Solved W11 24h2 and old installation setup

tistou77 · Jun 2, 2024

Hello

When installing W11 24h2, there is an option "Previous version of Setup" (to have the old interface)
Using an autounattend file, is it possible to add this option with autounattend (or another way, registry key, etc...) ?

Thanks for your help

TM21 · Jun 3, 2024

What are you talking about?
The 24H2 I got, only asked me if I wanted to install Windows Defender, after that what partition to install to, and from there on it was all Automatic till it rebooted and I had my new Desktop!

What do YOU want?

tistou77 · Jun 4, 2024

I'm talking about this (what else could it be?)

And my question is in the 1st post

tistou77 · Jun 11, 2024

Hello
It's good I found (and no more Recovery partition created)

TM21 · Jun 12, 2024

The 24H2 that I got, and installed, had no such screen that you showed.
But then, I always to CLEAN Installs, and NEVER install a new version of Windows, over the top of an existing OS.

Good Luck,
TM

tistou77 · Jun 12, 2024

This option is on a clean install with ISO 26100.1 (with integrated CU), with this new setup
The "new" modern setup from boot, it acts like an upgrade but only "keep nothing" is available, and the presence of the empty Windows.old directory

I use the old setup for test installations (no recovery partition, etc...)

For the moment, I'm sticking with the 23h2 on my desktop

TM21 · Jun 13, 2024

For those who worry about loosing everything if they do an OS upgrade, should STOP, step back and look at the situation, like I do.
I've been doing this stuff for 40+ years, and I've learned a few things along the way. Being in the Computer Business will do that to you.

With a desktop PC, the answer is a bit simpler than with a Laptop.
On the desktop PC, just remove the HD with the old OS on it and set it aside. (or just unplug it)
Then connect a new HD, preferably an SSD of sufficient size for your needs.

Then install the new OS, to the new drive, after burning the ISO to a Flash drive using Rufus, to remove all the MS conditions and stipulations.

The whole process is so simple a child could do it. I could write the instructions, on a postage stamp!

Cheers Mates,
TM

spapakons · Jun 17, 2024

The "new" version of Setup looks too minimal. Either do a clean installation (lose everything, format) or repair the PC. If you boot from the USB to do a clean installation, there is no point seeing the confusing "advanced" option since you cannot upgrade that way. If you run Setup from inside Windows 11 or 10, then I would like the option to upgrade my existing installation rather than lose everything! So I would click on previous setup version before doing anything else. I am not sure, but an answer file should not be affected by that. It would automatically do whatever is configured to do. The new or previous Setup refers to the interface you see when you aren't using an answer file.

tistou77 · Jun 17, 2024

Even with a answer file, the interface is different depending on whether you use the old or new setup (copying files, installation process, etc...)

hsehestedt · Jun 17, 2024

I suspect that I know why you are asking if you can use the "Previous version of setup" using an unattended installation because I went through the same thing about a week ago.

Is the problem that you are getting an error that indicates that installation has failed when trying to use an answer file? If not, please explain the goal.

I suspect that I know where this going, and I have a solution, but I need you to answer before I spend time providing an answer to what may not be your actual issue

tistou77 · Jun 17, 2024

No, I was asking to use the previous setup, it is to clean up the ISO and be able to delete the winre component
(and not have the recovery partition) even if it is possible not to have it with a answer file and disk configuration
Compared to the 23h2, the 24h2 must have this component Winre with the new setup, for installation

But I have since found how to get the previous setup directly
Thanks anyway :wink:

SM03 · Jun 20, 2024

tistou77 said:
No, I was asking to use the previous setup, it is to clean up the ISO and be able to delete the winre component
(and not have the recovery partition) even if it is possible not to have it with a answer file and disk configuration
Compared to the 23h2, the 24h2 must have this component Winre with the new setup, for installation

But I have since found how to get the previous setup directly
Thanks anyway

Hey @tistou77
what's the way you found to get that OLD setup? I too wanna know as this latest Windows installer gives me two issues

and before you or anyone else asks what's my issues and purposes are, here it goes

1. 'Windows.Old' folder presence in C Drive, even after a CI.
However, I solved this in my way, with a simple script added to remove that 'Windows.Old' DIR on the first boot, automatically

2. This is the main reason
I use ventoy as I keep multiple OS in a single pen drive. But ventoy has an issue handling this latest 24H2 installer
which I reported here on GitHub, you can read it here. Mainly, for this, I am searching for a reg tweak to use the old setup installer by default

as you know, when we use the autounattend.xml file, then it skips everything in OOBE & that option to use the 'previous version of Setup' that you showed here is only available if you don't use the autounattend.xml to skip these OOBE selection screens. But as I use the autounattend.xml to automate the OOBE process till the disk selection screen, so using ventoy with this new 24H2 installer with autounattend.xml gives me this error

So, this is it. If you or anyone knows any reg tweak to set the 'previous version of Setup' permanently in 24H2 ISO, pls let me know

(Tagging @Brink if you can add anything on this)

tistou77 · Jun 20, 2024

Hi @SM03

So it's very simple, I use the 22h2 ISO and I replaced install.wim with that of the 24h2 :wink:

I use autounattend.xml without problem and no windows.old directory, etc...

SM03 · Jun 20, 2024

tistou77 said:
Hi @SM03

So it's very simple, I use the 22h2 ISO and I replaced install.wim with that of the 24h2
I use autounattend.xml without problem and no windows.old directory, etc...

just copying the install.wim from Win11 23H2 folder to Win11 24H2 folder will do the job?

I was expecting some reg tweaks. Anyway, have you encountered any issues with using such a Frankenstein build/method?

tistou77 · Jun 20, 2024

SM03 said:
just copying the install.wim from Win11 23H2 folder to Win11 24H2 folder will do the job?

I was expecting some reg tweaks. Anyway, have you encountered any issues with using such a Frankenstein build/method?

No you copy the 24h2 install.wim file into the 22h2 / 23h2 ISO
In summary, you use the 23h2 ISO, you delete the install.wim, and you copy the 24h2 install.wim into the Source folder of the 23h2 ISO

I use 22h2 ISO

And no problem, the content of the ISO (except install.wim) is for the installation, at the 1st reboot, just the install.wim file is used
It is in this .wim where all Windows is contained
I do not use the other "options" contained in the "Support" directories, the OnDemand, Optional functions, etc... which may be present in the ISO

Using an autounattend.xml, I did not find any other options to have the previous setup, and I admit that I did not look since this method works very well

spapakons · Jun 21, 2024

SM03 said:
just copying the install.wim from Win11 23H2 folder to Win11 24H2 folder will do the job?

I was expecting some reg tweaks. Anyway, have you encountered any issues with using such a Frankenstein build/method?

Yes, using the Windows 11 23H2 version would work too. I am using Windows 10 22H2 with the Windows 11 23H2 install.wim file to install Windows 11 on unsupported computers without compatibility check. However this method works only for Legacy BIOS (MBR) installations of 23H2. In UEFI mode it displays an error after the first restart. I haven't tried a hybrid 22H2/23H2 USB or whatever, so I don't know if that would also work in UEFI mode. Hybrid Windows 10 and 11 23H2 doesn't work on UEFI mode, only in Legacy BIOS mode. The other option is to use Rufus to create a 23H2 USB or create a hybrid 23H2/24H2 one as you said to install 24H2. Other threads suggest this 23H2/24H2 hybrid too.

SM03 · Jun 21, 2024

@spapakons @tistou77
so you guys must be using Ventoy like me.

This problem only occurs in ventoy, when you use the GPT partitioning scheme as I tested no problem if you select MBR,
and in Rufus, it's doing the job even with the default GPT+UEFI+NTFS setup, with the new 24H2 install.wim, without replacing that with the old Windows version's WIM. So it's pretty much a ventoy application problem.

And like @spapakons said,
I didn't face any issue for the 23H2 setup even in my 2nd Gen i52500k system so IDK whether you're using any P3/P4 level iCPU or what that causing this issue even with the 23H2 setup. I first noticed this on the 24H2 new installer
& while it's true that MSFT made some changes in their new installer, & that's why it's causing these two issue I mentioned above here

Now the problem is

1. I believe MSFT not gonna change anything in their new installer, and they would rather withdraw the old installer support completely in the future (25H2 or maybe Win12)

&

2. I can't use MBR as all of my disks are GPT formatted & I don't wanna convert/change them to the old MBR style for no reason or for this silly bug. Also, I can't use Rufus either, as the only reason I use Ventoy, is the ability to handle/retain multiple ISOs at the same time

so am gonna wait for some time to see whether ventoy fixes & releases any new version for this or not.

Mamukata · Jul 16, 2024

new installer is also bugged I found these two:

1) it don't move the Recovery folder from $Windows.BT$\NewOS to root at the next reboot
2) it broke the recovery process if you, before enter OOBE do also an audit boot CTRL+SHIFT+F3 and apply sysprep with generalize.

the old installer work perfect and also not create the Windows.old folder, I have access also to Microsoft Collaborate program, I open a bug ticket but at today nothing change, also the last 24h2 pre release Canary Channel Preview Build 26252 have the same bug yet.

spapakons · Jul 16, 2024

It doesn't matter if the other disks are GPT. I have a Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation on my main PC (see 2nd system specs), but I have formatted both my 4TB data disk and my 6TB video disk in GPT to have a single large partition. MBR has a limit of 2TB per partition.

garlin · Jul 17, 2024

This is a fascinating problem to explore. If you boot WinPE Setup, and run Process Explorer, Process Monitor and RegistryChangesView, some interesting details come up:

1. WinPE executes X:\Sources\setup.exe, which runs SetupHost.exe, which in turn runs SetupPrep.exe and that's the "new Setup" you see.
2. When you switch to the old version of Setup, SetupPrep.exe exits and so does SetupHost.exe. And we end up running X:\setup.exe.

During the transition, it's not writing to any config file or significant reg key changes. Which leads me to believe you can't use some Unattended setting to force the switch.

- Copying the 24H2 install.wim/esd to a 21/22/23H2 ISO will work fine. I don't know if 24H2's Setup would have assigned a larger default size to the Recovery partition, if you allow Setup to manage the disk layout.
- Copying the 23H2 boot.wim into the 24H2 fails because it can't figure out a driver issue.
- Replacing the HKLM\System\Setup\cmdline reg key with a custom script, that runs the other X:\setup.exe doesn't get you the legacy version.

Solved W11 24h2 and old installation setup

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