Installation and Upgrade WinPE - Create a Custom Windows Install USB


Win11USB Banner.png

As you all (should) already know, Windows Setup's install.wim file is growing with each new feature upgrade. It's coming close and soon going over the 4 GB size limit of a FAT32 formatted install media. Today, as I write this, (22-FEB-2022), downloading WIM-based most current public release install media as told here in Shawn Brink's tutorial, the install.wim file is 4.5 GB (UK English Windows 11).

There’s nothing in the UEFI specifications that prevents booting a computer from an NTFS formatted USB flash drive. In fact, this so-called limitation is entirely artificial, caused by the single fact that manufacturer has not included correct drivers in UEFI. Luckily, most modern computers can boot from a single-partition NTFS formatted USB flash drive, and install Windows 11 from a single partition USB media containing WIM image larger than 4 GB (maximum file size on FAT32 media).

But, what to do if the WIM file is over 4 GB, and your computer cannot boot from an NTFS formatted media?

This tutorial will show how to create a USB flash drive containing a FAT32 formatted WinPE partition, and a bigger NTFS formatted Windows Setup partition. When computer is booted from this USB flash drive, the WinPE partition takes care of boot, then runs Windows Setup from bigger setup partition on same USB.

The whole process takes 10 to 20 minutes, but only needs to be done once. In the future, the Windows Setup files on USB can be replaced with newer version of Windows 11.





Contents

Use links to jump to any part, browser back button to return to this table



Part One:Create WinPE
Part Two:Edit WinPE boot.wim
Part Three:Make WinPE ISO
Part Four:Partition USB flash drive
Part Five:Create bootable USB install media

Please notice: I have prepared a custom WinPE ISO image for you. You can download it from my OneDrive: WinPEx64.iso. File size is 474 MB.

Parts One, Two and Three in this tutorial will show how I edited and customized this WinPE image, and are intended to those users who want to learn how to do it by themselves.

Short: if you want to make this easy, download the provided WinPE ISO, and start from Part Four, and you are done in three minutes.




Part One

Create WinPE


1.1 Download and install both Windows 11 ADK (Assessment and Deployment Kit), and Windows PE add-on for the ADK, installing ADK first:

Download ADK.jpg

(Click screenshot thumbnails to open images enlarged.)

1.2 When installing ADK, for purpose of this tutorial, you will only need the Deployment Tools module. Unselecting everything else, download size is less than 100 MB:

ADK Install.jpg


1.3 When both ADK and WinPE add-on have been installed, open an elevated ADK Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment, a special mode of Command Prompt. You will find it in Start > All Apps > W > Windows Kits:

Run Tool.jpg


1.4 The prompt is quite long. Shorten it by jumping to root of the drive where ADK was installed with command cd \ (#1 in next screenshot)

1.5 Create 64-bit WinPE files with following command (#2 in next screenshot), where folder D:\WPEx64 is the folder where WinPE files will be created. Folder will be created automatically, it does not need to exist:

copype amd64 D:\WPEx64

Create PE Folder.jpg


For 32-bit WinPE, the command is as follows:

copype x86 D:\WPEx86


Part Two

Edit WinPE boot.wim


2.1 Depending on which bit architecture you selected, either folder D:\WPEx86 or D:\WPEx64 now contains all files and folders to create a WinPE ISO.

2.2 To edit it, we must mount WinPE boot.wim file for offline servicing. First, create a mount point folder. In this example, I made a folder C:\Mount. Open an elevated PowerShell, and enter following command to mount boot.wim:

Mount-WindowsImage -ImagePath D:\WPEx64\Media\Sources\boot.wim -Index 1 -Path C:\Mount

Change -ImagePath folder WPEx64 to WPEx32 if working with 32-bit WinPE.

2.3 Folder C:\Mount now contains WinPE image, and we can edit it. First thing I made when editing the provided custom WinPE image, I added PowerShell support. By default, WinPE does not support PowerShell.

To enable PowerShell in WinPE, copy and paste the following commands to elevated PowerShell:. Notice that you can copy all commands at once, and paste them all to elevated PowerShell, which will then run them one by one:

Code: 
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\WinPE-WMI.cab"
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\en-us\WinPE-WMI_en-us.cab"
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\WinPE-NetFX.cab"
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\en-us\WinPE-NetFX_en-us.cab"
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\WinPE-Scripting.cab"
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\en-us\WinPE-Scripting_en-us.cab"
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\WinPE-PowerShell.cab"
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\en-us\WinPE-PowerShell_en-us.cab"
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\WinPE-StorageWMI.cab"
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\en-us\WinPE-StorageWMI_en-us.cab"
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\WinPE-DismCmdlets.cab"
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\en-us\WinPE-DismCmdlets_en-us.cab"

The above commands will add PowerShell to a 64-bit WinPE. If you are creating a 32-bit WinPE, change the folder amd64 at the end of long path, near end of each command to x86. An example using the first of above listed commands:

64-bit WinPE:

Rich (BB code): 
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\WinPE-WMI.cab"

32-bit WinPE:

Rich (BB code): 
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\Mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\x86\WinPE_OCs\WinPE-WMI.cab"

2.4 This custom WinPE requires two scripts, a PowerShell script to find out drive letter of the NTFS partition on USB containing setup files, and then run Windows Setup, and a batch file to run that PS script.

Opening mount point folder C:\Mount, I created a folder Scripts on its root to store these two scripts:

Scripts folder created.jpg


2.5 First the small PS script. To save to mount point folder requires elevated rights, so we need to open Notepad elevated (run as administrator). Copy and paste the following code to it:

Powershell: 
$SetupVolume = (Get-Volume -FileSystemLabel Setup).DriveLetter
$SetupFile = $SetupVolume + ':\setup.exe'
cmd /c $SetupFile

First line will search the USB for volume (partition) labelled Setup, and set its drive letter in variable $SetupVolume. Second line then creates variable $SetupFile, adding the important :\setup.exe to drive letter found in first line. For instance, if $SetupVolume is F, $SetupFile is F:\setup.exe.

Last line then executes command setup.exe from bigger NTFS partition Setup, which starts Windows Setup.

Save the file in folder C:\Mount\Scripts as SetupW10.ps1. In Save As dialog, remember to select Save As Type as All files:

Save PS Script.jpg


2.6 Next, short batch file. Copy and paste following code to an elevated Notepad:

Code: 
@echo off
rem
rem Run PowerShell script to start Windows Setup
rem
cls
echo.
echo Starting windows Setup...
powershell -ExecutionPolicy bypass -file "X:\Scripts\SetupW11.ps1"

Only important line in this batch file is the last one. It executes the PS script made in step 2.5.

Save it to folder C:\Mount\Scripts as WinSetup.cmd. Again, as with the PS script, in Save As dialog, remember to select Save As Type as All files.

2.7 Last but not least, we need to edit file C:\Mount\Windows\System32\startnet.cmd. Startnet.cmd functions exactly like autoexec.bat did in Windows XP and older Windows versions, running every command in it automatically when WinPE boots.

By default, startnet.cmd only contains one command, wpeinit, which enables WinPE networking capabilities. We add two other commands to it.

Open startnet.cmd in an elevated Notepad. Copy and paste following code to it:

Code: 
wpeinit
powercfg /s 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c
X:\Scripts\WinSetup.cmd

The first line is the default command to initialize networking. In second line, we set a High Performance power plan to speed up Windows installation. In last line, we execute the batch file created in step 2.6.

When computer is booted from WinPE media, the contents of WinPE will be copied to RAM disk X. This is why we can use the path X:\Scripts on last command line, there being no need to find out the drive letter for volume containing the Scripts folder.

2.8 In an elevated PowerShell, enter following command to save changes to WinPE:

Dismount-WindowsImage -Path C:\Mount -Save


Part Three

Make WinPE ISO


3.1 Open an elevated ADK Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment as told in step 1.3.

3.2 Enter following command to create WinPE ISO:

MakeWinPEMedia /ISO D:\WPEx64 F:\WinPEx64.iso

Change path D:\WPEx64 to D:\WPEx86 if creating a 32-bit WinPE ISO. Path F:\WinPEx64.iso is the path and name of the ISO file that will be created.


Part Four

Partition USB flash drive


4.1 Plug in an at least 8 GB USB lash drive. Open an elevated PowerShell, start Windows Disk Partitioning utility with command DISKPART.

Enter command LIST DISK to show all attached disks, find out the disk ID for your USB Flash Drive. In my case now, the USB is DISK 3:

Diskpart.jpg


Be careful, absolutely sure that you find out correct Disk ID! In following step, the selected disk will be wiped clean, and new partitions will be created. Selecting wrong disk may cause Windows or data disks being formatted, all data lost.


4.2 Still in DISKPART, run following commands one by one. In first command, replace X (disk ID) with actual Disk ID for your USB flash drive:

select disk X
clean
create partition primary size=1024
format quick fs=fat32 label="Boot"
assign
create partition primary
format quick fs=ntfs label="Setup"
assign

4.3 Quit DISKPART with command EXIT. Your USB flash drive is now correctly partitioned, containing a 1 GB partition Boot, and partition Setup which occupies the rest of the USB:

USB Boot and Setup partitions.jpg





Part Five

Create bootable USB install media


5.1 Mount the WinPE ISO image created in Step 3.2 as a virtual CD / DVD drive (right click, select Mount). Copy its contents, all files and folders, to partition Boot on USB.

5.2 Mount a Windows 11 ISO image as a virtual CD / DVD drive (right click, select Mount). Copy its contents, all files and folders, to partition Setup on USB.

That's it! You have now a bootable USB flash drive to install Windows, even if the install.wim or install.esd file is bigger than FAT32 size limit 4 GB. In the future, when you need install media for a new Windows version, simply format the Setup partition on USB, and copy contents of new ISO to it.

Kari
 

Attachments

  • WIM Size.jpg
    WIM Size.jpg
    24.6 KB · Views: 173
  • win11usb.png
    win11usb.png
    8.1 KB · Views: 126
Last edited:
Click to expand...
MrChick said:
Great tutorial!

In Step 3 I ran into an issue with the MakeWinPEMedia CMD, it kept throwing error:

DiskPart errorlevel -2147212269

Of course googling didn't turn up any results with that exact error (different error level codes), BUT I found the solution - the particular USB port on this Dell Latitude 5520 laptop MATTERED where I had the 16GB Sandisk 3.2 Gen 1 Ultra Fit drive inserted. The port that works is the one directly next to the HDMI port. If the thumb drive is plugged into the other USB port it throws the diskpart error with makeWinPEMedia. Try changing the USB port for your thumb drive!

Posting in case someone encounters this error and this thread\post turns up in a search.
Click to expand...

Turns out you don't need to switch the USB port to avoid the error (at least with this laptop model); you simply pull out the thumb drive after exit diskpart; and insert back into same port. After which, MakeWinPEMedia cmd doesn't fail!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
I agree this is a great tutorial and there is some great discussion here.

A couple of years ago I created a Windows 10 WinPE USB drive and use it quite often (mostly to capture and apply Win 10 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (Win 7) images). A couple of years ago I modified a 2008 R2 installation iso (added USB 3 drivers, NVMe drivers, and Windows updates) to allow me to install Windows Server 2008 R2 directly onto a NVMe drive. The WinPE version I created then (and still use) was Win 10 1903 code base (version 10.0.18362.1).

I'm really rusty creating WinPEs and updating iso files but my main question is can I use my existing WinPE 10 USB drive to update the Win11 23H2 iso to allow me to do a clean install to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11? This may be a dumb question but I'm not finding anything that discusses this. I mainly don't want to create a new WinPE if there is no benefit.

Thanks Much,
Bob
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD 5900X
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WiFi 6) AM4 Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen Ryzen ATX Motherboard (PCIe 4.0, 2.5Gb LAN, BIOS Flashback, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2
    Memory
    G.SKILL Trident Z Neo (For AMD Ryzen) Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin RGB DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) Desktop Memory Model F4-3600C16D-32GTZN
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX750 Ti
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer CZ350CK, Wasabi Mango QHD275 Supreme
    Screen Resolution
    3440 x 1440, 2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Western Digital SN850 Gen 4 x 4 NVMe
    128GB Crucial CT128M4SSD1 2.5" SSD
    1TB Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003-9YN162 HD
    16TB Western Digital WD161KRYZ-01AGBB0 HD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNOVA 750 GT, 80 Plus Gold 750W
    Case
    Phanteks Eclipse P500A
    Cooling
    be quiet! 250W TDP Dark Rock Pro 4
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    IBM
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
@robra,

Welcome to ElevenForum!

It's possible that using your Windows 10 Win PE may work, but in general the suggestion is to use a version of Windows PE that matches or is newer than the associated version of Windows. In other words, you really should be using a Win 11 version of Windows PE. Another reason that I suggest NOT using the older Win 10 version of Windows PE is that there have been some recent security updates to Win PE. The latest version include these updates which you may otherwise need to add.

Note that when you boot from your Windows 11 installation media, what it boots into is Windows PE. Windows setup / Windows PE in Windows 11 already has native support for NVMe so normally you would not need to add any sort of drivers. The exception would be that if you have your NVMe slot(s) configured for RAID in the BIOS, then you may need drivers.

My suggestion would be to do this:

Boot from your Windows 11 installation media and go as far as the screen where you are asked to choose the location to which Windows should be installed. Does Windows see the NVMe drive? If so, no additional driver is needed. If not, you have two options:

1) From that same screen, you have an option to load a driver. This will allow you to load the driver that you need on the fly without having to make any changes to your installation media.

2) If you prefer, you could update the boot.wim file (where Windows setup and Windows PE reside) on your installation media to include that driver.

If you want to know how to add your driver to the boot.wim, please let me know and I can provide to you step-by-step instructions in the morning.

In fact, I do this myself, not for NVMe drivers, but for Serial I/O drivers. I have two laptops where the touchpad will not work during setup unless I install a Serial I/O driver, so rather than load it as I described in #1 above, I just added those drivers to my Windows image and now the touchpad works perfectly in Windows setup. The same applies to the NVMe driver, if you really need it.

I'm about to retire for the night, but I'll respond back to anything you post in the morning. Just let me know if you would like further instructions, and I will provide them.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
@ hsehestedt,

Thanks for the thoughtful response. I think that I'll create the updated WinPE for the reasons that you suggested. Better safe than sorry. Am I able to create the Win 11 PE from within Windows 10?

On the installation, I believe my NVMe just uses standard Windows drivers in Windows 10 so I should be OK there. I currently have a Western Digital 1 TB SN850 but I'll be installing Windows 11 to a new 2TB SN850X so I would expect those drivers to be native to Windows 11 as well. If I recall correctly I don't believe I have BIOS configured for RAID. I like your idea to just install needed drivers during installation. Should I install chipset drivers at this time also?

Since I'll be using the downloaded 23H2 iso I was thinking that I may want to slipstream the Windows updates into the installation iso that have occurred since 23H2 was released. From researching the Windows catalog it appears that I should slipstream the following:

kb5033375 12/12/2023 2023-12 Cumulative Security Update
kb5033205 12/4/2023 2023-11 Critical Update
kb5031894 10/31/2023 2023-10 Critical Updates

kb5029921 10/31/2023 2023-09 Security Updates for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.1
kb5030651 10/31/2023 2023-10 Updates for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.1
kb5032007 11/14/2023 2023-11 Security Updates for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.1

Thanks,
Bob
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD 5900X
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WiFi 6) AM4 Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen Ryzen ATX Motherboard (PCIe 4.0, 2.5Gb LAN, BIOS Flashback, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2
    Memory
    G.SKILL Trident Z Neo (For AMD Ryzen) Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin RGB DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) Desktop Memory Model F4-3600C16D-32GTZN
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX750 Ti
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer CZ350CK, Wasabi Mango QHD275 Supreme
    Screen Resolution
    3440 x 1440, 2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Western Digital SN850 Gen 4 x 4 NVMe
    128GB Crucial CT128M4SSD1 2.5" SSD
    1TB Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003-9YN162 HD
    16TB Western Digital WD161KRYZ-01AGBB0 HD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNOVA 750 GT, 80 Plus Gold 750W
    Case
    Phanteks Eclipse P500A
    Cooling
    be quiet! 250W TDP Dark Rock Pro 4
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    IBM
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
Bob,

Thanks for your response. Yes, you can perform the perform the updates from within Windows 10.

There is no need to add the chipset driver. For Windows setup, you only need to install so-called "boot critical" drivers. These are drivers for items necessary to complete Windows installation. For example, storage drivers are needed so that Windows can see the drive to which it will be installed. Also, as I noted in my previous post, for two of my laptops I had to add Serial I/O drivers so that my touchpad would work during installation. The chipset drivers can be installed after Windows is installed.

As for adding the Windows updates, we are starting to get into more complicated areas here. There are some updates that can be added to Windows setup (the boot.wim image file), while other updates get applied to the main Windows installation file (the install.wim file). Some files get applied to both. Then there is also the winre.wim which itself is contained within the install.wim file. Finally, there are the remaining files on the Windows installation media that are not contained inside of any Windows image file (.wim files) that could also be updated via "Setup Dynamic Updates".

Just to give you an idea of how complex this can potentially get, here is a chart showing all the items that can get updated and the order in which they should be updated:

Image2.jpg


Items in parenthesis in the above chart are optional items. Because I work with on US English language versions of Windows, all of those items are things that I just skip since they are mainly language and localization related items.

It takes a LOT of commands and effort to do all this manually, so over time, I have written a program for myself to automate all this this. Below is a screenshot of my main menu. The arrows are the items that it sounds like you are interested in - updating the boot critical drivers for Windows setup, and adding the latest updates to your Windows image. Every month, when Patch Tuesday rolls around, I simply allow my program to perform these updates for me.

Image1.jpg


Bob, let me know what your preference is. I can provide my program to you, or I can provide to you step-by-step instructions for doing this manually, or I can provide both to you.

Please note that I'll be unavailable the remainder of the day today, so I likely wouldn't be able to put this together for you until tomorrow. I hope that is okay :-)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Thanks for the detailed info. You are raising issues that I had not thought about or even known enough to potentially think about. That is also a good point that boot.wim only have boot critical drivers added.

I am reading articles about preventing bloatware and third party apps before and during the installation process. I'm seeing suggestions such as during installation select English (World) rather than English (United States) and then choosing country (United States) from Country & Region during the setup process. I'm not sure what would be the downside to doing this.

It looks like you put quite a bit of thought into your program. I would appreciate it if you would be willing to provide both your program as well as the step-by-step-instructions to perform it manually. Since the installation will be a one time occurrence I think that I would get a better appreciation for the process by doing it manually.

I'm wondering if using your program for ongoing updates would reduce the amount of space taken up on the drive for storage of data/files that may not be necessary. I'd like to know if you feel that you get a better result from your program rather than using Windows Update.

Thanks again,
Bob
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD 5900X
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WiFi 6) AM4 Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen Ryzen ATX Motherboard (PCIe 4.0, 2.5Gb LAN, BIOS Flashback, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2
    Memory
    G.SKILL Trident Z Neo (For AMD Ryzen) Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin RGB DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) Desktop Memory Model F4-3600C16D-32GTZN
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX750 Ti
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer CZ350CK, Wasabi Mango QHD275 Supreme
    Screen Resolution
    3440 x 1440, 2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Western Digital SN850 Gen 4 x 4 NVMe
    128GB Crucial CT128M4SSD1 2.5" SSD
    1TB Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003-9YN162 HD
    16TB Western Digital WD161KRYZ-01AGBB0 HD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNOVA 750 GT, 80 Plus Gold 750W
    Case
    Phanteks Eclipse P500A
    Cooling
    be quiet! 250W TDP Dark Rock Pro 4
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    IBM
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
Bob, I'll be happy tyo provide those items to you. Just bear with me as it's going to take me a little while to put this all together for you. I'm feeling a little under the weather today so I cannot guarantee that I'll get to it today.

As for the space taken up, I don't think that it will really make any appreciable difference because you can always cleanup the Windows update components using the utilities provided in Windows. Besides, it's really only going to help during the initial installation. Once Windows is installed, you will still be installing the ongoing updates via Windows update, or you could download the updates and install them manually, but it's just easier to let Windows update do it for you.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
I'm sorry to hear that you're under the weather. Definitely not a good way to start the year.

I won't need the info before the weekend. Before doing the installation I have a ton of open browser tabs (I'm embarassed to say how many) and I'm going through both my Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 10 browsers to organize them into a single bookmarks file and closing the tabs. I'll then perform a final capture of each of those 2 OS's then I'll be ready to begin the Win 11 installation. I plan to move what will be the final bookmark file over to Windows 11.

One issue that I had with installing the 2008 R2 OS (and possibly the Windows 10 OS) is that for some reason ASUS switched over to an Intel network adapter (I225-V - third revision) on the motherboard (rather than the extremely common Realtek ethernet controller) and I needed to include that in the boot.wim. I would hope that it is included natively in Windows 11.

I hope that you're feeling better as the day goes along.

Thanks,
Bob
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD 5900X
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WiFi 6) AM4 Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen Ryzen ATX Motherboard (PCIe 4.0, 2.5Gb LAN, BIOS Flashback, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2
    Memory
    G.SKILL Trident Z Neo (For AMD Ryzen) Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin RGB DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) Desktop Memory Model F4-3600C16D-32GTZN
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX750 Ti
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer CZ350CK, Wasabi Mango QHD275 Supreme
    Screen Resolution
    3440 x 1440, 2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Western Digital SN850 Gen 4 x 4 NVMe
    128GB Crucial CT128M4SSD1 2.5" SSD
    1TB Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003-9YN162 HD
    16TB Western Digital WD161KRYZ-01AGBB0 HD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNOVA 750 GT, 80 Plus Gold 750W
    Case
    Phanteks Eclipse P500A
    Cooling
    be quiet! 250W TDP Dark Rock Pro 4
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    IBM
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
Bob,

Thanks for the well wishes. Feeling a good bit better already.

Odd issue with the Intel I225-V. My primary desktop system has that same adapter on the motherboard and it works right out of the box for me, but I do install the latest driver from ASUS (the maker of the motherboard) after I have installed Windows just to make sure I'm using the ASUS approved driver for my motherboard.

TIP: If you have Windows 10 on that machine currently, you can export all drivers, then after you install Windows 11, import all of those drivers. It's a super-fast way to get all drivers installed. I can still show you how to integrate drivers into your Windows image, but I like this because it is so easy to do. Here is how to do this:

1) In Windows 10, create a folder to which you can backup your existing drivers. In my example here I will just assume C:\Exported_Drivers but you can use any location.

2) Open an elevated command prompt and run this command:

pnputil /export-driver * "C:\Exported_Drivers"

3) Save that exported driver folder to another location for safe keeping.

4) After you install Windows 11, open Device Manager. At the top of the device tree, right-click the computer name and select "Add drivers". Point it to the location where you have the exported drivers and make sure that "Include subfolders" is selected.

When this is done, all drivers should have been installed.

Back to updating your Windows image now...

Okay, here is part 1. In this post I am including a PDF that has the full procedure for updating a Windows image. I am also including a batch file that will do all of this for you automatically.

Please note that both this document and the batch file will install only Windows updates, not drivers. If you want to know how to add drivers to your Windows image, please let me know and I can provide the procedure for that as well.

If you intend to use the batch file, please first open it in Notepad or some other text editor. Read the instructions at the start to set the user defined variables in the batch file and for how you should stage your Windows update files.

I would also suggest still reading the document that describes how to do this manually because it has a lot of helpful information on what updates to download and how to obtain these.

Please note that for either the batch file or the manual procedure, you should install the Windows ADK. Here is how to do this:

The ADK can be downloaded and installed from here:

Download and install the Windows ADK

You will be presented a list of components that can be installed. You can choose to install only the Deployment Tools.

Here is the batch file:

Batch: 
@echo off
cd /d %~dp0
cls


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Windows Image Updater             ::
::                                   ::
:: Version 5.1.1                     ::
::                                   ::
:: Jan 02, 2024 by Hannes Sehestedt  ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::                                                                                                     ::
:: PURPOSE OF THIS SCRIPT                                                                              ::
::                                                                                                     ::
:: This script will take one Windows edition in a Windows ISO image and inject Windows                 ::
:: updates into it. The updated edition of Windows will be saved to a new file containing              ::
:: just that one edition of Windows. As an example, assume that you have a retail Windows              ::
:: ISO image. This ISO image has multiple editions of Windows such as Win 11 Home, Pro, etc.           ::
:: Each edition of Windows has an index number associated with it.                                     ::
::                                                                                                     ::
:: For example, on the US English consumer edition ISO images from Microsoft, Windows 11 Pro is index  ::
:: number 6. To get a list of Windows editions and the index number associated with each edition, you  ::
:: can run this command:                                                                               ::
::                                                                                                     ::
:: dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:C:\Project\ISO_Files\Sources\install.wim                                 ::
::                                                                                                     ::
:: If located elsewhere, substitute the correct location of the install.wim file in the above command. ::
::                                                                                                     ::
:: This utility will perform the updates THE RIGHT WAY by updating all elements of the image           ::
:: including not only the cumulative update, but also the SSU (Servicing Stack Update), Safe           ::
:: OS Dynamic Update, Setup Dynamic Update, other updates such as .NET updates and Microcode           ::
:: updates, and will even allow you to add custom scripts to the Windows PE image. However,            ::
:: if you want to update only one item, such as the cumulative update, you can do that as well.        ::
::                                                                                                     ::
:: IMPORTANT: As noted, this script will only update one edition of Windows from an image. If          ::
:: you want to update multiple editions and combine them all into a single image, please               ::
:: message me as noted above. I can provide to you a tool that will allow you to update many           ::
:: Windows editions and combine them into a single image. That same tool also has many other           ::
:: features such as being able to inject drivers into an image, create bootable media, and many        ::
:: other tasks related to Windows Image Management.                                                    ::
::                                                                                                     ::
:: Please note that it is possible to also add updates such as language packs and other language       ::
:: related components to Windows images. This batch file does not apply those updates, however         ::
:: I can provide information regarding how to update those components if you need to do so.            ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: SUMMARY OF INSTRUCTIONS                                                                                         ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: 1) Read the instructions below to learn how to organize the folders that this project needs.                    ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: 2) Review the "User defined variables" section below and modify as needed.                                      ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: 3) Make sure that you have the Windows ADK installed. Only the Deployment Tools from the                        ::
::    ADK need to be installed.                                                                                    ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS                                                                                           ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: Create the following folders before you run this batch file.                                                    ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: NOTE: The paths below assume the default settings of user defined variables. If you change those variables,     ::
:: Please alter the below paths accordingly.                                                                       ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: Do either one of the following:                                                                                 ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: 1) Create a folder and copy the contents of your Windows ISO image that you want to update to it.               ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: OR                                                                                                              ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: 2) Mount the ISO image by double-clicking it.                                                                   ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: For whichever of the above options you choose, note the location as the batch file will ask you for that        ::
:: location when you run it.                                                                                       ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: Create a folder under which you will place the Windows updates to be installed.                                 ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: NOTE: This location can be changed using the user defined variables below. In this example, we assume that      ::
:: location will be "C:\WinUpdates". Beneath that folder, create all of the following folders and place the        ::
:: updates described into that folder. All of these updates can be downloaded from the "Microsoft Update Catalog". ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: NOTE: All items are optional. For example, if you do not have a Safe OS Dynamic Update, simply leave that       ::
:: folder empty.                                                                                                   ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: The "PE_Files" folder can be used to place files that you want to copy to Windows setup. For example, I have a  ::
:: couple of scripts that I want to be available to Windows setup. Any files that you place here will be available ::
:: on drive X: during windows setup. Note that X: is the RAM Drive that Windows creates during setup. Since this   ::
:: is just about the first thing setup does, these files will be available very early in setup. IT IS EXTREMEMELY  ::
:: UNLIKELY that you will ever put anything in this folder unless you have a very specific reason for doing so. As ::
:: a result, you will typically leave this folder empty.                                                           ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: If you wish to DELETE files from Windows PE, for example, scripts that you previously added as described in the ::
:: above paragragh, please search this batch file for the text "delete files from WinPE" and follow the            ::
:: instructions found there. Once again, IT IS EXTREMEMELY UNLIKELY that you will need to do this.                 ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: When downloading updates from the Microsoft Update Catalog, please note that the "Safe OS Dynamic Update"       ::
:: will include "Windows Safe OS Dysnamic Update" in the "Products" column. The "Setup Dynamic Update" will        ::
:: simply be called a "Dynamic Update" in this same column.                                                        ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: Once again, note that the "C:\WinUpdates" portion of the paths below can be chaned using the user defined       ::
:: variables that are described below.                                                                             ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: C:\WinUpdates\LCU       <--- Place Latest Cumulative Update in this folder. DON'T use a DYNAMIC version         ::
:: C:\WinUpdates\Other     <--- Place other updates (for example .NET and OOBE ZDP Updates) in this folder         ::
:: C:\WinUpdates\SafeOS_DU <--- Place the latest Safe OS Dynamic Update in this folder                             ::
:: C:\WinUpdates\Setup_DU  <--- Place the latest Setup Dynamic Update in this folder                               ::
:: C:\WinUpdates\PE_Files  <--- Place any files such as scripts that you want copied to WinPE here.                ::
::                                                                                                                 ::
:: IMPORTANT: Please note that for each type of update, you should only download the latest update of that type    ::
:: because updates are cumulative. However, there is one exception to this rule: The OOBE ZDP updates are NOT      ::
:: cumulative, so you should download ALL available updates of that type and place them in the Other folder. Also, ::
:: be aware that there may sometimes be no update of a certain type available. As an example, Safe OS updates do   ::
:: not get released every month, so it is possible that there is no update of that type available, especially soon ::
:: after the release of a new version of Windows.                                                                  ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::                                                                                                                     ::
:: USER DEFINED VARIABLES                                                                                              ::
::                                                                                                                     ::
:: Below you will find a description of variables that you can set. You should check each one to make sure that it     ::
:: fits your needs. The actual variables are found below the description section. Please note that spaces in path      ::
:: names or file names are perfectly fine. you should NOT use quotes to enclose file names or paths even if there      ::
:: are spaces in the names.                                                                                            ::
::                                                                                                                     ::
:: IndexNum - Set "IndexNum" to the index number corresponding to the Windows edition you want to update. By default   ::
::    we have this set to "6" which corresponds to Windows 10 or 11 Pro when using the standard retail edition ISO     ::
::    image from Microsoft. To get a list of Windows editions and the index number associated with each edition, you   ::
::    can run this command:                                                                                            ::
::                                                                                                                     ::
::       dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:C:\Project\ISO_Files\Sources\install.wim                                           ::
::                                                                                                                     ::
::    If located elsewhere, substitute the correct location of the install.wim file in the above command.              ::
::                                                                                                                     ::
:: ProjectFolder - Set "ProjectFolder" to the location where the project will be created. The batch file will create   ::
::    a number of folders under the project folder. Many of the files here are temporary files. Be aware that there    ::
::    will be a lot files. You can easily need 20GB or more of space in this location.                                 ::
::                                                                                                                     ::
:: WinUpdates - Set "WinUpdates" to the location of the Windows update files. Under this folder, you should create the ::
::    folder structure that is desribed above in the "DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS" section.                                  ::
::                                                                                                                     ::
:: EnableLogs - If you want logging to show what updates actually got installed into your WinRE.WIM, BOOT.WIM, and     ::
::    INSTALL.WIM files, set "EnableLogs" to "1". Otherwise, set it "0". This will cause two text files for each WIM   ::
::    to be created. The first is created after updates are applied, but before the cleanup of the image is performed. ::
::    The second is created after cleanup. As an example, after a combined LCU / SSU package is applied, you may see   ::
::    more than one SSU package in the log prior to the cleanup, however, after the cleanup, the older SSU should have ::
::    been removed. Note that for WinPE four files are created because a pair is created for each of the two indicies  ::
::    that get updated. The files are created in the same folder from which the batch file is run. You can normally    ::
::    leave this set to "0".                                                                                           ::
::                                                                                                                     ::
:: NewImageFileName - Set "NewImageFileName" to the name you want to use for the final ISO image to be created. Make   ::
::    sure to include the .ISO file extension. Spaces in the file name are okay.                                       ::
::                                                                                                                     ::
:: ADK_Location - Set this variable to the location of the "Deployment Tools" folder within the Windows ADK. You       ::
::    should only need to change this if you did not install to the default location.                                  ::
::                                                                                                                     ::
:: SaveWinRE - Set this to "1" if you wish to save a copy of the WinRE.wim file after it is updated. This can be       ::
::    helpful if you need to replace the WinRE.wim file in your Recovery Partition. This file could otherwise be       ::
::    difficult to obtain because it is located within another WIM file (the install.wim) so saving a copy after       ::
::    updating can be helpful. Setting this to "0" (or anything other than "1") will cause a copy of the file to       ::
::    not be saved.                                                                                                    ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


set IndexNum=6
set ProjectFolder=D:\Project
set WinUpdates=C:\Users\hanness\Desktop\Updates\x64
set EnableLogs=0
set NewImageFileName=Windows.ISO
set ADK_Location=C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Deployment Tools
set SaveWinRE=1

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: End of user defined variables ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Check to see if this batch file is being run as Administrator. If it is not, then rerun the batch file ::
:: automatically as admin and terminate the initial instance of the batch file.                           ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


(Fsutil Dirty Query %SystemDrive%>Nul)||(PowerShell start """%~f0""" -verb RunAs & Exit /B) > NUL 2>&1


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: End Routine to check if being run as Admin ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Change the console mode to 120 columns wide by 25 lines high ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


mode con: cols=120 lines=25


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Display introductory comments ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


echo It is VERY IMPORTANT that prior to running this batch file, you open it in an editor such as notepad and read the
echo following sections: PURPOSE OF THIS SCRIPT, SUMMARY OF INSTRUCTIONS, DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS. Make certain to set the
echo user defined variables as instructed.
echo.
echo If you have not done so, please press CTRL + C to terminate this batch file, and then run it again after you perform
echo the above steps.
echo.
pause


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Save the current location where this batch file is being run, then run the the "DandISetEnv.bat" file  ::
:: which sets environment variables for the ADK. This also changes the current directory, which we do NOT ::
:: want, so we will change it back to the current directory.                                              ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


pushd %~dp0
call "%ADK_Location%\DandISetEnv.bat"
popd


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Ask user for location of mounted ISO image or the directory containing the Windows files ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


:GetSourcePath

cls
echo Enter the path to the SOURCE where your Windows files are located below.
echo.
echo Note that these files can be located in a folder on your HDD, SSD, flash drive, etc. or they can be located on an ISO
echo image that you have mounted.
echo.
echo Tip: The path can end with or without a backslash (\). D:, D:\, D:\ISO_Files, D:\ISO_Files\ are all valid paths.
echo.

:GetSourcePath

set /p SourcePath="Enter source path: "

:: Add a trailing backslash (\) if one does not exist

IF NOT "%SourcePath:~-1%"=="\" (
set SourcePath=%SourcePath%\
)


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Any valid Windows boot media will have a file called "boot\bootfix.bin" on the drive. This is true for both ::
:: single architecture images (x64 or x86) or for images with dual architectures. We will do a simple check to ::
:: see if such a file exists as a basic test for a valid source image location.                                ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


if NOT EXIST "%SourcePath%boot\bootfix.bin" (
cls
echo The location that you specified does not contain a valid Windows image. Please try another location. If you are
echo specifying a location on disk, please be sure to specify the location to the root of the Windows image. If you
echo are using an ISO image, you should double-click the ISO image to mount it and note the drive letter to which it
echo was mounted.
echo.
pause
goto GetSourcePath
)

:: Finally, all preparation is done. We can now begin the update process.

cls
echo ***************************************************************
echo ***************************************************************
echo **                                                           **
echo ** PLEASE BE PATIENT! Applying updates is a lengthy process. **
echo **                                                           **
echo ***************************************************************
echo ***************************************************************
echo.

:: Create the initial directory structure for this project

md "%ProjectFolder%\Mount" > NUL 2>&1
md "%ProjectFolder%\WinRE" > NUL 2>&1
md "%ProjectFolder%\WinRE_Mount" > NUL 2>&1
md "%ProjectFolder%\WinPE" > NUL 2>&1
md "%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" > NUL 2>&1
md "%ProjectFolder%\Assets" > NUL 2>&1
md "%ProjectFolder%\Temp" > NUL 2>&1
md "%ProjectFolder%\Base" > NUL 2>&1
md "%ProjectFolder%\SSU" > NUL 2>&1

:: Copy the ISO image files to base folder

echo ****************************************
echo * Copy Windows files to working folder *
echo ****************************************
echo.


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Note: Because the source path end with a backslash, and this is seen as an escape    ::
:: when followed by the double quotes, we have to add a space before the double quotes. ::
:: Also, we need to make sure that the files we are working with are accessible, so     ::
:: we are stripping the read-only, hidden, and system attributes from the files.        ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


robocopy "%SourcePath% " "%ProjectFolder%\Base" /mir /a-:HSR > NUL

:: Mount the install.wim file

echo ****************************************
echo * Mounting main OS image (install.wim) *
echo ****************************************
echo.

DISM /mount-image /imagefile:"%ProjectFolder%\Base\sources\install.wim" /index:%IndexNum% /mountdir:"%ProjectFolder%\Mount" > NUL

:: Update Win RE

echo ******************************
echo * Updating WinRE (winre.wim) *
echo ******************************
echo.
echo    ****************
echo    * Applying SSU *
echo    ****************
echo.

copy /B "%ProjectFolder%\Mount\Windows\System32\Recovery\WinRE.wim" "%ProjectFolder%\WinRE" > NUL
DISM /mount-image /imagefile:"%ProjectFolder%\WinRE\WinRE.wim" /index:1 /mountdir:"%ProjectFolder%\WinRE_Mount" > NUL


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: We are now applying the SSU from the combined SSU / LCU package. Note that since the SSU is contained within ::
:: the combined SSU / LCU package, we first need to extract the SSU from that package. Once we have extracted   ::
:: the SSU package, we can use it here and later when we also apply the SSU to WinPE (boot.wim) and the main    ::
:: Windows image (install.wim). We will not need to extract the SSU again since we are already doing so here.   ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


expand "%WinUpdates%\LCU\*.msu" /f:SSU*.cab "%ProjectFolder%\SSU" > NUL
DISM /Add-Package /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinRE_Mount" /PackagePath="%ProjectFolder%\SSU" > NUL


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Microsoft documentation indicates that the LCU package does NOT get applied to the WinRE.wim. However,   ::
:: testing related to a Windows vulnerability in Jan of 2023 reveals that it is necessary to apply the LCU. ::
:: As a result, this batch file has been updated as of Jan 2023 to apply the SSU, LCU, and Safe OS Dynamic  ::
:: Updates.                                                                                                 ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


echo    ****************
echo    * Applying LCU *
echo    ****************
echo.

DISM /Add-Package /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinRE_Mount" /PackagePath="%WinUpdates%\LCU" > NUL

echo    ***********************************
echo    * Applying Safe OS Dynamic Update *
echo    ***********************************
echo.

DISM /Add-Package /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinRE_Mount" /PackagePath="%WinUpdates%\SafeOS_DU" > NUL

if %EnableLogs%==1 (
DISM /Get-Packages /image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinRE_Mount" > WinRE_Before_Cleanup.txt
)

echo    ************************************
echo    * Cleaning up old files from image *
echo    ************************************
echo.

DISM /Cleanup-Image /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinRE_Mount" /StartComponentCleanup > NUL

if %EnableLogs%==1 (
DISM /Get-Packages /image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinRE_Mount" > WinRE_After_Cleanup.txt
)

echo    ********************
echo    * Unmounting image *
echo    ********************
echo.

DISM /Unmount-Image /MountDir:"%ProjectFolder%\WinRE_Mount" /Commit > NUL

echo    *************************
echo    * Exporting WinRE image *
echo    *************************
echo.

DISM /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:"%ProjectFolder%\WinRE\WinRE.wim" /SourceIndex:1 /DestinationImageFile:"%ProjectFolder%\Assets\WinRE.wim" > NUL


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: It is possible that the user may wish to save a copy of the WinRE.wim file. As an example, in Jan 2023 a vulnerability required ::
:: that the WinRE on a running system be updated to avoid an exploit that could allow access to a BitLocker encrypted OS volume    ::
:: from the Recovery Environment. Unfortunatley, there may not be enough room on the Recovery volume to update this file in place. ::
:: If the users chooses to save the WinRE.wim, we will save a copy to the same place where the final ISO image is saved.           ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


if %SaveWinRE%==1 (
copy /B /Y "%ProjectFolder%\Assets\WinRE.wim" "%ProjectFolder%" > NUL
)

echo **************************************
echo * Updating WinPE (boot.wim), index 1 *
echo **************************************
echo.

copy /B "%ProjectFolder%\Base\sources\boot.wim" "%ProjectFolder%\WinPE" > NUL
DISM /mount-image /imagefile:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE\boot.wim" /index:1 /mountdir:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" > NUL

echo    ****************
echo    * Applying SSU *
echo    ****************
echo.

DISM /Add-Package /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" /PackagePath="%ProjectFolder%\SSU" > NUL

echo    ****************
echo    * Applying LCU *
echo    ****************
echo.

DISM /Add-Package /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" /PackagePath="%WinUpdates%\LCU" > NUL

if %EnableLogs%==1 (
DISM /Get-Packages /image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" > WinPE_Index1_Before_Cleanup.txt
)

echo    ************************************
echo    * Cleaning up old files from image *
echo    ************************************
echo.

DISM /Cleanup-Image /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" /StartComponentCleanup > NUL

if %EnableLogs%==1 (
DISM /Get-Packages /image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" > WinPE_Index1_After_Cleanup.txt
)

echo    ********************
echo    * Unmounting image *
echo    ********************
echo.

DISM /Unmount-Image /MountDir:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" /Commit > NUL

echo    **********************************
echo    * Exporting WinPE image, index 1 *
echo    **********************************
echo.

DISM /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE\boot.wim" /SourceIndex:1 /DestinationImageFile:"%ProjectFolder%\Assets\boot.wim" > NUL

echo **************************************
echo * Updating WinPE (boot.wim), index 2 *
echo **************************************
echo.

DISM /mount-image /imagefile:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE\boot.wim" /index:2 /mountdir:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" > NUL

echo    ****************
echo    * Applying SSU *
echo    ****************
echo.

DISM /Add-Package /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" /PackagePath="%ProjectFolder%\SSU" > NUL

echo    ****************
echo    * Applying LCU *
echo    ****************
echo.

DISM /Add-Package /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" /PackagePath="%WinUpdates%\LCU" > NUL

echo    **************************************
echo    * Copy any user files to WinPE image *
echo    **************************************
echo.

robocopy "%ProjectFolder%\PE_Files" "%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" *.* /E > NUL

:: If you want to delete files from WinPE, such as scripts you may have added previously, uncommet the
:: line below and change the filename to the name of the file you want to delete. Add additional lines using
:: the same format if needed.

:: del "%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount\MyScript.bat" /Q > NUL

if %EnableLogs%==1 (
DISM /Get-Packages /image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" > WinPE_Index2_Before_Cleanup.txt
)

echo    ************************************
echo    * Cleaning up old files from image *
echo    ************************************
echo.

DISM /Cleanup-Image /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" /StartComponentCleanup > NUL

if %EnableLogs%==1 (
DISM /Get-Packages /image:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" > WinPE_Index2_After_Cleanup.txt
)


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: We are going to delay exporting of the boot.wim index 2 until later so that we can copy files while ::
:: it is still mounted to the main media. We could this right now, but by delaying it until after the  ::
:: Setup Dynamic Update is applied, we can demonstrate that there are files that are out of sync after ::
:: all updates, including the Setup Dynamic Update, have been applied.                                 ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


echo **********************************
echo * Updating main OS (install.wim) *
echo **********************************
echo.

echo    ****************
echo    * Applying SSU *
echo    ****************
echo.

DISM /Add-Package /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\Mount" /PackagePath="%ProjectFolder%\SSU" > NUL

echo    ****************
echo    * Applying LCU *
echo    ****************
echo.

DISM /Add-Package /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\Mount" /PackagePath="%WinUpdates%\LCU" > NUL

echo    ********************************************************
echo    * Move updated winre.wim back into mounted install.wim *
echo    ********************************************************
echo.

move /Y "%ProjectFolder%\Assets\WinRE.wim" "%ProjectFolder%\Mount\Windows\System32\Recovery" > NUL

if %EnableLogs%==1 (
DISM /Get-Packages /image:"%ProjectFolder%\Mount" > MainOS_Before_Cleanup.txt
)

echo    ************************************
echo    * Cleaning up old files from image *
echo    ************************************
echo.

DISM /Cleanup-Image /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\Mount" /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase /ScratchDir:"%ProjectFolder%\Temp" > NUL

if %EnableLogs%==1 (
DISM /Get-Packages /image:"%ProjectFolder%\Mount" > MainOS_After_Cleanup.txt
)

echo    *************************************************************************************************
echo    * Install "Other" updates such as .NET and OOBE ZDP updates to the main OS image (install.wim). *
echo    *************************************************************************************************
echo.

DISM /Add-Package /Image:"%ProjectFolder%\Mount" /PackagePath="%WinUpdates%\Other" > NUL


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: We could copy files from the mounted install.wim now but just as with the boot.wim we will delay doing so ::
:: until after the Setup Dynamic Update has been applied.                                                    ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


echo ******************************
echo * Apply Setup Dynamic Update *
echo ******************************
echo.

Expand "%WinUpdates%\Setup_DU\*" -F:* "%ProjectFolder%\Base\Sources" > NUL

echo **************************************************
echo * Copy mismatched files to appropriate locations *
echo **************************************************
echo.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: The 4 robocopy commands below work around a problem with the Windows update process. Files in the boot.wim have exact duplicate ::
:: files in other locations on the media. The problem is that the files in the boot.wim get updated, but the other copy of these   ::
:: files do not. This leads to media which may not function properly and from which it may not be possible to install Windows. The ::
:: robocopy commands below resolve this issue by taking files in the boot.wim that are newer than the duplicates and copying them  ::
:: over the files that were not updated.                                                                                           ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Technical Note: If you would like to log the output of the robocopy commands below, replace the "> NUL" with "> filename" on the ::
:: first line. On the remaining three lines, use ">> filename". Note that "filename" is the name of the file to which the robocopy  ::
:: output will be saved. The ">" indicates that the file should be created, or overwritten if it already exists. The ">>" on the    ::
:: remaining lines appends output to that same file.                                                                                ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


:: The 4 lines below are the original robocopy commands described above. This procedure is being revised. It appears that all that is
:: needed now is:
::
:: 1) Copy setup.exe from the root of the boot.wim, index 2 (Windows setup) to the root of the base image.
:: 2) Copy setup.exe from \sources in the boot.wim, index 2 (Windows setup) to the \sources folder in the base image.
::
:: Copy these files only if newer than the original files.

:: Old code (4 lines commented out below)
::
:: robocopy "%ProjectFolder%\winpe_mount" "%ProjectFolder%\Base" setup.exe /b /xo /xx /xl /r:0 /w:0 > NUL
:: robocopy "%ProjectFolder%\winpe_mount\sources" "%ProjectFolder%\Base\sources" setup.exe /b /xo /xx /xl /r:0 /w:0 > NUL
:: robocopy "%ProjectFolder%\winpe_mount\windows\system32" "%ProjectFolder%\Base\sources" *.* /b /e /ndl /xo /xx /xl /np /r:0 /w:0 > NUL
:: robocopy "%ProjectFolder%\mount\windows\system32" "%ProjectFolder%\Base\sources" *.* /b /e /ndl /xo /xx /xl /np /r:0 /w:0 > NUL

:: New Code
::
robocopy "%ProjectFolder%\winpe_mount" "%ProjectFolder%\Base" setup.exe /b /xo /r:0 /w:0 > NUL
robocopy "%ProjectFolder%\winpe_mount\sources" "%ProjectFolder%\Base\sources" setup.exe /b /xo /r:0 /w:0 > NUL


echo ******************************************
echo * Unmounting index 2 of WinPE (boot.wim) *
echo ******************************************
echo.

DISM /Unmount-Image /MountDir:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE_Mount" /Commit > NUL

echo    **********************************
echo    * Exporting WinPE Image, Index 2 *
echo    **********************************
echo.

DISM /Export-Image /Bootable /SourceImageFile:"%ProjectFolder%\WinPE\boot.wim" /SourceIndex:2 /DestinationImageFile:"%ProjectFolder%\Assets\boot.wim" > NUL

echo ****************************************
echo * Unmounting the Main OS (install.wim) *
echo ****************************************
echo.

DISM /Unmount-Image /MountDir:"%ProjectFolder%\Mount" /Commit > NUL

echo ***************************************
echo * Exporting the Main OS (install.wim) *
echo ***************************************
echo.

DISM /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:"%ProjectFolder%\Base\sources\install.wim" /SourceIndex:%IndexNum% /DestinationImageFile:"%ProjectFolder%\Assets\install.wim" > NUL

echo ******************************************************
echo * Move updated boot.wim and install.wim image folder *
echo * to replace the original files                      *
echo ******************************************************
echo.

move /Y "%ProjectFolder%\Assets\boot.wim" "%ProjectFolder%\Base\Sources" > NUL
move /Y "%ProjectFolder%\Assets\install.wim" "%ProjectFolder%\Base\Sources" > NUL

echo ******************************
echo * Create the final ISO image *
echo ******************************
echo.

oscdimg.exe -m -o -u2 -udfver102 -bootdata:2#p0,e,b"%ProjectFolder%\Base\boot\etfsboot.com"#pEF,e,b"%ProjectFolder%\Base\efi\microsoft\boot\efisys.bin" "%ProjectFolder%\Base" "%ProjectFolder%\%NewImageFileName%" > NUL 2>&1

:: Cleanup the temporary folders.

rd "%ProjectFolder%\Mount" /s /q > NUL
rd "%ProjectFolder%\winre" /s /q > NUL
rd "%ProjectFolder%\winre_mount" /s /q > NUL
rd "%ProjectFolder%\winpe" /s /q > NUL
rd "%ProjectFolder%\winpe_mount" /s /q > NUL
rd "%ProjectFolder%\assets" /s /q > NUL
rd "%ProjectFolder%\temp" /s /q > NUL
rd "%ProjectFolder%\Base" /s /q > NUL
rd "%ProjectFolder%\SSU" /s /q > NUL

echo Done! The ISO image has been saved as "%ProjectFolder%\%NewImageFileName%"
echo.
pause

Also, attached to this post is a PDF with the step-by-step instructions for manually performing these updates.

Important notes:

Let's assume that you have an ISO image of Windows from Microsoft. Within that image you will find Windows Home, Pro, Education, etc. By following the above procedure, you are updating ONLY ONE of those editions. You specify which edition you want to update by specifying the index number associated with that edition in some of the commands. As an example, index number 6 is typically the Windows Pro edition.

To get a list of Windows editions on your media and the associated index number, run this command. Note that the path references the location of the install.wim file located in your mounted Windows image or a folder on your HDD:

dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:I:\Sources\install.wim

Note that one of the main reasons that I created my app was so that I could update multiple, or all editions of Windows in one shot. Image having to perform all the steps in the procedure manually for each index in an image. The program does that for you.

SUMMARY

I would like you to let me know if you also want the instructions for manually adding drivers to your Windows image. If so, I will get that prepped for you.

Regardless, I will get you a link to my program and some instructions either tomorrow or no later than Thursday. I have one minor update I want to add to the code so it's going to take me just a little while.

I realize that I'm throwing a lot of info at you at once, so please do feel free to ask questions.
 

Attachments

  • Updating Windows Image with Latest Windows Updates.pdf
    501.5 KB · Views: 18

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Thanks for all of the info. I'll start going through it. I had absolutely no idea that Windows 10 had the ability to export drivers. What a great feature!

I initially installed Windows 10 about 3 years ago when I built this PC. As I used it I became frustrated with how intrusive it was. That's when I decided to go back to Windows Server 2008 R2. I had to get a license for 2008 R2 because I was not permitted to install my old version from my old PC. Installing it on this PC was quite a project because to discourage people from using 2008 R2/Windows 7 Microsoft has made previously available drivers unavailable for things such as NVMe drives and USB3.

I set my PC to dual boot between 2008 R2 and Windows 10 but I was pretty much using 2008 R2 exclusively. Recently, some software that I want to use will not work correctly on 2008 R2 so I have temporarily gone back to Windows 10 as I prepare to install Windows 11. Because I haven't been using Windows 10 very much all of its drivers are 3+ years old. A few days ago I did go to the ASUS website and download all drivers that are labeled as Windows 11. I found a few places that suggested that AMD chipset drivers from AMD be used rather than those from ASUS. While I'm at it I'll most likely update the motherboard BIOS as well (before installation of Windows 11). I think that I may be better off installing newer drivers after installation of Windows 11 (as you had suggested in a previous post). I'm open to installing drivers after Windows 11 installation or placing them into the iso for installation.

On the multiple versions of Windows within the iso I plan to go with Pro since that is what my Windows 10 is. I read somewhere that to make the iso smaller all of the unwanted versions of Windows can be removed from the iso. What are your thoughts on that?

Thanks again,
Bob
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD 5900X
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WiFi 6) AM4 Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen Ryzen ATX Motherboard (PCIe 4.0, 2.5Gb LAN, BIOS Flashback, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2
    Memory
    G.SKILL Trident Z Neo (For AMD Ryzen) Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin RGB DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) Desktop Memory Model F4-3600C16D-32GTZN
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX750 Ti
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer CZ350CK, Wasabi Mango QHD275 Supreme
    Screen Resolution
    3440 x 1440, 2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Western Digital SN850 Gen 4 x 4 NVMe
    128GB Crucial CT128M4SSD1 2.5" SSD
    1TB Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003-9YN162 HD
    16TB Western Digital WD161KRYZ-01AGBB0 HD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNOVA 750 GT, 80 Plus Gold 750W
    Case
    Phanteks Eclipse P500A
    Cooling
    be quiet! 250W TDP Dark Rock Pro 4
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    IBM
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
Rob,

I create single edition ISO images all the time, but I do it simply because the only edition I ever use is Pro. If you are doing it to save space, you may be surprised at how little space this actually saves.

I just tried it and here are my results:

Original ISO image from Microsoft: 6.34 GB
New image where I exported only Pro: 5.89 GB

The reason for this is that the image stores files that are duplicated or the same between editions only once and most of the code is exactly the same between editions.

I am not at all discouraging you from doing this, just pointing out that it may not buy you the space savings that you expect.

However, there is another very good reason for creating a new ISO image with only a single edition: To save time. If you are going to add updates into the Windows image, it takes a long time to update each edition. If you are adding the updates manually or by using the batch file, it becomes an almost impossible task to update all editions. That was one of the main reasons that I wrote my program - to automate everything so that I can tell it to update all editions in an image and a couple of hours later I have a new image where every edition of Windows is updated (yes, it does take a couple of hours).

One more suggestion for now and a question: First, before you finally take the plunge and install Win 11, I would suggest making a disk image backup of your Windows drive. That way, if things do go horribly wrong for some reason, you always simply restore the previous installation within mere minutes.

Now, the big question: Do you already know if your hardware is technically supported by Win 11? Note that even if it is not, you can almost certainly still install Win 11, but you may need to take one or two small steps to bypass the Win 11 requirement checks.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
@hsehestedt , can I have new version of WIM TOOLS 22.3.0.264 to download here , in this thread? I searched on GitHub but found v 22.3.0.260.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Window 11 v24H2 Build 26085.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASSEMMBLED
    CPU
    Intel Pentium CPU G620@ 2.60 GHz
    Motherboard
    DAICHI
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Onboard
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba HDD 1 TB
    Keyboard
    Mechanical
    Mouse
    Mechanical
    Internet Speed
    700 kb/s
    Browser
    Microsoft EDGE, CHROME
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Ramesh Sharma said:
@hsehestedt , can I have new version of WIM TOOLS 22.3.0.264 to download here , in this thread? I searched on GitHub but found v 22.3.0.260.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. In fact, I have an even newer version I just want to tweak a little bit. I'll post it here later today, most likely this evening.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
hsehestedt said:
Absolutely. In fact, I have an even newer version I just want to tweak a little bit. I'll post it here later today, most likely this evening.
Click to expand...
CONGRATULATIONS for your new inventions and and thanks for pdf file which must be studied thoroughly by me.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Window 11 v24H2 Build 26085.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASSEMMBLED
    CPU
    Intel Pentium CPU G620@ 2.60 GHz
    Motherboard
    DAICHI
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Onboard
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba HDD 1 TB
    Keyboard
    Mechanical
    Mouse
    Mechanical
    Internet Speed
    700 kb/s
    Browser
    Microsoft EDGE, CHROME
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Attached is the latest version of my program.

IMPORTANT: This is not a signed program. As a result, there are time where antivirus software may erroneously flag it as containing a virus or trojan. I can assure you that it does NOT! If you don't trust it, I can provide the source code to you and you can compile it yourself. At least that way you can see everything in the program. To work around this, create a folder for the program. In my case, I created a folder called WIM TOOLS in my documents folder. Set an antivirus exception for this location. Drop the ZIP into that folder and then unzip it there.

Note that the program requires the Microsoft ADK to be installed for many of the features to function. When you run the program, it will inform you if it does not find the ADK. In addition, if you select an option from the menu that needs the ADK, it will inform you of this.

You download and install the ADK from here:

learn.microsoft.com

Download and install the Windows ADK

Instructions on how to download and install the Windows ADK
learn.microsoft.com

NOTE: When you install the ADK, you get the choice to select from a number of options to install. The only item that we need is the Deployment Tools so feel free to uncheck everything else.

When you run the program for the first time, I would strongly suggest selecting menu item 18 (Program help), then 19 (Get general help on the use of this program), then go through each option in that section. This will familiarize you with the basics of the program. Of course, you can always reach out to me if you have questions.
 

Attachments

  • WIM Tools.zip
    1.4 MB · Views: 11

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
@hsehestedt,

It makes 100% sense that Microsoft would share files and code in the installation ISO but I'm really surprised at the apparent extent of sharing. I plan to upgrade to Pro and don't expect to later change to another version.

I plan to use DISM to capture a final backup (capture) of both Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 10. Additionally, I plan to install Windows 11 to a new hard drive that I recently purchased.

My current Windows 10 Pro is activated with a digital license. I upgraded to Windows 10 Pro from an OEM version of Windows 7 Pro. It seems odd that in the Activation section of Windows 10 where it states that Windows 10 is activated with a digital license and below that there is a hyperlink to "Update product key". I don't understand why that option would be offered to me since it is currently a digital license. Am I correct to assume that I won't need to provide a Product Key during Windows 11 Pro installation to a new hard drive (but with same motherboard)?

On the issue of whether PC hardware is technically supported by Win 11 I happened to notice while in the Windows Update section of Windows 10 I saw a green check mark with the note ""This PC can run Windows 11" along with an additional note that says "your PC meets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11".
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD 5900X
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WiFi 6) AM4 Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen Ryzen ATX Motherboard (PCIe 4.0, 2.5Gb LAN, BIOS Flashback, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2
    Memory
    G.SKILL Trident Z Neo (For AMD Ryzen) Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin RGB DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) Desktop Memory Model F4-3600C16D-32GTZN
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX750 Ti
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer CZ350CK, Wasabi Mango QHD275 Supreme
    Screen Resolution
    3440 x 1440, 2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Western Digital SN850 Gen 4 x 4 NVMe
    128GB Crucial CT128M4SSD1 2.5" SSD
    1TB Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003-9YN162 HD
    16TB Western Digital WD161KRYZ-01AGBB0 HD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNOVA 750 GT, 80 Plus Gold 750W
    Case
    Phanteks Eclipse P500A
    Cooling
    be quiet! 250W TDP Dark Rock Pro 4
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    IBM
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
robra said:
Am I correct to assume that I won't need to provide a Product Key during Windows 11 Pro installation to a new hard drive (but with same motherboard)?
Click to expand...
Yes, that is correct. You should be able to activate Windows 11 after installing it. It will detect that the hardware is the same. Note that drives are specifically excluded from the hardware signature, so changing drives will never make Windows unable to activate on the same machine.

robra said:
It seems odd that in the Activation section of Windows 10 where it states that Windows 10 is activated with a digital license and below that there is a hyperlink to "Update product key".
Click to expand...
Let's assume that you have Windows Home edition activated on your system. You then purchase a license for the Pro edition. That option would allow you to change the license key to a Pro key and then activate Pro on that machine. Another example would be in a case where you perform an unattended installation on a machine where Windows has never been activated before, such as on a home built machine. Unattended installation uses "generic" license keys that are used only to tell unattended installation what edition of Windows to install but these are not activation keys. As a result, after the installation of Windows, you would change the key to a "real" activation key and activate Windows. That will in turn create a digital license key. Once Windows is activated you could reinstall Windows and it will automatically detect the digital license key so you won't need to use that key again.

robra said:
I saw a green check mark with the note ""This PC can run Windows 11"
Click to expand...
That is excellent. This means that you should be able to install Windows 11 without the need for taking any actions to get around the hardware requirements. You are apparently all set as far as meeting the system requirements.

Let me know if I can help any further! Feel free to ask lots of questions. Both myself, and everyone else here is happy to answer as many questions as you may have.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
hsehestedt said:
Attached is the latest version of my program.

IMPORTANT: This is not a signed program. As a result, there are time where antivirus software may erroneously flag it as containing a virus or trojan. I can assure you that it does NOT! If you don't trust it, I can provide the source code to you and you can compile it yourself. At least that way you can see everything in the program. To work around this, create a folder for the program. In my case, I created a folder called WIM TOOLS in my documents folder. Set an antivirus exception for this location. Drop the ZIP into that folder and then unzip it there.

Note that the program requires the Microsoft ADK to be installed for many of the features to function. When you run the program, it will inform you if it does not find the ADK. In addition, if you select an option from the menu that needs the ADK, it will inform you of this.

You download and install the ADK from here:

learn.microsoft.com

Download and install the Windows ADK

Instructions on how to download and install the Windows ADK
learn.microsoft.com

NOTE: When you install the ADK, you get the choice to select from a number of options to install. The only item that we need is the Deployment Tools so feel free to uncheck everything else.

When you run the program for the first time, I would strongly suggest selecting menu item 18 (Program help), then 19 (Get general help on the use of this program), then go through each option in that section. This will familiarize you with the basics of the program. Of course, you can always reach out to me if you have questions.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much @hsehestedt . I always wait for your invented WIM TOOLS.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Window 11 v24H2 Build 26085.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASSEMMBLED
    CPU
    Intel Pentium CPU G620@ 2.60 GHz
    Motherboard
    DAICHI
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Onboard
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba HDD 1 TB
    Keyboard
    Mechanical
    Mouse
    Mechanical
    Internet Speed
    700 kb/s
    Browser
    Microsoft EDGE, CHROME
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
hsehestedt,

Thanks for putting together the step by step instructional pdf. I have started going through it and it is very organized. I have a couple of questions that will help me get on track with understanding it. In searching the Microsoft catalog regarding 23H2 (released 10/2023) updates you mention that the first updates were available in October, 2022. My assumption was that I would evaluate back to October, 2023 since that was when 23H2 was released. I have seen references that 22H2 is very similar to 23H2 so I'm not clear on why there is a 23H2 if it is not current up to the October, 2023 release date. Should I be starting with 22H2 or 23H2?

In the pdf it shows an example of incorporating kb5031455 but when I look up that kb in the Microsoft catalog it shows that kb5031455 (last updated 10/31/2023) was replaced by the following:

kb5032190 (last updated 11/14/2023) - replaced by kb5032288
kb5032288 (last updated 12/4/2023) - replaced by kb5033375
kb5033375 (last updated 12/12/2023) - replaces kb5032190 & kb5032288

On this particular series of kb's I was thinking that I would use only 5033375 rather than kb5031455 or the other two listed above. Should I instead incorporate all four of these?

Thanks,
Bob
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD 5900X
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WiFi 6) AM4 Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen Ryzen ATX Motherboard (PCIe 4.0, 2.5Gb LAN, BIOS Flashback, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2
    Memory
    G.SKILL Trident Z Neo (For AMD Ryzen) Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin RGB DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) Desktop Memory Model F4-3600C16D-32GTZN
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX750 Ti
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer CZ350CK, Wasabi Mango QHD275 Supreme
    Screen Resolution
    3440 x 1440, 2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Western Digital SN850 Gen 4 x 4 NVMe
    128GB Crucial CT128M4SSD1 2.5" SSD
    1TB Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003-9YN162 HD
    16TB Western Digital WD161KRYZ-01AGBB0 HD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNOVA 750 GT, 80 Plus Gold 750W
    Case
    Phanteks Eclipse P500A
    Cooling
    be quiet! 250W TDP Dark Rock Pro 4
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    IBM
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
Robra,

Apologies for the slow response. I'm off to a bit of a late start today :-). Give me a few more minutes and I will reply again with a detailed response.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar Windows 11 Tutorials

  • Article
Installation and Upgrade Custom Install Windows 11
Replies
6
Views
13K
Brink
Brink
  • Article
Time and Language Change Display Language in Windows 11
Replies
6
Views
26K
Brink
Brink
  • Article
Installation and Upgrade Bypass (Automate) Windows 11 OOBE
Replies
4
Views
28K
Kari
Kari
  • Article
Accounts Turn On or Off Auto Dismiss Lock Screen if Recognizes Face in Windows 11
Replies
0
Views
17K
Brink
Brink
  • Article
Personalization Enable or Disable Show Lock Screen Background on Sign-in Screen in Windows 11
Replies
0
Views
26K
Brink
Brink
  • Article
Installation and Upgrade Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media
4 5 6
Replies
114
Views
227K
charge
charge

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom