SysPrep

Windows 10

• We assume you have a fully loaded version of windows and it has been activated

Activation

• https://cs.uwaterloo.ca/twiki/view/CF/WindowsActivation

Reference If you want to use MS deployment tools

• Note - we do NOT follow those steps here - as we are only using sysprep and none of the deployment tools in this example
• If you want to see how Microsoft recommends setting up windows 10 with their deployment tools see this link
  • * https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt297533%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
  • http://deploymentresearch.com/Research/Post/496/Building-a-Windows-10-Reference-Image-using-MDT-2013-Update-1

Registry Fixes

• • Open regedit as Administrator (right click run as admin)
  • Delete this registry tree: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\Upgrade
  • Verify HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\Status\SysprepStatus\CleanupState = 7
  • As and Admin User in CMD prompt run: slmgr /dli
    • Note: Windows should still be activated at this point if you already activated it earlier
  • Reboot!

Remove provisioned (built-in) apps in Windows 10

• References:
  • https://4sysops.com/archives/remove-provisioned-built-in-apps-in-windows-10/#installed-vs-provisioned-apps
  • https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2769827
• NOTE: You can not have updated Apps - or provisioned Apps in an image
  • Unfortunately this will happen Automatically just by being connected to the Internet.
  • So we have to remove them!
• You MUST disable network interface on the computer or VM during this process
  • Or at least have some kind of firewall that blocks external access - otherwise the apps will update an break things

• Allow Powershell to execute scripts
  • Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
    • powershell.exe -command set-executionpolicy unrestricted
• Start PowerShell as Administrator
• Download and run this powershell script: Removeapps1.ps1
• Run this powershell command and verify the list is empty: Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -Online | Select PackageName
  • If this list is not empty seeing the section below for instructions on updating the script.
• Restore Powershell to original execute policy
  • Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
    • powershell.exe -command set-executionpolicy restricted

How to update the powershell script to remove additional apps

• To get a list of the provisioned apps
  • Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -Online | Select PackageName
    • Note: the real package name is the string prior to the first underscore '_'
    • Example Package Name: Microsoft.3DBuilder
      • So we ignore the _2015.624.2254.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe trailing part
  • Extract the names from the above command and add them - if required - to the following script:
    • Here is a link to the file
      • Note: it does not matter if you list a program that does not exist - it will ignore it
      • Save the script as Removeapps1.ps1

Script Removeapps1.ps1 for reference

Import-Module Appx
Import-Module Dism
   $AppsList = "Microsoft.Appconnector","Microsoft.CommsPhone","Microsoft.ConnectivityStore","Microsoft.Messaging","Microsoft.Office.OneNote","Microsoft.Office.Sway","Microsoft.WindowsAlarms","Microsoft.WindowsCalculator","Microsoft.WindowsCamera","Microsoft.WindowsPhone","Microsoft.WindowsSoundRecorder","Microsoft.WindowsStore",
    "Microsoft.BingFinance","Microsoft.BingNews","Microsoft.BingWeather","Microsoft.XboxApp","Microsoft.SkypeApp","Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection","Microsoft.BingSports","Microsoft.ZuneMusic","Microsoft.ZuneVideo","Microsoft.Windows.Photos","Microsoft.People","Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub","Microsoft.WindowsMaps","microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps","Microsoft.Getstarted","Microsoft.3DBuilder"

   ForEach ($App in $AppsList) 
   { 
      $PackageFullName = (Get-AppxPackage $App).PackageFullName
      $ProPackageFullName = (Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -online | where {$_.Displayname -eq $App}).PackageName
         write-host $PackageFullName
         Write-Host $ProPackageFullName 
      if ($PackageFullName) 
      { 
         Write-Host "Removing Package: $App"
         remove-AppxPackage -package $PackageFullName 
      } 
      else 
      { 
         Write-Host "Unable to find package: $App" 
      } 
         if ($ProPackageFullName) 
      { 
         Write-Host "Removing Provisioned Package: $ProPackageFullName"
         Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online -packagename $ProPackageFullName 
      } 
      else 
      { 
         Write-Host "Unable to find provisioned package: $App" 
      } 
   }

List Apps from a specific vendor

• This may be of interest if you ever want to list packages from just one vendor
• Example: Microsoft Packages (they have the code 8wekyb3d8bbwe )
  • Get-AppxPackage -AllUser | Where PublisherId -eq 8wekyb3d8bbwe | Format-List -Property PackageFullName,PackageUserInformation

sysprep

• Run sysprep with Generalize and Shutdown

Windows 7

External Documents

• http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/windows7-untangling-scripted-installs-sysprep-and-configuration-passes
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744366%28v=ws.10%29.aspx - How Windows Setup Works
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744512%28WS.10%29.aspx - How Sysprep Works
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744341%28v=ws.10%29.aspx - How Configuration Passes Work
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff699026.aspx - Unattended Answer File

Options

• Command Line syntax: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744330%28v=ws.10%29.aspx
• Typical Usage: * sysprep.exe /shutdown /oobe /generalize /unattened:file.xml
  • • /generalize cleans out device specific information during sysprep
      • See: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744392%28v=ws.10%29.aspx
    • /unattend: the answer file for unattened operation
      • See: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff699026.aspx
    • /oobe out of box experience * See: configuration pass configures settings that are applied during the end-user first-boot experience, also called Windows Welcome. The oobeSystem configuration pass settings are processed before a user first logs on to Windows

How to keep drivers when syspreping

• See: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee832798%28v=ws.10%29.aspx - Maintain Driver Configurations When Capturing a Windows Image

• Answer file updates