Custom install windows

[jakesaunders27]

Hi,
Does anyone know how to install windows so that it installs with custom settings so that it installs with chrome and steam already on windows, for example my pc boots straight into Steam Big Picture it doesnt even display a desktop after logon, how do i make this happen from the install instead of having to install chrome and steam and edit the registry on every pc?

Cheers

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello and welcome Jake mate what you are asking is for those apps to be bundled with the OS? If so mate I think you are probably looking at no you can't.

Just out of interest are you installing on new drives or the old one? One option would be to clone the drive but if the OS is an OEM then you will only be able to use the new drive in that one machine / same motherboard.

You might be able to do that I suppose on a different machine / motherboard if the version is a retail one but I am just guessing there.

 

[jakesaunders27]

hi, thanks so much for your reply, yeah thats basically what i want. How come places like PC World have thier pcs bundled with all of their software before setup? thats basically what i want to do

Cheers

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Well Jake in a nutshell again most of the prebuilts are loaded with what we call bloatware etc etc and a lot of is loaded at power up unless you remove it. Toshiba and HP are a classic examples of bundling an anti virus trial, games, and Office and their own stuff and really it fills your hard drive with a lot of stuff you are hardly ever going to use.

The trial versions of bloat they put on can be a real pain after the expiry period and pester you with reminders to upgrade or buy etc etc ad nauseum.

So a lot of members in here will either build and clean install or reinstall the OS onto a prebuilt to get rid of the rubbish.

Sorry mate but the only thing you can do is to install and start from scratch unless you clone to a larger drive, which brings me back to is that what you intend doing or are just enlarging / renewing / upgrading the drive?

 

[jakesaunders27]

ok thanks, i have 4 of the same computer in a few rooms that are htpcs and just wanted to be able to install quickly,
so i could clone the hd the?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

I am assuming you mean these are hooked up as theatre systems Jake and I am guessing each has it's own OEM version of Windows 7 so in that case mate you would need at least one hard drive for each machine to clone to, and as a general rule it requires a drive of the same size to clone to ie small to large ok large to small not ok..

For example if you wanted exactly the same set up in each machine say comp 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 then because the OS on comp 1 is an OEM (Original Manufacturers Equipment) it means you cannot clone the drive to the comp 2 drive from the drive in comp 1 because the OS on the comp 1 drive is tied to the motherboard in comp 1 and so on.
If you did clone the first drive and put it in the second or third machine it will eventually come up with a non genuine version of Windows. So I think you are stuck with having to do it the hard way mate.

Like I said if it were a retail version you might get away with doing it slightly different.

Now there might be some absolute genius who rig your machines by manipulating the registry but if this were true it would be a very complicated process and personally I don't think it possible.

 

[jakesaunders27]

hi, thanks a lot such a nice welcome to the forum cheers mate

 

[ICIT2LOL]

No worries Jake sorry it has to be this way. But at least you have something to keep in mind next time you get a machine or hey even build one - so much more fun even for an old phogey like me

 

[gregrocker]

What you want is a backup image of your customized install which can be reapplied to the same hardware, or using an imaging app like Acronis with Universal Restore or Paragon with Adaptive Restore can reimage to any other hardware you want - as long as you want the same version and have a retail key to activate it, or the hardware came preinstalled with that version to use the Product Key on the COA sticker.

You can also Sysprep the image beforehand which will allow it to start up on any other hardware: SysPrep to move HD to another computer.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

What you want is a backup image of your customized install which can be reapplied to the same hardware, or using an imaging app like Acronis with Universal Restore or Paragon with Adaptive Restore can reimage to any other hardware you want - as long as you want the same version and have a retail key to activate it, or the hardware came preinstalled with that version to use the Product Key on the COA sticker.

You can also Sysprep the image beforehand which will allow it to start up on any other hardware: SysPrep to move HD to another computer.

Thanks Greg I didn't know that could be down if the different drives had a different install / activation of the OS