Windows 8.1 Universal Image

[hardcorePCrepair]

Ok so for windows 7 i have premaid universal clonezilla images that can be restored in a Virtual Machine or on a physical machine(Starter Homepremium, pro x32, pro x64, and so on). The process took about 2 hours to create them all and patch windows and add apps to them, i then ran sysprep and shutdown the vm's(Created them all in Virtual box) then booted clonezilla and save and disc-image of the VM as a clonezilla image on my NAS. Im wanting to accomplish the same thing for windows 8.1(Enterprise, Pro, Core etc)... but have not had any luck. I did the same process as the one above but are getting a bluescreen(Not Blue Screen Of Death)stating "After multiple tries the operating system on your pc failed to start, so it needs repaired." Error code: 0xc0000001. Could this error be from not setting proper setting within virtual box before syspreping and saving the image?

Has anyone run in to this? Have you accomplished what i have done a different way? I would really like to speed up 8.1 deployment time, and could use any advise.

 

[brandonkick]

It might be due to UEFI bios settings? Legacy mode perhaps...


It's all that readily comes to mind.

What happens if you make your image from bare metal?

 

[16k_zx81]

We have not had any luck so far with W8 universal images.

Can I ask why you decided to use 8.1 instead of 8?

Interested to see if anyone has succeeded at doing this, especially given the issues with Sysprep (last time I tried was broken on 8.1)

J

 

[Porthos]

I only do images to my external don't use a server or pxe. I only do legacy not UEFI.

Load win 8.1 on my bench with a generic key. I do one for core and one for pro I only make x64 have never seen any x86 OEM installs.
Enter audit mode during first boot.
Install all of my normal software and windows updates. I skip any driver updates.
When finished I choose the options
enter OOBE, shutdown, generalize.

Then I boot from my Macrium boot disk and create an image to my external.

When I image to computer I choose skip key during install and use my keyfinder to get the OEM key and cut and paste it for activation.

You have to change the bios to legacy and turn off secure boot.

Restore my Double Drive backup I took from computer before format.

Keyfinder here
http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/30363-Windows-8-Product-Key-Viewer
Attached it here for your convenience View attachment wpkey_v1.4.7d.zip
Check mark MSDM in the key finder.



Restores in about 4-10 minutes.

I learned all this from this tutorial. Just modified it for Win 8.1
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...w-create-general-system-image-audit-mode.html

Note, I only service home users 99.5% of the time.

Did an HP, Dell and a lenovo this week already. The lenovo was a business thinkcenter With an i3 4 gig with 500 gig HD. It was the second one of those.

Clean fast and efficient once you take the time to prepare the images.

Can I ask why you decided to use 8.1 instead of 8?

Sooner or later you will have to do the update why not start with it. I am going to wait till 8.1 update1 to make my next set of images.

 

[hardcorePCrepair]

So i finally go around to doing this and like Porthos said, its just the same as with windows 7. I was previously able to build the universal images in virtual box with 7, but with 8 it didn't work. Doing the same process on a physical machine, did the trick and now i have images for windows 8!

 

[Porthos]

Glad it worked for you.

 

[tekunlock]

I didn't catch what virtual environment you're doing this in (if it was in here I skimmed over it) but i just finished up my W8.1 Pro image using VirtualBox (Did not install guest additions) and it went to a Clonezilla image and straigh to bare metal with no issues at all. You're not installing any VM-Specific drivers (ie: Guest Additions) are you? That could cause issues.

 

[hardcorePCrepair]

So i tried building a image with in VB for the second time with no luck. The vm keeps flaking when trying to save the image. worked with W7, but not 8. Also I'll be starting my Windows 8.1 images here soon, ill reply back if i run into trouble. Also on new windows 8 and above PC's are you seeing 32bit O/S or all 64bit now?