How to Create a Windows Image for Mass Deployment [4 Steps]

Creating a Windows image for mass deployment is a critical process for IT administrators who need to set up multiple computers with the same configuration. By creating a customized image, you can ensure consistency across all machines, save time, and simplify the deployment process.

How to Create and Deploy a Windows Image for Mass Deployment [4 Steps]

📢Step 1. Prepare a Windows Reference Computer

1. Begin by setting up a reference computer, which will serve as the model for your Windows image. Install a Windows 10 on this machine and configure the applications, and settings exactly as you want them to appear on all the deployed machines. This includes:

• Installing necessary drivers and updates
• Configuring system settings, such as network settings, power options, and desktop appearance
• Installing required software applications and configuring them
• Creating any custom configurations or scripts needed for your environment

2. Once your reference computer is configured, you'll need to prepare it for imaging using the System Preparation Tool (Sysprep). Using Sysprep to remove computer-specific information from the installation, such as the Security Identifier (SID), and prepares the system for imaging. Here's how to run Sysprep:

• Open a Command Prompt as Administrator: You can do this by searching for "cmd" in the Start menu, right-clicking on the Command Prompt, and selecting "Run as administrator."
• Navigate to the Sysprep Directory, and type the following command and press Enter.

• Execute the command:

The /oobe option instructs Windows to present the Out-of-Box Experience on the next boot, while /generalize removes system-specific data. The /shutdown switch shuts down the computer after Sysprep completes.

Sysprep will process the machine and then shut it down. Do not reboot the system after Sysprep runs, as this could reinitialize the SID and other computer-specific information.

📢Step 2. Capture the Windows Image

With your reference computer prepared, the next step is to capture an image of its hard drive. This is typically done using the Windows Deployment Tools, specifically the Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool (DISM) or the Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer (Windows ICD). For simplicity, we'll use DISM in this example.

1. Create a bootable Windows PE USB drive if you don't have one. Boot the reference computer using this USB drive.

2. Open a command prompt in Windows PE by pressing Shift + F10.

3. Use the DISM tool to capture an image of the reference computer's hard drive. Run the following command:

• Replace D:\install.wim with the path where you want to save the image file.
• Replace C:\ with the drive letter of the Windows installation on the reference computer.

DISM will create an image file (.wim) from the reference computer's disk.

📢Step 3. Deploy the Windows Image

Before deploying the image, ensure that the target computers are prepared to receive it. This may involve booting them to the Windows PE environment using a USB drive or network boot.

1. Just like with the reference computer, boot the target computer using a Windows PE USB drive.

2. If the target computer’s disk needs to be partitioned and formatted, you can use the following commands:

diskpart
select disk 0
clean
create partition primary
format fs=ntfs quick
assign letter=C
exit

3. Deploy the captured image to the target computer by running the following command:

• Replace D:\install.wim with the path to your captured image file.
• Replace C:\ with the target partition where Windows will be installed.

4. After applying the image, you’ll need to set the boot sector on the target disk:

5. Once the image is applied and the boot sector is configured, reboot the target computer. It will boot into the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE), where you can finalize the setup or allow the end-user to complete it.

📢Step 4. Automate Deployment with Windows Deployment Services (Optional)

1. Install WDS on a Windows Server.

2. Import the .wim file captured earlier into WDS.

3. Set up the target computers to boot from the network, which will connect them to the WDS server.

4. Once connected to the WDS server, select the image to deploy and follow the on-screen instructions. It’s easy to create a Windows 10 VM in Hyper-V using these steps.

While deploying a Windows image ensures consistency across your systems, protecting your data with regular backups is equally important.

Protect Large-scale Data Environments and Simplify Backup Process

AOMEI Cyber Backup offers an easy-to-use and centralized Windows backup solution for Windows 11/10/8/7/XP. Whether you are backing up a single machine or multiple systems, AOMEI Cyber Backup simplifies the process, ensuring that your data is safe and recoverable in case of hardware failure, system corruption, or other issues.

Automated Backups: Set up automated backups that run according to your preferred schedule, minimizing the risk of data loss due to human error.
Simple Recovery Options: Quickly restore your system to a previous state, whether it's a full system recovery or restoring individual files. This ensures minimal downtime and helps maintain productivity.
Role Assignment: Allow one administrator to create sub-accounts with limited privileges, effectively avoid errors caused by others’ mis-operations.
Centralized Management: Use an easy-to-use web console to backup all crucial data from remote Windows workstations without requiring complicated configuration.

1. Click Backup Task >> Create New Task to schedule Hyper-V backups.

2. In the wizard, enter the Task Name and select Hyper-V Backup.

✦ In Device Name section, select virtual machines on the Hyper-V host.

✦ In Target section, specify a location to store VM backups such as network or local place. You can easily backup VM to NAS.

✦ In Schedule section, enable schedule task and choose full/incremental backup, then specify backup time and frequency as daily/weekly/monthly.

✦ Click Start Backup. From the drop-down menu, you can decide to perform backup later or now.

3. Click Restore. You can restore the VM to its previous status fast and easily.

✍ While the Free Edition covers most of the VM backup needs, you can also upgrade toPremium Editionto enjoy:
✦ Batch VM backup & restore: batch backup and restore large numbers of VMs managed by vCenter Server or on standalone ESXi hosts.
✦ Backup Cleanup: Configure retention policy to auto-delete the old backup files and save storage space.
✦ Restore to new location: Easily make a clone of a virtual machine in the same or another datastore/host, without reinstalling or configuring a new VM.

With AOMEI Cyber Backup, you can automate Windows backup processes and ensure that your data is protected without manual intervention.

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined—preparing a reference computer, capturing an image, and deploying it to target machines—you can efficiently manage large-scale deployments.

Moreover, integrating AOMEI Cyber Backup into your process provides an additional layer of security, ensuring that your Windows 10 environment and data are protected with minimal effort. Whether you’re managing a few computers or a large network, these tools and strategies will help you maintain consistency, security, and efficiency in your deployments.