Disk Imaging
If you have already installed and configured a Windows operating system, there is a possibility to pull off this complete operating system configuration via disk imaging using the package - DiskImageCreate - and deploy it to other computers using the package - DiskImageDeploy.
Disk Imaging via WinPE behaves in the same way as Disk Imaging via EPE 4. The same variables for DiskImageCreate and DiskImageDeploy are used here as well.
It is very helpful if you first configure the required PreOS packages for the respective action via Configuration > Views Designer. Afterwards, these can simply be assigned to a group via drag & drop.
Prerequisites
- Currently, the WinRE partition must be specified with a size of 0.
- No UEM Agent or Advanced Agent must be installed on the client. If the VHD contains a running UEM Agent, then in the later deployment the PE Agent cannot be started in the early Windows phase and the deployment cannot be completed.
- The system environment variable EmpirumServer must be removed. If the variable is still set before the VHD is created and the corresponding created VHD is used during deployment, then the UEM Agent will try to connect to the Empirum Server defined in the system environment variable during its installation. This can lead to problems if a different depot is to be used during deployment.
- Sysprep must currently be executed manually.
- The following PreOS Packages are required to create and deploy a disk image (HardwareInfo, EndOfLife, LanguageInstallation and EmpirumAgentSetup are optional). These must be present in the Matrix42 Management Console (EMC) under Configuration > Software Management > Depot > Register Matrix42 PreOS Packages tab in this order:
Preliminary measures
Here we go into how to prepare the client from which the VHD is to be created.
The example shown here is done via a Virtual Machine (VM).
- For the creation of the client from which the VHD is to be extracted, a customized variable configuration is required - SizeWinREPartitionInMB = 0.
- The configuration group through which the client is installed should have the UEM Agent "Uninstall" command in the deployment options to prevent the UEM Agent from being installed here via inheritance.
Check directly on the client that no other variables are inherited and that the variables you have set via variable configuration actually arrive - Inheritance column! - After the client has been installed and configured with these options and the necessary settings on your part, the VHD can now be created.
DiskImage - Create
The starting point is a newly installed and configured Windows 10 operating system. This can have been installed via EPE 4 or also via WinPE.
Logging in to Windows should generally only be done with ONE user (installation user). If multiple users were logged in, the apps to be uninstalled must be uninstalled for each logged in user!
It is advisable to create a snapshot of this finished configured OS, so that if something is still missing, you can start again at exactly this point.
Once Sysprep has been executed, this configuration cannot be used again!
- Create a configuration group according to the following example:
The software package "Empirum VHD Create" has not been added here, because currently Sysprep must be run manually. - Create a variable configuration with your preferred values (the example contains default or demo values).
See also variable description DiskImageCreate. The creation of a variable configuration is described here.
- Activate the "PULL via DDS/DDC (software packages only)" and "Activate PXE (reinstall computer)" options for the group or computer when all settings have been made on the client and all values of the variables have been filled correctly.
The computer from which the VHD file is to be created is manually prepared for VHD creation using the system preparation tool (Sysprep). - For this purpose, a command prompt must be opened in the running system with local administrative rights and the following command must be called:
%windir%\System32\SysPrep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /reboot
The preparation runs automatically and does not require any manual intervention.
Alternatively, the file sysprep.exe can be started directly with administrator rights.
Activate the Generalize option (checkmark set).
- Confirm with ENTER, or click OK.
Under Windows 10, this error message may occur:
The integrated apps from Microsoft are responsible for this. Tests have shown that it is usually enough to uninstall the following apps:
Before Windows 10 (1809-1903) 17763.437, at least one of the following apps must be uninstalled beforehand:
Microsoft.BingWeather Get-AppxPackage -allusers *BingWeather* | Remove-AppxPackage Microsoft.NetworkSpeedTest Get-AppxPackage -allusers *NetworkSpeedTest* | Remove-AppxPackage Microsoft.BingNews Get-AppxPackage -allusers *BingNews* | Remove-AppxPackage Microsoft.Office.Sway Get-AppxPackage -allusers *Sway* | Remove-AppxPackage Microsoft Office.Lens Get-AppxPackage -allusers *OfficeLens* | Remove-AppxPackage Microsoft.Todos Get-AppxPackage -allusers *Todos* | Remove-AppxPackage Microsoft.RemoteDesktop Get-AppxPackage -allusers *RemoteDesktop* | Remove-AppxPackage Microsoft.Whiteboard Get-AppxPackage -allusers *Whiteboard* | Remove-AppxPackage
As of Windows 10 (1809-1903) 17763.437, the following app must be uninstalled beforehand:
Microsoft.LanguageExperiencePackde-DE Get-AppxPackage -allusers *LanguageExperiencePack* | Remove-AppxPackage
Alternatively, you can start the Power Shell as administrator and uninstall all already installed apps with this command:
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage
If multiple users were logged in, these apps must be uninstalled for each user!
In general, it is important to note the following:
- Windows should (must) be newly installed to create the master image (not an update from a previous version to the current version).
- Logging in to Windows should generally only be done with ONE user (installation user). With two or more users logged in, it becomes much more complicated to uninstall the default apps.
PowerShell calls (as administrator) to uninstall Appx packages:
Get-AppxPackage -allusers *SkypeApp* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *3DBuilder* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *BingWeather* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *Getstarted* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *Messaging* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *Microsoft3DViewer* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *MicrosoftOfficeHub* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *MicrosoftSolitaireCollection* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *MSPaint* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *OneNote* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *OneConnect* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *People* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *Wallet* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *WindowsMaps* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *WindowsFeedbackHub* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *XboxApp* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *ZuneMusic* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *ZuneVideo* | Remove-AppxPackage Get-AppxPackage -allusers *windowscommunicationsapps* | Remove-AppxPackage
PowerShell calls (as administrator) to uninstall Appx Provisioned Packages:
Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.3DBuilder_13.0.10349.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.BingWeather_4.18.56.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.Getstarted_4.5.6.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.Messaging_3.2.24002.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.Microsoft3DViewer_1.1702.21039.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub_2017.311.255.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection_3.14.1181.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.MSPaint_1.1702.28017.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.Office.OneNote_2015.7668.58071.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.OneConnect_2.1701.277.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.People_2017.222.1920.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.SkypeApp_11.8.204.0_neutral_~_kzf8qxf38zg5c Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.Wallet_1.0.16328.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps_2015.7906.42257.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.WindowsFeedbackHub_1.1612.10312.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.WindowsMaps_2017.209.105.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.XboxApp_2017.113.1250.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.ZuneMusic_2019.16112.11621.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName Microsoft.ZuneVideo_2019.16112.11601.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe
After running the Sysprep.exe file, the system preparation (generalization phase) of the client takes place.
If the system preparation was successful, the computer is rebooted, then the assigned WinPE PXE boot image is executed.
Start of VHD creation
The WinPE based environment is started, drivers are integrated and a connection to the server is established.
The DiskImageCreate package automatically starts the CreateVHD application.
The progress of the creation can be tracked in the application interface.
After successful creation of the VHD file, the client is rebooted.
The VHD file is now available on the specified share.
.\Empirum\EmpInst\DiskImages\Win_10_20H2-12_ENT_x64_EN_GPT.vhd
Log file
The CreateVHD application creates a log file (X:\GlobalCreateVHD.log) during the execution. This file contains detailed information about the execution of the process. In case of an error, more detailed information can be searched here.
DiskImage - Deploy
After you have created a disk image (VHD) - as described in the DiskImage - Create chapter - this VHD can now be distributed to other computers. In this example, distribution via unicast is described.
- Create one variable configuration each according to the following example:
The creation of a variable configuration is described here.
- Create a configuration group according to the following example:
- Enable the "PULL via DDS/DDC (software packages only)" and "Enable PXE (reinstall computer)" options for the group or computer.
The WinPE based environment is started, drivers are integrated and a connection to the server is established.
The DiskImageDeploy package automatically starts the Image Deployment application.
After the image deployment, the client starts into the standard setup routine. The client is integrated into the domain (if desired), then the UEM agent is installed, followed by all associated software packages. A reboot is performed.
After this reboot, the client is fully installed.
Status and logging in the Matrix42 Management Console (EMC)
Log Information about the disk imaging process can be found in the PXE log.
- Right-click the configuration or assignment group or computer and select Show Log from the context menu.
- Select the PXE Log tab.
All relevant disk imaging information is displayed in square brackets [Imaging].