[SOLVED] Creating a Win 10 Image for PC Deployment

[System32_76]

Hello everyone.

How do I create a Windows 10 system image for deployment to other PCs?

I looked up videos on YouTube showing how to do this, but some of these videos seem to show the process being very long and complicated, using tools (MDT for example) that are unfamiliar to me and sound hard to use.

I don't know if I should use Sysprep, MDT, or some other tool to image the computer with. Is there a step-by-step guide from Microsoft I can refer to that deals with this whole imaging process?

 

[USAFRet]

How many systems?
Are they all the same, or nearly so?
Home or corporate environment?
Which specific version of Win 10?
How will it be delivered...from a server or individually via USB?

 

[System32_76]

How many systems?
Are they all the same, or nearly so?
Home or corporate environment?
Which specific version of Win 10?

In my case, since I don't get PCs that often, between 3 to around 5 systems. They're not all the same. Home environment. And Windows 10 Pro for now (I might consider using Home later).

 

[System32_76]

How many systems?
Are they all the same, or nearly so?
Home or corporate environment?
Which specific version of Win 10?
How will it be delivered...from a server or individually via USB?

Also USB.

 

[USAFRet]

In my case, since I don't get PCs that often, between 3 to around 5 systems. They're not all the same. Home environment. And Windows 10 Pro for now (I might consider using Home later).

For that, just create a Win 10 USB install, and do them individually.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[USAFRet]

For a basic load of FOSS software, I use ninte.com.
Select what you want, and save the exe on a flash drive.

 

[System32_76]

For that, just create a Win 10 USB install, and do them individually.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

I could do that, but that whole process would be time-consuming. The thing is, I don't just install Windows 10, I add software to it and tweak a lot of settings, which takes a lot of time. It's a future possibility that I may get more systems more regularly to work on and sell off, which is why I need to know how to create an image for deployment.

 

[USAFRet]

I could do that, but that whole process would be time-consuming. The thing is, I don't just install Windows 10, I add software to it and tweak a lot of settings, which takes a lot of time. It's a future possibility that I may get more systems more regularly to work on and sell off, which is why I need to know how to create an image for deployment.

A basic Win 10 install will install to any system.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Whether you boot from a regular Win 10 isntall, or something created with Sysprep....takes the same amount of time to install.

You make a Win 10 USB once.
You create the ninite thing once.

You won't be having the same software or settings, especially on systems you rebuild and sell.
And you absolutely would not have the same licensing on the systems you sell. Or even on your home systems.

I think you're overthinking this.

 

[System32_76]

A basic Win 10 install will install to any system.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Whether you boot from a regular Win 10 isntall, or something created with Sysprep....takes the same amount of time to install.

You make a Win 10 USB once.
You create the ninite thing once.

You won't be having the same software or settings, especially on systems you rebuild and sell.
And you absolutely would not have the same licensing on the systems you sell. Or even on your home systems.

I think you're overthinking this.

I would be having the same software and settings on all the systems I would sell. To clarify on software and settings specifically, I would be installing Firefox, removing all the default Metro apps, and tweaking some Windows system settings; those are some examples of what I would do for the systems. The licensing thing, yeah, I can understand that. Different licenses are needed for different PCs.

 

[USAFRet]

I would be having the same software and settings on all the systems I would sell. To clarify on software and settings specifically, I would be installing Firefox, removing all the default Metro apps, and tweaking some Windows system settings; those are some examples of what I would do for the systems. The licensing thing, yeah, I can understand that. Different licenses are needed for different PCs.

For systems to sell, I personally would not remove any built in Windows apps. The new owner might want them.
But that's all up to you.

Firefox and similar can be installed from a one click ninite.exe.

If you still want to go down this road, Sysprep.

 

[System32_76]

For systems to sell, I personally would not remove any built in Windows apps. The new owner might want them.
But that's all up to you.

Firefox and similar can be installed from a one click ninite.exe.

If you still want to go down this road, Sysprep.

I might actually try ninite. That sounds like that would save me a lot of time.
Now is Sysprep one of the best tools you recommend for PC image creation and deployment?

 

[USAFRet]

I might actually try ninite. That sounds like that would save me a lot of time.
Now is Sysprep one of the best tools you recommend for PC image creation and deployment?

I use ninite on every system I build.
It gets the latest release of whatever applications you've selected, and automatically bypasses any 3rd party nonsense tools some things like to try to install.

And Sysprep is the ONLY tool I'd recommend for this.
But I still think it is overkill for your use.

 

[System32_76]

I use ninite on every system I build.
It gets the latest release of whatever applications you've selected, and automatically bypasses any 3rd party nonsense tools some things like to try to install.

And Sysprep is the ONLY tool I'd recommend for this.
But I still think it is overkill for your use.

It's not overkill for me, actually. I'm very busy with a lot of other things in my life and I can't spend countless hours each time trying to install Windows 10 on different PCs and manually tweak settings all the time for each PC. Since I'm trying to balance my time properly, using Sysprep and having an image on hand to deploy to different PCs will help me tremendously.

 

[System32_76]

I use ninite on every system I build.
It gets the latest release of whatever applications you've selected, and automatically bypasses any 3rd party nonsense tools some things like to try to install.

And Sysprep is the ONLY tool I'd recommend for this.
But I still think it is overkill for your use.

If I'm not mistaken, Sysprep only prepares a Windows image to be captured, right? Would I have to use DISM or some other third-party system imaging tool that'll actually capture the image?

 

[USAFRet]

If I'm not mistaken, Sysprep only prepares a Windows image to be captured, right? Would I have to use DISM or some other third-party system imaging tool that'll actually capture the image?

Read through the Sysprep info.
It will guide you down the path you seek.