Deploying Windows 7 using WAIK

Deploying Windows 7 using WAIK

WAIK: Windows Automated Installation Kit. It is used to deploy Windows 7. It contains some tools like:

a. Win PE: Windows Preinstallation Environment

b. DISM : Deployment Image Servicing and Management c. Windows System Image Manager

Requirements:

1- Windows 7 product DVD disc 2- Windows AIK DVD disc 3- A technician computer 4- A reference computer 5- Network connectivity 6- A USB flash drive (UFD) 7- A destination computer

Procedure:

After installing Windows AIK, start with the following steps:

Step 1 : Build an answer file

1- Navigate to the WAIK program in start menu and open Windows System Image Manager

2- On the Windows SIM File menu, click Select Windows Image.

3- Import Install.wim from the Source directory from where you save the Windows image, for example, from the DVD.

4- Choose the Windows image that you want to install 5- Click Yes to generate the file

6- On the File menu, click New Answer File, a new answer file will be appear.

Start configuring the windows image

1-

by right-clicking the component, and then selecting the appropriate configuration pass

3- All the added components must appear in the Windows SIM Answer File pane

4- Configure and modify the components properties as preferred.

Validate and Save Settings

1- validate the settings in your answer file, and then save them to a file 2- In Windows SIM, click Tools, and then click Validate Answer File 3- If there is no error, no warnings or errors messages will appears in the

Messages pane at the bottom of the Windows SIM window.

4- On the File menu, click Save Answer File. Save the answer file as Autounattend.xml

5- Copy the Autounattend.xml file to the root directory of a USB flash drive (UFD).

Note: the answer file can be saved in a separate USB flash or it can be integrated with the Windows bootable media.

Step 2: Building a Reference Installation:

1- Install a Windows 7 on the references computer, boot from a Windows 7 DVD or bootable USB and insert the media that contains the answer file (if it is not integrated in the same Windows bootable media)

2- Windows 7 Setup will begin automatically 3- Answer file configuration will be applied here.

Using Sysprep

1- With /Auditmode option to remove any unwanted user profiles and their files from the reference windows image that will be captured from the reference computer.

2- with the /generalize option to remove hardware-specific information from the Windows installation

3- with the /oobe option to configure the computer to boot to Windows Welcome upon the next restart

To use Sysprep,

1- navigate to C:\Windows\System32\sysprep and double click the sysprep.exe

2- In System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) window choose Audit mode, check Generalize and choose reboot the computer

3- After the computer restart, remove every unwanted user, drivers or any other configurations.

4- Select OOBE option in System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) window; check Generalize and then Shutdown the computer.

Note: Sysprep tool can be run from a command prompt by typing:

c:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /shutdown

Step 3: Creating Bootable Windows PE Media

In this step, Windows Preinstallation Environment boot media will be created that enables you to start a computer for the purposes of deployment and recovery through the commands.

On technician computer,

1- Navigate to WAIK program in start menu and then right click Deployment Tools Command Prompt, run it as Administrator.

2- At the command prompt, write the following:

copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_x86

(Where x86 is the type of Windows system intended to be installed, if it 64bit write amd64. "C" is the local directory where the created folder will be saved.)

3- Copy the base image (Winpe.wim) to the \Winpe_x86\ISO\sources folder and rename the file to Boot.wim.

copy c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim c:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim

4- Copy ImageX into \Winpe_x86\ISO. For example, type:

copy "c:\program files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\imagex.exe"

c:\winpe_x86\iso\

5- Create a Windows PE image (.iso) file by using the Oscdimg tool from the Deployment Tools Command Prompt. Type:

oscdimg -n -bc:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_x86\ISO c:\winpe_x86\winpe_x86.iso

Note: the WinPE can be booted from by using USB flash or CD-ROM

Step 3: Capturing a Windows image from the reference computer using WinPE.

1- Insert the WinPE bootable media in the reference computer and restart the computer.

2- Boot from WinPE media

3- Identify the drive letters of the following drives:

 Windows drive

 Drive that contain WinPE (imageX.exe)

 Drive that Windows image will be captured to, such as USB flash disk (UFD).

4- Write the following command:

F:\>imageX /capture C: G:\Win7.wim "Drive G"

(F: is the drive that contains imageX, C: is the Windows drive, G: is the

USB drive, "Win7.wim" is a name given to the image that will be created.

Note: the succeeded process will be indicated by progressing in capturing percentage while windows image is copied..

5- After the process is completed, type exit and the computer will restart. You can detach the image USB and take out the WinPE bootable media.

Step 3: Applying a Windows image to the destination computer using WinPE.

1- Insert the WinPE media in the destination computer and attach the USB that contains the Windows image that has been captured in previous step.

2- Restart the computer and boot from the WinPE media.

3- Format the hard drive of the computer by using Diskpart tool from the Windows PE Command Prompt window.

To format the hard drive and prepare it for Windows image deployment, type the following:

diskpart

select disk 0 clean

create partition primary size=300 select partition 1

format fs=ntfs label="System"

assign letter=S active

create partition primary select partition 2

format fs=ntfs label="Windows" quick ***

assign letter=C exit

*** Note: (Do not forget to write quick or it will take too much time to

format the whole drive)

4- Identify the drive letter that associated with the imageX file and drive that contain the Windows image file.

5- Type the following command to apply and deploy the Windows image to the computer:

F: /apply G:Win7.wim 1 C:

(F: is the drive of the CD that contain imageX file, G:

is the drive that contains the Windows image file, C: is the drive where the Windows image will be installed) Copy the BCDboot files to the Windows drive, so the computer will boot from the drive. Type the following command:

C:\windows\system32\bcdboot C:\windows 6- Type: exit

The computer will restart and the Windows is installed.