Slipstream [Image]
Windows 7 SP1 into Windows 7
Scenario: Single
Computer not Bootable from USB Flash Disk (UFD) |
With the release of
Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 it's time to look at
how to slipstream it into a Gold or RTM version you
already own. Some of the gurus out there call this
imaging, others slipstreaming, but frankly I don't
give a damn what it's called. The point is, you end
up with a Windows 7 version that includes Windows 7
Service Pack 1 along with some selected
applications, drivers, and to have that image
available in three different formats; a USB Flash
Disk (UFB), an .iso file, and a DVD.
With XP you integrated or 'slipped' the Service Pack
into the original XP files. With Vista you created
an 'image' of Vista that was updated with the new
service pack. Now it's time for the Windows 7
Service Packs and the situation is fairly similar to
what it was with Vista. You still have to create an
updated image and use it for the Windows 7
installation. There are a number of programs
available that automate the process, and as far as I
know, some may well do an excellent job of creating
an updated image. I haven't tested them and can't
say if they work or what changes they make to your
system. I do know I've received a substantial number
of e-mails asking for troubleshooting help when
users have experienced unexpected results or
failures while trying to create a slipstreamed
image. So, I'm going to take a different path and
show you how to manually create a standard
slipstreamed image of Windows 7, basically from
scratch.
I'm not going to tell you this is a quick and simple
procedure. It isn't. At the same time, it isn't
overly difficult either. There are a lot of steps
involved, you have to work carefully, and there are
numerous opportunities to screw up and have to start
over from the beginning. However, if you're willing
to spend the time and carefully work through the
process you'll actually learn something about the
'images' that are used to install Windows 7 and
you'll be able to customize that image specifically
to your taste. |
| Two
Different Versions of the Tutorial |
The first version of the tutorial is for
users that have two computers and at least
one of them is bootable from a USB Flash
Disk (UFD). It's easier, doesn't involve
quite as many steps, and you end up with a
bootable UFD containing the slipstreamed
Windows 7 operating system.
Windows 7 SP1 Slipstream - Two Computer UFD
Bootable Version
The second version of the tutorial is for
users who find yourselves with only one
computer and that computer isn't capable of
being booted from a USB Flash Disk (UFD).
The procedure isn't nearly as convenient as
having two computers, but it's possible.
You'll have to incorporate some workarounds
into the procedure and do some extra
software installations as well as create a
bootable CD to restart the computer instead
of booting from a UFD.
Windows 7 SP1 Slipstream - One Computer Not
UFD Bootable
[ This is the page you
are on now ] |
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| Procedure Overview |
| As is the case with
most 'procedures' there are always parts that are
absolutely etched in stone and those where some
flexibility is allowed and you have the freedom to
make changes to suit your work style or available
resources. This procedure is no different. Keep in
mind that in this tutorial I am simply laying out a
procedure that has worked for me and the tools I
used to accomplish the end goal; create a Windows 7
image that includes Windows 7 Service Pack 1 along
with some selected applications, drivers, and to
have that image available in three different
formats; a USB Flash Disk (UFB), an .iso file, and a
DVD. |
| Step One -
Gather the Necessary Hardware and Software Resources |
- A licensed Windows 7 DVD
from Microsoft containing the Windows 7 version
you intend to use as the basis for the image.
- A standalone version of
Service Pack 1 is not required unless the system
has no internet access.
- One computer is necessary
for this procedure. The computer does not need
to be able to be 'booted' from a USB Flash Disk
(UFD), however it does need to have USB ports to
support a UFD. In lieu of being booted from a
UFD when capturing the image, the system will be
booted from a special CD created as part of the
process.
- One USB Flash Disk (UFD) is
required. At the minimum it should be 8GB
capacity; 16GB would be better in case the image
size grows because of installed applications,
updates, and drivers you add in Step Four.
- The Windows Automated
Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7 is required
for this procedure. This is a
free download available from Microsoft. In
spite of the fact it's free, it is a huge
download, tripping the bandwidth meter at
~1700MB. The download will be in .iso format and
will need to be burned to a DVD for installation
on your system.
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| Step Two -
Install Required Application Tools |
- The Windows
Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7
is required for this procedure. This is a
free download available from Microsoft. In
spite of the fact it's free, it is a huge
download, tripping the bandwidth meter at
~1700MB. The download will be in .iso format and
will need to be burned to a DVD for installation
on your system.
- If your operating
system (non-Windows 7) doesn't have the ability
to burn .iso files to DVD or you want to create
an .iso or bootable DVD of the image after it's
created you'll also need a DVD manipulation and
burning program of your choice.
- Part of this
scenario - not being able to boot from a UFD -
requires you have a CD/DVD burning and
manipulation utility to create the bootable CD
used in place of the bootable UFD.
- You'll also need a
DVD manipulation and burning program capable of
handling .iso files and extracting boot images
if you want an installation media other than a
UFD.
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| Step Three -
Create Bootable USB Flash Disk (UFB) |
- The USB Flash Disk (UFB)
created in this step will be used to capture the
hard disk image that contains Windows 7 along
with any additions and customizations you have
added.
- For years now we have been
used to installing Windows from CD and DVD's. In
this procedure you can certainly integrate
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 into Windows 7 and have
it fit comfortably onto a DVD, but the ability
to add drivers, applications, and other things
may well drive the image over DVD capacity and
necessitate UFD installation. Because this
tutorial is based on the assumption you have a
single computer that isn't UFD bootable, you
need to exercise some restraint in creating an
image that will fit on a DVD.
|
| Step Four -
Windows 7 Installation |
- This is where the custom installation of
Windows is built that will be imaged. The first
step is to do a clean installation of whatever
version of Windows 7 is desired. After that
completes it's time to add service packs,
updates, drivers, applications -- basically
whatever you want to appear in the completed
image.
- It's important to remember that whatever is
installed in this step will be a part of the
final image. Be selective. Unless all the
systems where you deploy the image will use, for
example, the same graphics card drivers you
probably wouldn't want to include them in the
image. On the other hand, you'd likely want
Service Pack 1 on all the systems so it would be
a prime candidate for inclusion.
|
| Step Five -
Clean the Windows 7 Image |
- As part of the Windows 7
installation in the previous step there are
going to be a few items added that need to be
eliminated using Audit Mode.
- This is called cleaning or
scrubbing the image and is performed using the
Sysprep tool.
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| Step Six -
Generalize the Windows 7 Image |
- This is similar to the
previous step but takes the process a bit
further. It's also done using the Sysprep tool
but with different settings.
- Generalizing the image is
the final clean-up step before actually
capturing the image.
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| Step Seven -
Capture the Windows 7 Image |
- All the changes and
inclusions you wanted to make to the basic
Windows 7 installation are now complete and it's
time to actually capture the new image.
- This is where the UFD
created way back up in Step Three is used to
capture the image that has been created. Using
ImageX the new image will be copied from the
hard disk of the computer to the UFD.
- The bootable CD created
earlier will be used to boot the computer, not
the UFD.
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| Step Eight -
Create the Windows 7 Media |
- Now that the
customized Windows 7 image has been created and
captured it's time to bring the new image
together with the licensed media used to install
Windows 7.
- This step requires creating
a second bootable UFD, copying files from the
licensed Windows 7 media, and integrating the
new install.wim file into the copied files. Once
that is done you have a USB Flash Drive (UFD)
that can be used to install Windows 7 containing
all your service packs, updates, drivers, and
applications on the system of your choice.
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| Step Nine -
Installing from UFD and Converting A UFD to DVD or
ISO Format |
- It's certainly preferable to install Windows
7 from a UFD. It's far faster than installing
from a DVD. Unfortunately all the computers
capable of running Windows 7 quite
satisfactorily don't have the ability to boot
from a UFD.
- I'll show you how to convert the new UFD
media into an .iso file or burn it's contents to
a bootable DVD.
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