New Installation: How to Create a General System Image in Audit Mode

   Note

Audit Mode is a very practical way to prepare a system image without any user specific information like usernames or computer name. With it you can create a General System Image that gives you always when used a fresh, clean Windows 7 setup as if it were a virgin, fresh install, only difference being your software, drivers and updates are already installed. Using System Image recovery is a much faster method to start fresh than reinstalling everything.

When recovering image created with this method, computer will start in so called First Run OOBE mode without any user accounts but all drivers, software and updates installed, stopping to ask for initial username, computer name, language (if additional languages installed), time zone, network and homegroup settings. An image includes no user accounts, no activation information and no SID so you always start fresh.

This tutorial takes you through following steps:

1. Installing Windows 7 and entering Audit Mode during first boot after the installation
2. Installing drivers, software, software updates and additional languages (Ultimate and Enterprise editions only)
3. Creating a system image
4. Booting to Windows Welcome (OOBE)
   
   
      Note

   Notice that Windows Update does not work in Audit Mode.
   
   

Step 1: Install Windows 7

1. Beginn installation of Windows 7 as told in this tutorial
2. When you reach step 11 in above mentioned installation tutorial, DO NOT ENTER USERNAME AND COMPUTER NAME! Instead press CTRL + SHIFT + F3:
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3. This reboots Windows 7 now in so called Audit Mode using built-in administrator profile. There's no need to set up user accounts for now
4. Continue installation from installation tutorial's step 15
5. Finally Windows 7 starts in Audit Mode. Click Cancel to close System Preparation Tool for now:
   .
   
   

Step 2: Install drivers, software and updates

1. Install all third party drivers needed (audio, video etc.)
2. If using Ultimate or Enterprise editions, install additional language packs if needed
3. Install your software (third party browsers and mail clients, MsOffice, PhotoShop, Flash Player, PDF reader etc.)
4. Install software updates
5. If you want to change where all future User accounts will be located, you can relocate the main Users folder now as told in this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...reate-move-during-windows-7-installation.html
6. When ready, continue from Step 3

Notice: Installing drivers, updates and software might cause your computer to reboot several times. As long as you have not selected to exit Audit Mode, Windows reboots always automatically back to Audit Mode. In this case just close the System Preparation Tool as told above in Step 1.5.

Step 3: Create a System Image

When you are ready with customization, close all open applications and Explorer windows, and open an elevated command prompt. Give the following command:

%windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /shutdown

Windows will now run the System Preaparation Tool (sysprep) and shut down.

Now the only thing missing is creating the image. Boot the PC with the boot disk of your chosen imaging application and create the image. You can use any third party imaging application, my choice is the free edition of Macrium Reflect. Here you can find an easy to read, complete tutorial showing you how to do it with Macrium


Step 4: First boot (Welcome or OOBE boot)

When image is done, shut down the PC. Remove the boot disk of the imaging application, turn the PC on to start Windows . It will now boot to a so called First Run OOBE (Out-of-Box Experience) boot, stopping to ask initial user profile name and computer name as told in this tutorial, Step 11 and further. If language packs are installed (Ultimate or Enterprise only), initial first boot also asks user in what language he / she wants Windows to be set up.

Now you have your Windows 7 set up, with a System Image that you can use anytime you want to get fast back to fresh Windows.

Have Fun!

Kari

Related Tutorials

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• How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7
• How to Create a System Image Backup in Windows 7
• How to Do a System Image Recovery in Windows 7
• How to Create, Customize, and Maintain Windows 7 Image in Audit Mode with Sysprep Tool

 

[JaidynM]

Very nice tutorial Kari, well done.

 

[F5ing]

Nice!

 

[essenbe]

Nice tutorial, Kari. Very useful.

 

[Kari]

Thanks geeks. I've been using this method to create initial images. It is nice after recovery to be able to start fresh in case you need / want to change your earlier username or computer name and so on. It's like a totally fresh, clean install except all your software is already installed, all drivers updated.

 

[A Guy]

Good tute Kari

A Guy

 

[F5ing]

Thanks geeks. I've been using this method to create initial images. It is nice after recovery to be able to start fresh in case you need / want to change your earlier username or computer name and so on. It's like a totally fresh, clean install except all your software is already installed, all drivers updated.

Just curious. Does changing computername create the same kind of filesystem/registry "mess" that occurs when username is changed?

 

[banal]

Mannnn Kari,
Thanks for the info. Very informative.
Cheers mate.
Banal

 

[DjMaj]

When i get to Part 3: Create a System Image ( while still in audit mode apparently , should i chose the option Quit ? )
i tried to backup the system and i received a message that says something like you can not do a backup in maintenance mode ? Can you please explain how to fix that ? thanks.

 

[Kari]

When i get to Part 3: Create a System Image ( while still in audit mode apparently , should i chose the option Quit ? )
i tried to backup the system and i received a message that says something like you can not do a backup in maintenance mode ? Can you please explain how to fix that ? thanks.

I will do some testing, updating tutorial if / when needed. Just give me some time.

Kari

 

[Kari]

OK DjMaj, first I would like to welcome you to the Seven Forums.

I have given you some rep for pointing out a mistake in my tutorial. You are completely right, you need to quit SysPrep tool before creating the image, otherwise the imaging tool sees Audit Mode as Safe Mode thus refusing to create an image.

I edited steps 3 & 4 in tutorial, works now .

Kari

 

[DjMaj]

Hi Kari ,

Thank for the fix


Regards.

 

[bonesboy]

hi there.

Is there by any chance i can change the user folder to another location in the audit mode? How can i go on about it?

Thanks

 

[essenbe]

The first post in this thread. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...reate-move-during-windows-7-installation.html

 

[bonesboy]

Sorry about that.. thank you for pointing me to the correct thread.

 

[essenbe]

No problem, hope it helps.

 

[too]

Great tutorial!!!
One question, I have Windows in one HD and the programs installed in another HD.
Is there a way to reinstall Windows and then "reinstall" the programs that are in the other HD? Without having to reinstall everything, that takes a very long time. Sort of linking them back, adding registry information or something.

Thanks!

 

[Kari]

No, reinstall requires all software to be reinstalled.

There are some third party tools meant to transfer your installed apps from one installation to another, but a skeptic as I am I would not trust them. A correctly installed and registered application can have many entries in registry, ProgramData and AppData that moving / copying them is IMO a doomed project.

Kari

 

[essenbe]

I may not be correct here, but I think if you did the sysprep, most, if not all your programs should still work without the other Windows installation. If you moved the user files during a clean install, they will have to be reinstalled. I believe that is correct. If not, I'm sure someone with more knowledge than me will be able to give you a better answer.

 

[Kari]

As this tutorial is about creating a system image during a clean install before any user accounts are created I understood the question being if he can port installed apps from a backup or other installation to this fresh installation.