fastest way to install windows?

[Vickus]

I hear the best way to do it is with a USB stick, any suggestions?

 

[Kitten Kong]

there are many a thread on this subject, from installing from a Nas, to having images, and installing over the network.

Can I suggest that you have a quick search through the forum first. Then after this, by all means post questions relating to it.

 

[cypress]

You may want to look into slipstreaming the install discs as well.

 

[mikeroq]

.wim image = Fastest!

You can't get any faster then WDS

Boot to network
Load WinPE
Deploy Image
Reboot

Takes less then 10 minutes.

My old method could do it in about the same amount of time depending on if its from the 10/100 network, 100/1000 network, or usb hdd.

Pop in WinPE CD
Plug in USB HDD
Load WinPE
Batch script
Reboot

 

[phaZed]

.wim image = fastest!

You can't get any faster then wds

boot to network
load winpe
deploy image
reboot

takes less then 10 minutes.

My old method could do it in about the same amount of time depending on if its from the 10/100 network, 100/1000 network, or usb hdd.

Pop in winpe cd
plug in usb hdd
load winpe
batch script
reboot

+1

 

[brandonkick]

So I've just done a back up and reformat of my mothers computer.

I was going to just reinstall a sysprep/OOBE win7 clone I've made before (and used before) but for some reason it didn't want to clone over to the new drive.

SO I pull out the windows 7 DVD, grab the COA code from the case and start rolling the old fashioned way. 3+ hours later and it's still doing windows updates.....


Can I make/delpoy a .WIM file without needing access to a server OS?

If so what's the best way to do that? Any kind of guides?

 

[mikeroq]

This is my old method:

Prepare image:
1) Install windows
2) At OOBE hit Ctrl+Shift+F3 to enter sysprep audit mode. You can close sysprep the system will continue to boot into audit mode until you seal it.
2) Install updates, software you wish to be included in the image except for AV, make tweaks, etc.
3) Run sysprep with Enter OOBE, generalize, shutdown.

Capture Image:
1) Boot system using a WinPE disc, usb, PXE boot, or even slave the drive
2) Run imagex

imagex /capture x: y:\filename.wim "Image Name"

x: = drive you want to capture
y:\filename.wim = filename of image
Image Name = What you want to call it, "Win 7 Pro", "Company Image"
3) Place image on flash drive, usb hdd, dvd, network share, wherever you want.

Apply Image:
1) Boot system using a WinPE disc, usb, PXE boot, etc
2) Partition hard drive diskpart /s script_file.txt
For MBR layout:

select disk 0
clean
rem == 1. System partition ======================
create partition primary size=300
format quick fs=ntfs label="System"
assign letter=S
active
rem == 2. Windows partition =====================
create partition primary
format quick fs=ntfs label="OS"
assign letter=W
list volume
exit

I also have an EFI version not handy.
3) Run Imagex

imagex /apply y:\filename.wim 1 x:

y:\filename.wim = image file
1 = index, index starts @ 1. If you only have one image in a wim put 1, otherwise use the desired image number. (The wim format can hold multiple images in one file, IE: install.wim has all the versions of the OS in it.
x: = Target partition
4) Run bcdboot x:\windows /s s:
x:\windows = any windows directory
s: = system partition letter

Simple batch script I used to use:

@echo off
cls
:start
echo ********** IMAGING **********
echo ***** PARTITIONING DISK *****
diskpart /s diskpart.txt
echo *****  APPLYING  IMAGE  ***** 
imagex /apply win7pro.wim 1 w:
echo *****  MAKING BOOTABLE  *****
bcdboot w:\windows /l en-us /s S:
echo ***** IMAGING  COMPLETE *****
pause

Related Reading:
Windows Imaging Format
Imagex Command Line Options
What is Sysprep
Sysprep your OS more then 3 times
Building and Deploying an image

Download Windows AIK
or
Download Windows OPK

Create a Custom Windows PE Image

Download Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
Capture Windows 7 image using MDT 2013
Deploy Windows 7 image using MDT 2013
Deploy Windows 7 on network without a server using MDT

GImageX GUI version of imagex

 

[JustInspired]

This is my old method:

Prepare image:
1) Install windows
2) At OOBE hit Ctrl+Shift+F3 to enter sysprep audit mode. You can close sysprep the system will continue to boot into audit mode until you seal it.
2) Install updates, software you wish to be included in the image except for AV, make tweaks, etc.
3) Run sysprep with Enter OOBE, generalize, shutdown.

Capture Image:
1) Boot system using a WinPE disc, usb, PXE boot, or even slave the drive
2) Run imagex

imagex /capture x: y:\filename.wim "Image Name"

x: = drive you want to capture
y:\filename.wim = filename of image
Image Name = What you want to call it, "Win 7 Pro", "Company Image"
3) Place image on flash drive, usb hdd, dvd, network share, wherever you want.

Apply Image:
1) Boot system using a WinPE disc, usb, PXE boot, etc
2) Partition hard drive diskpart /s script_file.txt
For MBR layout:

select disk 0
clean
rem == 1. System partition ======================
create partition primary size=300
format quick fs=ntfs label="System"
assign letter=S
active
rem == 2. Windows partition =====================
create partition primary
format quick fs=ntfs label="OS"
assign letter=W
list volume
exit

I also have an EFI version not handy.
3) Run Imagex

imagex /apply y:\filename.wim 1 x:

y:\filename.wim = image file
1 = index, index starts @ 1. If you only have one image in a wim put 1, otherwise use the desired image number. (The wim format can hold multiple images in one file, IE: install.wim has all the versions of the OS in it.
x: = Target partition
4) Run bcdboot x:\windows /s s:
x:\windows = any windows directory
s: = system partition letter

Simple batch script I used to use:

@echo off
cls
:start
echo ********** IMAGING **********
echo ***** PARTITIONING DISK *****
diskpart /s diskpart.txt
echo *****  APPLYING  IMAGE  ***** 
imagex /apply win7pro.wim 1 w:
echo *****  MAKING BOOTABLE  *****
bcdboot w:\windows /l en-us /s S:
echo ***** IMAGING  COMPLETE *****
pause

Related Reading:
Windows Imaging Format
Imagex Command Line Options
What is Sysprep
Sysprep your OS more then 3 times
Building and Deploying an image

Download Windows AIK
or
Download Windows OPK

Create a Custom Windows PE Image

Download Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
Capture Windows 7 image using MDT 2013
Deploy Windows 7 image using MDT 2013
Deploy Windows 7 on network without a server using MDT

GImageX GUI version of imagex

Thanks for the tidbits.
I'm using the same method, learnt from the e-book I bought from We Got Served. What I didn't have was the scripts to do the partitioning etc. I've been entering the diskpart and Imagex commands manually which I don't mind too much as I get to learn them and understand what I am doing. However I would like to someday automate it as much as possible.

Two questions if I may?

1. The e-book I bought says to create a 300MB partition for System as do you. Other places say 100MB and indeed pretty much automatically, with every Windows 7 install it is 100MB.
Not that it's much space but just wondered why some use a system partition three times the size others use?

2. Presently I am using a WinPE disc for Diskpart and USB hard drive for wim images.
Is there a way for the script to prompt me for which wim to use? At the moment each one is called image.wim and they are in folders named win7hpx64 and win7prox64 etc.

 

[trevm999]

Make sure you keep in mind that an OEM COA does not have rights for reimaging and technically should be reloaded from the factory restore media.

 

[Kaizen]

2. Presently I am using a WinPE disc for Diskpart and USB hard drive for wim images.
Is there a way for the script to prompt me for which wim to use? At the moment each one is called image.wim and they are in folders named win7hpx64 and win7prox64 etc.

We boot the computer with a USB flash drive with winpe. This flash drive has a different bat file for each of install. We store our wim files on a separate external drive.

Our install process is the following
1. Boot Computer from Windows PE flash drive.
2. Make sure external drive with wim files is also plugged in
3. At command prompt, change to directory of flash drive
4. Run the batch script pertaining to os version you want to install.
5. DONE

I just got thinking, if we could insert the script directly into Windows pe, we could skip step three. We could just boot pe, then run the command for what ever os you want installed. One step. That is my next project.

 

[Martyn]

I need to get my act together

 

[bertie40]

I need to get my act together

Ditto.

 

[PBComputer]

Ditto.

Me too, just never enough time. Being crazy the past week, working from 6am until 9pm can only happen for so long

Paul

 

[brandonkick]

Thanks for the info, I'll try to put it into action here very soon.

This machine is STILL doing windows updates... it has to be going on over 300 updates now including service pack 1.


Would have save hours off of the total repair time, and even a good hour or more off of the hands on time.

 

[Porthos]

This machine is STILL doing windows updates... it has to be going on over 300 updates now including service pack 1.

Your install disk did not include SP1 already?

 

[AlexCa]

Thanks for the info, I'll try to put it into action here very soon.

This machine is STILL doing windows updates... it has to be going on over 300 updates now including service pack 1.


Would have save hours off of the total repair time, and even a good hour or more off of the hands on time.

Yes, that's a pain...

i hate when i need to restore the factory image from a Asus Eee Pc or anything else with a Atom CPU

 

[bertie40]

Yes, that's a pain...



i hate when i need to restore the factory image from a Asus Eee Pc or anything else with a Atom CPU

....... Or generally just about any old "factory restore" routine.

It's not just the updates, it's removing all accumulated "trials" and other junk which was a deemed a good idea at the time.

 

[JustInspired]

I need to get my act together

Ditto.

Me too, just never enough time. Being crazy the past week, working from 6am until 9pm can only happen for so long

Paul

It's been two months since I've started capturing and applying images with imagex.
I could kick myself for not doing it earlier!
So far I only have three images: Windows 7 Home Premium x64, Windows 7 Professional x64 and today captured an image for Vista Home Premium x86.

So far the Windows 7 ones have saved me a ton of time and I expect the Vista ones will be even more productive, considering how long the updates normally take.

It's much easier than I thought it would be. Well worth taking the time to do it.

 

[AlexCa]

....... Or generally just about any old "factory restore" routine.

It's not just the updates, it's removing all accumulated "trials" and other junk which was a deemed a good idea at the time.

I just remove flash player, shockwave, java, adobe reader (to install updated versions) and the AV trial. Honestly i mostly don't care much about the rest, as long as the computer works fine (also never know what the user likes to use from the original install). Babysitting Win 7 updates is definitely the worst part for me...

 

[ell]

I've been using custom images for a couple years but have yet to try a reload to a replacement drive with an image of windows 8, I'm thinking UFEI booting or bios activation would be screwed up somehow.