Still by far the quickest way of installing Windows from scratch without fuss

Hi folks
This is still the quickest and most hassle free way of installing Windows from scratch (and doesn't check for hardware constraints either --other than obviously sufficient disk space !!!.

Boot from the install disk
run the Apply-Image


then install the boot loader to whatever disk you want to boot from.

Boot and then run the initial oobe .

Job done !! (Q.E.D)

Cheers
jimbo

A bog standard media creation tool download of the Windows 11 iso is not going to give you an install.wim file, right? Instead it has install.esd

I'm trying to understand the claims that this is the fastest and most hassle free way to install.

Not to mention does this assume you've already manually created partitions etc.?

From start to finish on my desktop (local, not VM), installation, including cleaning the drive in diskpart, takes just a few minutes.

jimbo45 said:

Hi folks
This is still the quickest and most hassle free way of installing Windows from scratch (and doesn't check for hardware constraints either --other than obviously sufficient disk space !!!.

Boot from the install disk
run the Apply-Image
View attachment 53021

then install the boot loader to whatever disk you want to boot from.

Boot and then run the initial oobe .

Job done !! (Q.E.D)

Cheers
jimbo

Click to expand...

Groan - it is a good way for experienced users but not for beginners.
You have not shown users all the steps involved!

Fortunately, our old friend @Kari has written a tutorial on this.

I had forgotten about that tut lol = thanks @cereberus

pparks1 said:

A bog standard media creation tool download of the Windows 11 iso is not going to give you an install.wim file, right? Instead it has install.esd

I'm trying to understand the claims that this is the fastest and most hassle free way to install.

Click to expand...

In the dism /apply-image command simply replace install.wim with install.esd. This method is easy to avoid all kinds of compatibility checks. It is also a great way to set up dual booting.

For example, you can use this method to install Windows 11 to one single, active partition on an MBR disk. No system reserved partition, no extra recovery partition.

pparks1 said:

A bog standard media creation tool download of the Windows 11 iso is not going to give you an install.wim file, right? Instead it has install.esd

I'm trying to understand the claims that this is the fastest and most hasslefree way to install.

Click to expand...

It is a great way if an experienced user, but certainly not for beginners. Problem with original post is it does not give any real information for beginners. It is just a statement (and not easy to justify). Fortunately, we have an excellent tutorial from @Kari.

Even then, it takes a bit of knowledge to "not get lost" - that is not Kari's fault in any way. You have to assume a certain level of competency for this e.g. my setup was a bit different and I had to use different drive letters - easy enough for an old codger like me who has used windows and "Dos" command files for decades (I used Dos before windows was even heard of), but a beginner would struggle if they do not even understand the basics of "Dos" commands


As an aside, one thing MS has got right on W11 regarding isos, is you can download iso with install.wim directly now without having to spoof your browser to think you are using an Apple (choke, cough) or Linux pc.

I have extended Kari's method in a batch file that takes any W10/11 iso (with install.wim), adds drivers, optionally creates new iso (needs adk), and optionally installs OS into a native boot vhdx file. I can select edition, whether to install as uefi, mbr, even S mode.

I can even go one step further and create a custom iso of an existing installation, then do all of above - great for copying OS to new pc. I have not used sysprep in years.

NavyLCDR said:

In the dism /apply-image command simply replace install.wim with install.esd. This method is easy to avoid all kinds of compatibility checks. It is also a great way to set up dual booting.

For example, you can use this method to install Windows 11 to one single, active partition on an MBR disk. No system reserved partition, no extra recovery partition.

Click to expand...

Yep totally agree - with a bit of expertise, you can install (say) Insider versions to vhdx files and create native multi-boot systems with relative ease.

I do rather dispute @jimbo45's view that it is the "quickest and most hassle free way of installing Windows from scratch" for a clean install if only doing a using boot installation. We often forget that we are "SuperNerds" on this forum, but vast majority of the real world (90-95+% I bet) would not have a scooby how to use dism - hell most struggle with installing from a usb.

I found this to be the easiest, it also has a video that you can stop or go back to where you left off and so simple for the beginner !
......................

I just think that booting from the USB key or ISO, clicking next about 6 times, agreeing to a license, picking a hard drive and version, and watching it just work and finish up is about as easy and trouble free as you can get.

pparks1 said:

A bog standard media creation tool download of the Windows 11 iso is not going to give you an install.wim file, right? Instead it has install.esd

Click to expand...

Windows 11 is a little bit different than Windows 10 in that regard. In addition to the option called "Create Windows 11 Installation Media" there is another option called "Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices" which will give you an ISO image that contains an install.wim rather than an install.esd. Even if that were not the case, it's an easy matter to convert an ESD into a WIM.

hsehestedt said:

Windows 11 is a little bit different than Windows 10 in that regard. In addition to the option called "Create Windows 11 Installation Media" there is another option called "Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices" which will give you an ISO image that contains an install.wim rather than an install.esd. Even if that were not the case, it's an easy matter to convert an ESD into a WIM.

Click to expand...

Converting it is indeed not hard, but it's a few steps that doesn't really fit into the mantra of being the fastest and most hasslefree way of installing Windows.

You don't need to convert.

NavyLCDR said:

In the dism /apply-image command simply replace install.wim with install.esd.

Click to expand...

If I have to do a clean install, I'm going to cheat and use Rufus.

The major drawback with running DISM /apply-image and skipping Setup, is you're not executing any autounattend.xml steps. Again that's fine, if you're an expert and know what's missing. But I don't see that as saving time.

When the hard-core Windows installers use /apply-image, they usually make up for the lost steps with a pile of custom scripts.

pparks1 said:

A bog standard media creation tool download of the Windows 11 iso is not going to give you an install.wim file, right? Instead it has install.esd

Click to expand...

DISM can work with either .wim or .esd. Kari's tutorial includes command lines for both.

If you create an ISO via UUPDUMP then you have a good choice of what versions to install and the iso will in its "Sources" folder will contain an install.wim file -- create a bootable USB if you need too but this method can run from within an existing Windows install -- it also can create a "Windows to Go" type of system easily enough too.

It's simple enough to do. (And it's quick). Using the Windows MCT creation tool doesn't give you these choices -- you just get a "canned" Microsoft default one. With UUPDUMP and dism you can easily install any "Windows insider" version at will without having to join or leave the program.

15 Mins from start of download creation from UUPDUMP to clean windows on external USB (Win to go sort of thing) and then updated with with customised theme, most apps re-installed etc -- not a single issue -- laptop only a modest hp envy INTEL i5 Gen 6 CPU( not officially supported for W11) - including video capturing device too. Running perfectly from external SSD device via SATA->USB3 connection.



Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

If you create an ISO via UUPDUMP then you have a good choice of what versions to install and the iso will in its "Sources" folder will contain an install.wim file

Click to expand...

Unless you select the option to create the .esd file (Solid compression, on the last page, where you build and download the package).

Windows Setup files on an M.2 drive, boot from that and get the OOBE in under 3 minutes