1. Overview

  • Create a virtual technician computer with Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit.

  • Create a virtual technician computer with Windows 10 Pro 64-bit.

  • Create a virtual technician computer with Windows 11 Enterprise 64-bit.

  • Create a virtual technician computer with Windows 11 Pro 64-bit.

  • Create an Unattend-Windows-10-Enterprise-x64.xml file on the 64-bit technician computer.

  • Create an Unattend-Windows-10-Pro-x64.xml file on the 64-bit technician computer.

  • Create an Unattend-Windows-11-Enterprise-x64.xml file on the 64-bit technician computer.

  • Create an Unattend-Windows-11-Pro-x64.xml file on the 64-bit technician computer.

  • Create a virtual reference computer with Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit.

  • Create a virtual reference computer with Windows 10 Pro 64-bit.

  • Create a virtual reference computer with Windows 11 Enterprise 64-bit.

  • Create a virtual reference computer with Windows 11 Pro 64-bit.

  • Install latest updates and configure the reference computer.

  • Cleanup the reference computer.

  • Scan for malware, spyware and viruses on the reference computer.

  • Compact the reference computer.

  • Windows 10: Windows 10 Enterprise and Pro.

    • Enterprise: Extract the Windows 10 Enterprise iso file to a new W:\Windows-10-Enterprise-x64 folder.

    • Pro: Extract the Windows 10 Pro iso file to a new W:\Windows-10-Pro-x64 folder.

  • Windows 11: Windows 11 Enterprise and Pro.

    • Enterprise: Extract the Windows 11 Enterprise iso file to a new W:\Windows-11-Enterprise-x64 folder.

    • Pro: Extract the Windows 11 Pro iso file to a new W:\Windows-11-Pro-x64 folder.

  • Take a snapshot of the reference computer.

  • Do a final configuration on the reference computer.

  • Sysprep the reference computer.

  • Insert the Windows-10-2009-PE-x64-PS.iso CD to the reference computer.

  • Insert the Windows-11-PE-x64-PS.iso CD to the reference computer.

  • Capture the windows image of the reference computer.

  • Remove the CD from the reference computer.

  • Restore the snapshot of the reference computer.

2. Technician Computer

To create an Unattend-Windows-10-Enterprise-x86.xml file for 32-bit Windows, the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 10 needs to be installed on a 32-bit Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11 computer. To create a 64-bit version of the .xml file, Windows ADK needs to be installed on a 64-bit Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11 computer.

  • Start Windows Explorer.

  • Windows 10: Windows 10 Enterprise and Pro.

    • Create the W:\Windows-10-Enterprise-x64 folder.

    • Extract the en-us_windows_10_business_editions_version_21h2_x64_dvd_ce067768.iso image to the W:\Windows-10-Enterprise-x64 folder.

    • Create the W:\Windows-10-Pro-x64 folder.

    • Extract the en-us_windows_10_business_editions_version_21h2_x64_dvd_ce067768.iso image to the W:\Windows-10-Pro-x64 folder.

  • Windows 11: Windows 11 Enterprise and Pro.

    • Create the W:\Windows-11-Enterprise-x64 folder.

    • Extract the en-us_windows_11_business_editions_updated_nov_2021_x64_dvd_0bf06ee2.iso image to the W:\Windows-11-Enterprise-x64 folder.

    • Create the W:\Windows-11-Pro-x64 folder.

    • Extract the en-us_windows_11_business_editions_updated_nov_2021_x64_dvd_0bf06ee2.iso image to the W:\Windows-11-Pro-x64 folder.

  • Close Windows Explorer.

3. VirtualBox VM

4. Installation

5. Cleanup

  • Cleanup Unwanted Apps

    • Enter the following commands at a Command Prompt with administrative privileges.

      Uninstall-UnwantedAppxPackages

  • Windows 10 Start Windows Administrative Tools > Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) with administrative privileges.

  • Windows 11 Start Windows Tools > Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) with administrative privileges.

  • Select the System64 (C:) drive.

  • Click OK.

  • Select the Disk Cleanup tab.

  • Check all checkboxes.

  • Click OK.

  • Click Delete Files to confirm.

  • Open Control Panel > Internet Options.

  • Select the General tab.

  • Click Delete.

  • Uncheck Preserve Favorites website data.

  • Check all other checkboxes.

  • Click Delete.

  • Click Apply.

  • Click OK.

  • Log on as Administrator.

  • Enter the following commands at a Command Prompt.

Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
type C:\Windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log | findstr.exe /ric:"payload corrupt"
type C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log   | findstr.exe /ric:"payload corrupt"
Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc.exe /scannow
findstr.exe /c:"[SR] Cannot repair member file" %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log

Scan for malware, spyware and viruses:

  • Log on as Administrator.

    net.exe use D: /delete
net.exe use W: /delete

  • Start Windows Security.

    • Windows 10: Select Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security.

    • Windows 11: Select Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security.

    • Click Open Windows Security.

  • Select Virus & threat protection.

  • Click Quick scan.

  • Wait for the scan to finish.

  • Close Windows Security.

  • Shutdown the Virtual Machine.

6. Compact

6.1. Backup of reference computer

  • Start VirtualBox.

  • Windows 10: Right-click the Windows 10 Enterprise - Reference and select Clone.

  • Windows 11: Right-click the Windows 11 Enterprise - Reference and select Clone.

  • Select MAC Address Policy: | Generate new MAC addresses for all network adapters.

  • Click Next.

  • Choose Full clone.

  • Click Clone.

  • Wait.

  • Close VirtualBox.

6.2. Compact of vm disk images

  • Note: The Compress-VirtualBox command will compact all .vdi files.

  • Log on as <User>.

    cd /d "V:\VirtualBox Quick\VirtualBox VMs\Windows 10\Windows 10 Enterprise 2009 64-bit - Reference"
cd /d "V:\VirtualBox Quick\VirtualBox VMs\Windows 10\Windows 10 Pro 2009 64-bit - Reference"
cd /d "D:\VirtualBox\VirtualBox VMs\Windows\Windows 10\Windows 10 Enterprise 22H2 64-bit - Reference"
cd /d "D:\VirtualBox\VirtualBox VMs\Windows\Windows 10\Windows 10 Pro 22H2 64-bit - Reference"
cd /d "D:\VirtualBox\VirtualBox VMs\Windows\Windows 11\Windows 11 Enterprise 22H2 64-bit - Reference"
cd /d "D:\VirtualBox\VirtualBox VMs\Windows\Windows 11\Windows 11 Pro 22H2 64-bit - Reference"
# Make sure that VirtualBox is not running.
Compress-VirtualBox

6.3. Removal of reference backup

  • Check that the compacted virtual machine is OK.

  • Start VirtualBox.

  • Right-click the Windows 10 Enterprise 2009 64-bit - Reference Clone and select Remove.

  • Click Delete all files.

  • Close VirtualBox.

7. Final Configuration

  • Take a snapshot of the reference computer:

    • Start VirtualBox.

    • Windows 10 Enterprise Select the Windows 10 Enterprise 22H2 64-bit - Reference virtual machine.

    • Windows 10 Pro Select the Windows 10 Pro 22H2 64-bit - Reference virtual machine.

    • Windows 11 Enterprise Select the Windows 11 Enterprise 22H2 64-bit - Reference virtual machine.

    • Windows 11 Pro Select the Windows 11 Pro 22H2 64-bit - Reference virtual machine.

    • Select Machine > Tools > Snapshots.

    • Click the Take button.

    • Click OK.

    • Close VirtualBox.

  • Make sure that the snapshot has been taken.

  • Start VirtualBox virtual machine.

  • Log on as Administrator.

  • Select Input > Keyboard > Insert Ctrl-Alt-Del.

  • Select Change a password.

  • Type the current password in the Old password field.

  • Leave the New password field empty.

  • Leave the Confirm password field empty.

  • Click the → button.

  • Click OK.

  • Enter the following commands at a Command Prompt with administrative privileges.

    Set-FinalConfiguration

Because hidden folders are no longer shown in File Explorer jump to the hidden folder by pasting the folder path in the Location field of File Explorer.

  • Start File Explorer.

  • Type C:\Users\Administrator\AppData in the Location field.

  • Select the C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\clink folder.

  • Optional: Select the .history file.

  • Optional: Select the clink_history file.

  • Press Shift+Delete.

  • Click Yes to confirm.

  • Close File Explorer.

  • Uninstall Oracle VM VirtualBox Guest Additions.

    • Open Control Panel > Programs and Features.

    • Right-click Oracle VM VirtualBox Guest Additions and select Uninstall/Change.

    • Click Yes to confirm.

    • Close Programs and Features.

    • Click No to skip restarting the computer.

    • Click OK.

  • Shutdown the computer.

8. Sysprep

  • Take another snapshot of the reference computer:

    • Start VirtualBox.

    • Windows 10 Enterprise Select the Windows 10 Enterprise 22H2 64-bit - Reference virtual machine.

    • Windows 10 Pro Select the Windows 10 Pro 22H2 64-bit - Reference virtual machine.

    • Windows 11 Enterprise Select the Windows 11 Enterprise 22H2 64-bit - Reference virtual machine.

    • Windows 11 Pro Select the Windows 11 Pro 22H2 64-bit - Reference virtual machine.

    • Select Machine > Tools > Snapshots.

    • Click the Take button.

    • Click OK.

    • Close VirtualBox.

  • Start VirtualBox virtual machine.

  • Log on as Administrator.

  • Enter the following commands at a Command Prompt with administrative privileges.

    Invoke-Sysprep
exit

  • Wait about 5 minutes for the computer to shutdown.

  • Close VirtualBox.

9. Capture Image

  • Windows 10: Insert the Windows-10-2009-PE-x64-PS.iso CD to the reference computer:

  • Windows 11: Insert the Windows-11-22H2-PE-PS.iso CD to the reference computer:

    • Start VirtualBox.

    • Windows 10: Select Windows 10 Enterprise 2009 64-bit - Reference.

    • Windows 11: Select Windows 11 Enterprise 22H2 64-bit - Reference.

    • Click Settings.

    • UEFI:

      • Select System.

      • Select Motherboard tab.

      • Uncheck Enable EFI (special OSes only).

    • Select the Storage page.

    • Select Controller: SATA > Empty.

    • Click the Choose a virtual optical disk…​ button.

    • Select Choose/Create a Virtual Optical Disk…​.

    • Click Add.

    • Windows 10: Select the W:\Windows-10-2009-PE-x64-PS.iso file.

    • Windows 11: Select the W:\Windows-11-22H2-PE-PS.iso file.

    • Click Open.

    • Click OK.

    • Close VirtualBox.

  • Note: Make sure that the host computer does have enough free disk space.

  • Note: Make sure that the computer does not boot from the hard disk. If it does then:

    • Select Machine > Close.

    • Choose Power off the machine.

    • Click OK.

  • Start VirtualBox.

  • Windows 10: Boot the virtual machine from the Windows-10-2009-PE-x64-PS.iso file.

  • Windows 11: Boot the virtual machine from the Windows-11-22H2-PE-PS.iso file.

  • Press F12 to enter the boot menu.

  • Type c to boot from the CD-ROM drive.

  • Press Enter to boot from the CD.

  • Enter the following commands at a Command Prompt with administrative privileges.

  • Note: The Windows image is written to the W:\<Windows-Edition>-x64\sources\Install.wim file.

  • Note: Try again if the capture fails with error code 6 (The handle is invalid).

    powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Import-Module -DisableNameChecking -Name 'D:\Program Files\Delta Software Labs\Windows-Tools\Tools.psm1'; Write-WindowsImage 'Windows 10 Enterprise'"
powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Import-Module -DisableNameChecking -Name 'D:\Program Files\Delta Software Labs\Windows-Tools\Tools.psm1'; Write-WindowsImage 'Windows 10 Pro'"
powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Import-Module -DisableNameChecking -Name 'C:\Program Files\Delta Software Labs\Windows-Tools\Tools.psm1'; Write-WindowsImage 'Windows 11 Enterprise'"
powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Import-Module -DisableNameChecking -Name 'C:\Program Files\Delta Software Labs\Windows-Tools\Tools.psm1'; Write-WindowsImage 'Windows 11 Pro'"

  • Type the SMRU domain account username and press Enter.

  • Type the SMRU domain account password and press Enter.

  • Wait about 30 minutes for the image capture to finish.

  • Type wpeutil shutdown and press Enter.

  • Close VirtualBox.

  • Remove the CD from the reference computer.

    • Start VirtualBox.

    • Select Windows 10 Enterprise 2009 64-bit - Reference.

    • Click Settings.

    • Select the Storage tab.

    • Select Controller: SATA > Windows-10-2009-PE-x64-PS.iso.

    • Click the Choose a virtual optical disk…​ button.

    • Select Remove Disk from Virtual Drive.

    • Click OK.

    • Close VirtualBox.

  • Restore the snapshot of the reference computer.

    • Start VirtualBox.

    • Select the Windows 10 Enterprise 2009 64-bit - Reference virtual machine.

    • Select Machine > Tools > Snapshots.

    • Right-click Snapshot 1 and select Restore.

    • Uncheck Create a snapshot of the current machine state.

    • Click Restore.

    • Right-click Snapshot 2 and select Delete.

    • Click Delete to confirm.

    • Right-click Snapshot 1 and select Delete.

    • Click Delete to confirm.

    • Close VirtualBox.