Creating Your First Image

When imaging computers, you'll have different computers that you'll work with, as you can see in Figure below.

You'll install tools such as the WAIK on the technician's computer, and you can then manipulate images and image files from that computer. The reference computer starts as a clean installation of Windows 7, and you make any configuration changes or add applications as desired. Once the reference computer is ready, you run Sysprep on the reference computer and capture the image. You can then deploy this image to the destination computers.

Because of a quirk, you need to consider the architecture of the target computers when choosing your technician's computer. Specifically, WSIM fails to create catalogs for an x86-based image if you run it from an x64-based computer. WSIM can create catalogs from both x86- and x64-based images on an x86-based computer, though.

Here are the high-level steps you'll take to manually capture an image:

1. Install the Windows Automated Installation Kit. You install it on a computer you're using for administrative purposes. In other words, don't install it on the computer you are imaging. The WAIK includes several tools you'll use during this process.
2. Create bootable media that includes ImageX. You can create either a bootable CD or bootable USB drive to boot into WinPE. You add the ImageX program before creating the bootable media so that it is available to you when you boot into WinPE.
3. Configure the reference computer. Install a clean installation of Windows 7 and configure it for your end users. You can configure any settings you want as well as install any applications you want your end users to have available to them when they receive the image.
4. Prepare the reference computer with Sysprep. The computer must be prepared with Sysprep. Sysprep will generalize any settings that must be generalized, such as the computer name, SID, and removal of the license key. Once Sysprep completes, the computer shuts down and should not be restarted normally until after the image is captured.
5. Boot to WinPE with your bootable media. Boot the reference computer to the WinPE. You can boot into the WinPE using multiple methods, including using bootable media you've created.
6. Capture the image with ImageX. After booting into WinPE, you can access the command prompt to capture the image using the ImageX command. You can then store the image on any media that will be accessible to the destination computers.