In the previous article we used the Windows Automated Installation Kit to build a customized Windows Vista image with an unattended set-up file. I'm not sure what you think about it, but I found it a hard and difficult process. The creation of the unattended file is not very well explained, and it is very easy to make a mistake. There are better solutions for doing this.
Now I'm going to guide you through the process to build a new customized image completely developed for our environment. This image will be used to build the new company standard.
There are various tools to build a customized image. You could just install a computer and start editing the image to reach the target, but there is also a cool tool that you can use to do it for you. This tool is named Vlite, and it is almost the same as Nlite that we used earlier.
Before you install the Vlite software, you have to install the Windows Automated Installation Kit first. Vlite uses this software for some of the tasks. When you don't have the Windows Automated Installation Kit installed it will give an error that prevents you from successfully installing the Vlite software.
Once we have the Windows Automated Installation Kit installed, then we have to download Vlite. The software and more information can be found on www.vlite.net. During the writing of this article the latest final release is version 1.2
I use a Windows 2003 server to install the software on, and as always I'm using SVS to capture the installation so it can be transferred to all other computers as I wish.
Make sure Dot NET Framework 2.0 is installed before starting the installation of Vlite.
Start SVS, and de-activate all the packages that are active.
Select File and select Create New Layer.
Give the layer a name and select the location where you have located the software for the installation.
As always the first screen is the Welcome screen. Click Next to continue.
Select I accept the agreement and click Next.
Select the folder where you would like to install the software and click Next to continue. I usually just install it on the default path that is given.
You can select a custom installation or the full installation. It is only 3.1 MB, so I select the full installation. Click Next to continue.
Select Create a desktop icon, and click Next. The program will now be installed on the computer. Click finish to end the installation.
Now you have built a layer for Vlite. You can also edit the layer to make it clean if you like.
On your desktop there is now an icon to start Vlite.
Next step in our process is to build our first image with the Vlite software. Double click the icon on the desktop or go to Start, programs, Vlite and start the shortcut there.
Click I agree, to start Vlite.
The screen above only appears when you don't have the Windows Automated Installation Kit installed. When you are sure the Windows Automated Installation Kit is installed, but you still get this error, Vlite was not able to find wingapi.dll during its install. You can easily copy wingapi.dll to c:\Program Files\Vlite.
Then restart Vlite. Now you will see it goes through this process without asking to install the Windows Automated Installation kit again.
If the Windows Automated Installation Kit is not installed you have to follow the installation like below.
Click on the button to download the special WAIK version that is needed to perform the customized installation. The download is about 1.3 GB, so that will take some time.
The download can also be found on http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=94BB6E34-D890-4932-81A5-5B50C657DE08&displaylang=en
When the WAIK is downloaded, you have to install it.
Double click on the file to start the installation.
NOTE: When you already have installed the WAIK before starting Vlite, this step is not necessary.
First step is to select the original Vista installation files. Then Vlite will ask you where to save the files on the hard disk. Make sure there is enough space to save the Vista Installation files.
I have licenses for Windows Vista Business and Ultimate. For my users I want the business edition. Select the edition you want and click OK.
NOTE: Probably you will only have one or some of these options.
Now you see that the folder is selected where I copied the files. Click Next to continue.
Select all the options you want to perform to build the image.
In my case I select everything except for the slipstreamed SP1 installation.
I will first build an image without the service pack. The service pack will later be added.
Click Next to continue.
When you select the button enable in hot fixes, you are able to slipstream hot fixes into the image. By selecting one of the other tabs, Drivers and/or Language packs, you are able to slipstream these into the image you want to build.
When you have added everything you want, click on Apply and then Next to go to the next screen.
In the screen that appears you are now able to select everything you want in your image. You have to play a little bit around with this to see what fits your needs. Click OK when you are ready.
Just like Nlite for Windows XP you are now able to remove what ever you do not want. Select the components that you do not need. Everything that is red is needed for some sort of program or functionality. Please read carefully what it is needed for before removing it.
Click Next to continue.
Now you are able to tweak the system. There are several options that can be disabled or enabled or configured already, as you like. Take advantage of this.
Click Next when you are finished.
Now you can fill in your license key, the name and company and several other options. Please do not forget to edit the Regional field also. This is also important. Click Next to continue.
Select what you want to do when you are ready. Vlite lets you burn the image straight on disk or in an ISO file. I select ISO file.
Click on make ISO and the ISO file will be created.
It will now ask you for a location where to save the ISO file, and then it writes the ISO file to that location.
Now we have a complete customized Windows Vista image that is ready for deployment. But we have to test it firmly to see if it meets our standards. In my case I write the image to an ISO, and I mount it as a DVD in a VMware and boot the machine. Now the unattended set-up will run. During the run you can see if it is not returning any screens that states errors. This will prohibit your rollout.
You have all the options to test the newly created image and to see if it fits your needs. Make sure you also let one or even more users test the image before you start a mass rollout because a small mistake can stop your whole migration.
When your image is started and you are very confident that this is your image, and then you have to add the software you need in your image. For a mass rollout it is easier to put all the software in the image. The image will get larger, but you only need one job to roll out.
In my case I add Symantec Antivirus and SVS into the image. Also the Deployment Agent is added so that all computers turn up correct in the Deployment Console.
It is common practice to select some users in your environment that are more experienced in computing, that are ahead of the others. Roll out the image to these users. Let them use the image for one or two weeks and see if they report back any errors or annoying things that are caught in the image.
Finally you then can do the mass roll out to all the users.
Deployment Console, Part 10: Creating Windows WIM and Catalog Files
Deployment Console, Part 12: Creating an Image