of you are rocks thanks too much.

1- markus when I asked you first you advised me search google but as you see learning is a neverending story.

2- In OPK and technet videos;

existence of boot files or not is never mentioned. reference computer is a single partitioned hdd and contain all win7 files including boot folder. are you sure boot must not be in your captured system...

[ricktendo]

Im not sure, but thats what it says in the Reverse integration tutorial

I guess its so you dont end up with multiple Windows 7 entries or whatever other OS you have installed in the boot manager menu

BTW it could be that the ref computer in the OPK vids let Windows 7 do the partitioning and the boot partition is separate

Edited May 15, 2011 by ricktendo64