Capturing Custom Images

Windows Deployment Services can deploy more than just default images from the Windows 7 media. You can also create custom boot images and install images and then import them into Windows Deployment Services for automated distribution. After creating a custom image, you can import it using the instructions in the section titled "Importing Images" earlier in this tutorial.

To create a custom installation image for Windows Deployment Services, you must install an existing image on a reference computer, customize the reference computer as desired by adding drivers and applications, and then capture an image of the reference computer. Image capture is a two-step process. First, you must create a Windows PE capture image to support the image-capture process. Then you capture an image from a reference computer that was prepared for imaging using the Sysprep utility.

To create an image-capture image, perform the following steps:

1. Click the Boot Images item in the Windows Deployment Services console tree.
2. Right-click the image to use as a capture image and then click Create Capture Boot Image.
3. On the Metadata And Location page, type a name and description for the capture image and then specify the location and file name of the image file to create. Click Next to create the capture image.
4. Click Finish.
5. Import the custom capture boot image by using the instructions in the section titled "Importing Images" earlier in this tutorial. Note that Windows Deployment Services in Windows Server 2008 R2 includes a check box on the last page of this wizard that you can select to automatically re-import the image.

To create a custom Windows 7 install image, perform the following steps:

1. Create a master installation by installing a Windows 7 image on a reference computer and then customizing the installation to meet your requirements. You can install Windows 7 on your reference computer either from media or using Windows Deployment Services. To learn how to install Windows 7 using Windows Deployment Services, see the section titled "Installing Windows 7" earlier in this tutorial.
2. From a command prompt on the master computer, change directories to \Windows \System32\Sysprep and run the following command.
   Sysprep /oobe /generalize /reboot
3. When the reference computer reboots and the Windows Deployment Services boot loader prompts you to press F12, press F12 to download and start the Windows Deployment Services client. Make sure you enable network boot in the computer's BIOS.
4. In Windows Boot Manager, select the capture boot image.
5. On the Windows Deployment Wizard Image Capture Wizard, click Next.
6. On the Image Capture Source page, choose the volume to capture from the Volume To Capture list and then provide a name and description for the image. Click Next to continue. (Note that if you have omitted step 2, you won't see any volumes available at this point. This has been a major area of customer confusion.)
7. On the Image Capture Destination page, click Browse to choose the location where you want to store the captured image. In the File Name text box, type a name for the image using the .wim extension and then click Save. Click Upload Image To WDS Server, type the name of the Windows Deployment Services server, and click Connect. If prompted for credentials, provide a user name and password for an account with sufficient privileges to connect to the Windows Deployment Services server. Choose the image group in which to store the image from the Image Group list.
8. Click Finish.

Note The reason for saving a local copy in step 7 rather than just uploading it to the server immediately is to minimize the chances of corruption occurring over the network.