Applying Sysprep to a Windows installation (preparing for use). Using the sysprep utility to automate the deployment of Windows virtual machines Sysprep windows 10 step-by-step instructions

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Sysprep (System Preparation Tool) Features Overview

Sysprep(System Preparation Tool) prepares a Windows installation (Windows Client and Windows Server) for imaging and allows you to capture an environment with custom settings. Program Sysprep Removes information about a given computer from a Windows installation and prepares the installation for use so that it can be installed on different computers. By using Sysprep You can configure your computer to boot into audit mode, which allows you to make additional changes or updates to your image. You can configure Windows to start in startup mode the first time you turn on your computer.

Sysprep is included in the Windows image and is used in audit mode.

Component Description

Sysprep provides the following features.

Removes computer information from a Windows image, including the computer's security identifier (SID). This allows you to capture the image and use it on other computers. This process is called preparing the computer for use.

Removes computer drivers from

Prepares the computer for delivery to the user by configuring it to boot the first time it is turned on.

Allows you to add a response file with parameters to automate an existing installation.

Practical use

Sysprep helps solve business problems, including:

Manage multiple computers, creating a universal image that can be used for different hardware designs.

Deploy computers by capturing and deploying images with unique security identifiers.

Additionally configure individual computers by adding applications, languages, or drivers in audit mode. For more information, see .

Increase the reliability of computers by conducting audit testing before delivery to users.

New and changed features

On Windows 8.1, it is not recommended to use the Sysprep user interface. This version continues to support the Sysprep user interface, but it may be removed in a future version. It is recommended that you update your deployment procedure to use Sysprep from the command line. For more information, see .

Dependencies

Before using Sysprep, you must run Windows Setup.

You will need an installation image burner, such as or another disk imaging program.

Note

When copying Windows images between computers, the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) of the reference computer and the target computer are not required to be compatible. The /detecthal boot configuration data option allows a system that has already run Sysprep to install the correct HAL layer.

Restrictions

Sysprep has the following limitations.

The computer's security identifier (SID) is replaced on the operating system volume only when the Sysprep command is run. If your computer has multiple operating systems, you must use Sysprep separately for each image.

In some cases, the drive letter does not need to be changed for custom applications that were installed before the Windows image was re-imaged to work. Some programs store paths that include the drive letter on the system. The uninstall, maintenance, and repair scripts may not work correctly if the drive letter on the system does not match the drive letter specified in the application.

You can use Plug and Play devices from different manufacturers on the reference computer and the target computer. Such devices include modems, sound cards, network and video adapters. However, the installation must include drivers for these devices.

Not all server roles support Sysprep. If you prepare a Windows Server installation with certain server roles configured, they may stop working after the imaging and deployment process completes. For more information, see .

If you run Sysprep on an NTFS partition that contains encrypted files or folders, the data in those folders becomes completely unreadable and unrecoverable.

Sysprep can only be run if the computer is a member of a workgroup and not a domain. If the computer is joined to a domain, Sysprep removes it from the domain.

If the computer is joined to a domain, and the domain's Group Policy assigns a strong account password policy to the computer, a strong password is required for all user accounts. Running Sysprep or Run the first time you turn on your computer does not remove the strong password policy.

Warning

If you do not assign a strong password to your user account before you run Sysprep or the first time you turn on your computer, you may not be able to sign in. We recommend that you always use strong passwords for your user accounts.

Unsupported scenarios

The following scenarios are not supported.

Transferring or copying a Windows image to another computer without preparing that computer is not supported.

Using another version of Sysprep to customize the image is not supported. You should only use the version of Sysprep that was installed with the Windows image that you plan to customize. Sysprep is installed with all versions of Windows. Always run Sysprep from the %WINDIR%\system32\sysprep directory.

Using the Sysprep tool to update an installation type or to migrate an existing Windows installation that has already been deployed is not supported. Sysprep should only be used to configure new Windows installations. You can run Sysprep an unlimited number of times to build and customize your Windows installation.

Sysprep automation using the Microsoft-Windows-Deployment\RunSynchronous command is not supported. However, you can use the Microsoft-Windows-Deployment\Generalize setting to prepare the computer for post-installation imaging.

Using VM mode outside of a virtual machine is not supported. VM mode cannot be used to prepare a virtual hard disk for deployment on any other computer.

Creating a fully customized image of an operating system with installed applications is often necessary in a corporate environment, and home users will not refuse an installation disk containing their favorite set of programs and tweaks. In Windows Vista, creating such an image is much easier than in Windows XP, and you can use the Automated Installation Kit (WAIK). This article explains how to prepare and deploy a fully customized system image, and also covers how to back up your operating system to a WIM image.

Important! Read the corrected and updated version of this article, incl. in the context of Windows 7 and 8.

You will need

Of course, you will need a computer to install and configure the OS, as well as a place to save the system image. A virtual machine can act as a computer for installation. You can save the customized image on a non-system partition of this computer. For example, during system installation, you can create two partitions - install the OS on one, and subsequently save the image on the second. Also, you can always connect another virtual disk in a virtual machine. Finally, the customized image can be saved to a network share or USB drive. As you can see, there are many options - there is plenty to choose from.

Advantages and disadvantages of using a custom image

In my opinion, the advantages of a fully customized image outweigh the disadvantages.

Advantages

Quick installation of a system with a set of applications, since no time is spent on installing them. However, compared to a standard image, the customized image takes a little longer to unpack.
You can further customize the operating system by using a response file used in conjunction with a customized image.
It becomes possible to deploy an image using the utility ImageX. The standard image can only be used in combination with the installer because not all settings are configured (for example, language).

Flaws

The image size increases. The final size depends on the number and volume of installed applications. If you plan to continue installing from a DVD, you must be aware of the 32-bit versions' WIM file size limitation of 4 GB (2^32 bytes).
Versions of applications included in the image may become outdated. In this case, updating the application may be difficult (for example, it will need to be removed from the installed system). Regularly updated applications most likely do not make sense to include in the image. They can be installed separately, automating this process.

Steps to create a custom image

Creating your own WIM image can be divided into the following steps:

Preparing the system using the utility sysprep
Booting into Windows PE and saving the image using the utility ImageX

The resulting image can then be included in a DVD, installed from a network share, or deployed using ImageX.

A note about customizing settings

In addition to installing applications, in audit mode you can configure user settings both using the graphical interface and by importing pre-prepared REG files. Importing registry settings is discussed in detail in the article Using Windows Vista registry tweaks. I trust that you have read it and have a complete understanding of importing user and system settings. In relation to setting up the system in audit mode, you can go one of two ways:

Configure only system parameters, and import custom ones using REG files into the configured WIM image (or into the source image before starting the installation described here).
Configure both user and system settings, and then use a response file to ensure that the built-in account profile is copied Administrator to the standard user profile.

The first method is discussed in the above-mentioned article, and I will dwell on the second in more detail.

To copy a customized account profile to a standard user profile, you can use a response file that contains the parameter Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | CopyProfile. If this parameter is set to true, the profile is copied. You can use this feature in two ways:

After completing the system setup in audit mode, tell the utility sysprep to a pre-prepared answer file. In this case, the profile is copied immediately, that is, before the customized image is created.
When installing a custom image, include this option in the response file. In this case, the profile will be copied on the pass 4 Specialize.

Example response file containing a parameter CopyProfile, you will find on the page. Applying a response file using the utility sysprep discussed later in the article. It can be placed on a USB drive, a network resource, or included in the installation disk in advance. If you are using a virtual machine, by entering audit mode and installing Virtual Machine Additions, you can copy the answer file from the physical system.

Now let's talk about everything in order.

Running the operating system installation from the DVD and entering audit mode

The first step in preparing a customized image is to launch the OS from a DVD. You can perform the installation manually, or you can automate the process using a response file.

Manual installation

Manual installation is not fraught with any tricks. If you plan to save the customized image on a non-system disk partition, use Windows Vista Setup to create the partitions.

Advice. When installing the system on VMWare Workstation or Virtual Server 2005, you can connect a second virtual disk and subsequently use it to save the image. This will make it easier to copy the image to your production environment since these virtual machines have the ability to attach a virtual disk to the physical system.

Continue the installation until the OOBE stage. It is easy to recognize by the prompt to choose an account name and a picture for it.

At this stage, Not while selecting your account name, press CTRL+SHIFT+F3. This key combination will put the system into audit mode with the rights of the built-in account Administrator.

Automatic installation

Using an answer file, you can automate all steps of installing Windows Vista, including managing hard drive partitions, entering audit mode, and even installing applications on it, as discussed in this article. You can follow the instructions given in it up to the section “Transferring the system to oobe mode” (the article discusses complete automation of the installation).

Installing applications and setting up the system

Once you enter audit mode, you can begin installing applications and configuring operating system settings.

Attention! When installing manually, do not close the utility window sysprep- it will be needed at the end of the setup phase.

If installing an application requires a system reboot, you can do so. After rebooting, the system will return to audit mode. As mentioned above, the application installation process can be automated using an answer file. You can configure any system and user settings in the Windows Vista GUI. You can also import registry settings from pre-prepared REG files.

Once you've finished installing applications and configuring your system, you should prepare it for further use.

Preparing the system using the sysprep utility

After installing applications and configuring the system, preparation is performed using the utility sysprep. Depending on which installation method you chose, the steps will be slightly different.

Manual installation

When installing the system manually, the utility sysprep runs when entering audit mode. To prepare the system for further use (in this case, to create a customized image), you need to set the utility parameters, as shown in the figure below.

With the specified parameters the following is produced:

System preparation - removing unique system parameters, clearing event logs, resetting the security identifier (SID), etc. This option is absolutely necessary to create a customized image.
Switching the system to OOBE mode - this mode will be activated the next time the system starts.
System shutdown.

If you need to copy a built-in account profile Administrator to the standard user profile, close the utility window sysprep and use the command below instead of the GUI.

Automatic installation

If you automate entering audit mode and installing applications using a response file, as described in Installing applications in audit mode, you need to add the following highest-numbered synchronous command. This command can also be used during manual installation, after first closing the utility window sysperp.

%SystemRoot%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /shutdown /quiet /unattend:D:\CopyProfile.xml

After sysprep will complete its work, the system will be turned off. Now it is fully configured, and you can create its image using the utility ImageX.

Booting into Windows PE and saving the image using the ImageX utility

Note. Image size install.wim, included in the installation disk of a 32-bit operating system, should not exceed 4 GB (2^32 bytes). Otherwise, the installation will fail. This limitation does not apply to image deployment using the utility Imagex.

If the Windows Vista installation files are located on a network share, you can copy the customized image and response file there, and then boot into Windows PE and connect to the network share and run the installation from the command line.

Net use y: \\network_share\distrib y:\setup.exe /unattend:unattend.xml

Deploying a customized image using the ImageX utility

Using Windows PE and utility ImageX, you can deploy the customized image to your computer.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

Formatting a volume using the utility Diskpart

Apply a customized image to a volume using the utility ImageX

Note. Deploying an image using ImageX only possible on a volume that has the same drive letter as the volume saved in the image. In addition, using ImageX You cannot deploy a standard (source) image Install.wim.

Let's look at an example of deploying a customized image. It is assumed that the computer's hard drive is not formatted. After booting into Windows PE, you need to use the utility Diskpart Create a partition on your hard drive and format it. I will demonstrate creating one partition on a disk.

Diskpart select disk 0 create partition primary select partition 1 active format fs=NTFS label="System" quick assign letter=c exit

Additional information about the utility commands Diskpart you can get it by running it with the key /? , or from the article Description of the Diskpart program with a command line interface. If desired, the process of creating a partition can be automated.

All that remains is to apply the image.

Imagex /apply E:\custom.wim 1 c:

In this team:

/apply- application of the image
E:\custom.wim- the path to the image. When placing it on a network drive, you must first connect it with the command net use E:\\network_share\images.
1 - index of the image saved in the WIM file.
c:- the letter of the volume to which the image is applied.

After applying the image, you can verify (with the command dir) that is on the section C files unpacked from the image appeared. Now this partition contains the operating system in the state in which it was at the time the image was created. If the image was saved after performing settings in audit mode, the next time the computer is turned on, the system will enter OOBE mode, giving the user the opportunity to perform initial settings.

If you copied the configured account profile when you prepared the image, all new accounts will have exactly the same settings.

Deploying a Customized Image Using WDS

As with a standard image, you can use Windows Deployment Services (WDS) to deploy a custom image. A detailed description of this method is beyond the scope of the article, so I will limit myself to linking to the WDS manual posted on Microsoft Technet.

Backing up the operating system to a WIM image

Actual information .

Conclusion

Creating and deploying a fully customized Windows Vista system image using the tools included in WAIK is a fairly straightforward task. You can make this image neutral (that is, without personal files or personal data) by installing applications and configuring settings in audit mode. This approach allows further customization of the image during installation using a response file, and also preserves the ability for the end user to set personal options during the OOBE phase when the system is first launched. You can also use WIM image technology to create a backup copy of your operating system.

There is no need to say goodbye to the smooth functioning of the Windows operating system, and with it the installed, configured, activated licensed programs, if there is a need to replace the computer’s motherboard. Windows itself provides a special tool for such events - the Sysprep utility. Below we will consider in detail how to use it not only to resolve the issue with the operability of the operating system after replacing the motherboard, but also to completely transfer working activated Windows to another computer with different hardware components from the current ones.

We will transfer to another computer the most current version of the operating system from Microsoft - Windows 10. In addition to the built-in Sysprep utility, the free edition of the backup program AOMEI Backupper will help us in this matter. In its place there can be any other backup program; the essence of the process of transferring Windows to another computer with different hardware will not change. AOMEI Backupper was chosen because it is easy to use and free to use.

1. About the Sysprep utility

The Sysprep utility removes drivers and other system data about the hardware components of the computer, without affecting user data - installed and configured programs, files on the system drive, shortcuts on the desktop and in the Start menu. This utility was created by Microsoft to simplify the installation of Windows and software on a production scale. The installed operating system with already implemented and configured programs, upon completion of Sysprep, becomes a reference image, which is subsequently deployed on various computer devices of companies. On each of them, you subsequently need to install drivers for individual components and external devices that are not installed automatically. And, of course, you need to activate Windows separately on each computer.

The Sysprep utility can be used when replacing not only the motherboard, but also the processor. Replacing the latter is not the case in all cases, but in some cases it may lead to failures and errors in the operation of Windows. If and as soon as they are found, you can resort to Sysprep.

2. Preparatory stage

Whether it’s replacing the motherboard or processor, or transferring Windows to another computer with different hardware, before using the Sysprep utility, it’s better to create a restore point just in case. An alternative is a backup using the AOMEI Backupper program, which we will use to transfer the system to another computer. Before running the Sysprep utility, it is also advisable to disable your antivirus and firewall.

The preparatory steps listed above are sufficient if you are replacing the motherboard or processor, but to transfer Windows to another computer you will need a couple more things.

After the Sysprep utility removes the binding to the hardware components of the computer, you will need to create a backup copy of Windows. This must be done in pre-boot mode using bootable media with a backup program. To create one you will need a CD/DVD media or flash drive.

You also need to consider how to transfer your Windows backup. To do this, you will need an external HDD, a capacious flash drive, or access to a local network resource if the computers are on the same small network. When migrating an operating system from one PC build to another, you can save a backup copy on the hard drive of the first PC, and then temporarily connect that drive to the second PC. If the computers are located at a distance, and the target computer has at least some operating system, a Windows backup can be saved on the hard drive of the source computer. And then transfer it to the target computer using cloud storage. But even if the target computer does not have any operating system, but the hard drive is partitioned, you can put any files from the Internet on it if you boot from a Live disk (or from a disk with a Linux distribution in mode without installing the system).

3. AOMEI Backupper Bootable Media

We omit this paragraph of the article for cases of replacing the motherboard or processor, but in the case of transferring Windows to another computer with different hardware, we proceed to creating bootable media with a backup program. This is done very simply using the AOMEI Backupper program. Go to the last section “Utilities” and click “Create bootable media”.

Then select “Windows PE”. Click “Next”.

Select the media – CD/DVD, flash drive or ISO image. The latter must be selected if the work is carried out with a computer based on BIOS UEFI. AOMEI Backupper cannot write UEFI bootable media. But other programs can do this (for example,). Using these, using the ISO image created by AOMEI Backupper, you will need to create UEFI bootable media.

4. Reset hardware settings using the Sysprep utility

Now we proceed directly to removing the binding to the hardware components of the computer. Press the +R keys and in the “Run” command field enter:

After clicking “Ok”, the system folder with the executive file of the Sysprep utility will open in Explorer. Let's launch it.

A window with Sysprep launch settings will open. We leave the default option to go to the system welcome window (OOBE). To prevent Windows activation from failing, do not touch the checkbox for the preparation for use option. And, on the contrary, we set it when we need to reset the activation. Why an activation reset may be necessary will be discussed below, in paragraph 8 of this article. The third, also the last setting, is the way to complete the work. In the drop-down list, change the preset reboot to turn off the computer. Click "Ok".

The Sysprep utility will do its work and the computer will shut down. The next time you start Windows, it will already adapt to the new hardware. Therefore, after turning off the computer, we can proceed to replacing the motherboard or backing up Windows in pre-boot mode. If you replace the motherboard or processor, you can omit the backup items and immediately start starting the system - go to paragraph 7 of the article.

5. Backup of Windows without connection to the computer hardware

To create a backup copy of Windows, which, after running the Sysprep utility, will not be tied to the hardware of the current computer, load it from a previously created CD/DVD or flash drive with the AOMEI Backupper program. If you use an external HDD or a large flash drive to save a backup copy, connect them.

In the AOMEI Backupper window, go to the “Backup” section and select “System Backup”.

The disk with AOMEI Backupper will be defined as 500 MB reserved by the system, the system disk will be designated by the letter D. Select the latter in step 1. In step 2, indicate the path to the backup storage location - external media, non-system disk partition, network resource. Click “Launch”.

In the window that the backup process has started, we will use the option to turn off the computer when the operation is complete.

After creating a backup copy, the computer will turn off itself, and the external, internal HDD or flash drive can be disconnected and connected to the target computer where you plan to transfer Windows.

6. Restoring Windows on a computer with different hardware

Having connected the media with the created backup file to the target computer (or downloaded the backup file from the cloud storage to its hard drive), now on this computer we set the priority for booting from a CD/DVD disk or flash drive with the AOMEI Backupper program.

In the AOMEI Backupper window, go to the “Rollback” section. Click on the “Path” column at the bottom.

We indicate the path to store the backup file, after which the program will offer to restore the system from it. Click “Yes”.

In the next window, at the top, click on the backup copy, and at the bottom, check the “Restore the system to another location” option. And click “Ok”.

In our case, the backup file arrived on the target computer along with the hard drive removed from the source computer (Disk 1). The hard drive of the target computer (Disk 0), as we see in the screenshot, is not even partitioned. But this is not necessary. Just select it and click “OK”.

With the hard drive partitioned, select only the system partition. Important: when running backup programs from bootable media, the drive partition letters may differ from those listed in the system explorer. Therefore, you need to navigate disk partitions by their size.

If the system partition captured in the backup is smaller in size than the partition where Windows will be restored, we will find the “Resize partition” option in the AOMEI Backupper operation summary window. Let's press it.

In order for Windows to be restored from a backup to the entire volume of the system partition, and after it there is no unallocated disk space left, we pull the slider of the visual disk layout graph to the end or to the required limit. When finished, click “Ok”.

To start the Windows recovery process, in the operation summary window, click “Run”.

As when creating a backup, check the box for the option to automatically turn off the computer after the system restore operation is completed.

7. Running Windows on a computer with different hardware

When turning on the target computer, we set the boot priority from the hard drive. Either after replacing the motherboard or after transferring Windows to another computer, in either case we will see the same picture - the process of new installation of drivers for the computer’s hardware components will begin. This will be followed by a welcome window with options for choosing a language, region, and time zone. Specify the required information and click “Next”.

If the original Windows 10 was activated, the next window will ask you to accept the license agreement.

At the same stage, if the original Windows 10 was previously without activation, you will be prompted to enter. This can be done later in the system itself if you click the “Do later” option.

In the system settings window, in our case, select standard.

Next, as with a normal installation of Windows 10, the process of creating an account will follow. No need to worry about your existing account with its settings and data. She's fine and we'll have access to her later. The new account will be temporary and can be deleted later. Select “This computer belongs to me” and click “Next”.

Skip the prompt to create a Microsoft account.

And create a local (that same temporary) account. Enter the name, leave the password fields empty and click “Next”.

This will be followed by the final stage of Windows 10 settings.

Finally, we will find ourselves inside the new, just created account. We exit from it: press the +X keys and select exit from the system.

Let's go to the lock screen and see the old account. Let's go into it.

And we proceed to check if everything is in order with the data. Start menu settings, desktop shortcuts, installed programs, files on drive C - all this should remain untouched.

Now all that remains is to delete the temporary account if it is not needed. Go to the “Settings” application, open the “Accounts” section, and in it – “Family and other users”. We delete an unnecessary account.

8. Nuances of activation and launching the original Windows

Since one product key can activate only one Windows, there is a possibility that activation will fail in a system transferred to another computer. And this will happen soon after the source system has access to the Internet. Microsoft allows you to transfer an activated operating system to another computer, but on the condition that it is removed from the first computer. However, if, for example, a computer with original Windows is passed on to another family member, it is not necessary to say goodbye to this system. It can simply remain temporarily without activation until money appears in the family budget to purchase a new activation key. What needs to be done for this?

As mentioned, activating the Prepare for Use setting may cause Sysprep to reset Windows activation. Activation reset is limited to only three times. This feature in earlier versions of Windows was abused by many to extend the 30-day trial period of using the licensed system. In our case, the transfer of Windows was conceived together with its activation, and above, when running the Sysprep utility in its settings, we limited ourselves to only deleting the binding of the computer to a specific hardware. To prevent activation of Windows transferred to another computer from failing, you must turn off the Internet before turning on the original Windows computer. Then, after the same steps as described in the previous paragraph, in the original Windows you need to re-run the Sysprep utility, but with the activation reset settings - i.e., by checking the “Preparing for use” option.

That's all.

Have a great day!

Friends, hello. In this article we will talk about the standard Windows Sysprep utility. Its work has so far been considered on the pages of the site only in the context of using a tool involved in the process of creating its own operating system distributions. But this utility can be used for other purposes. What are these goals, and how can you use Sysprep to achieve them?

Resetting the binding to computer components using the Sysprep utility

Sysprep - a utility present on board Windows 7-10 - is a means of decoupling the operating system from the drivers of the components of a particular computer and individual profile data.

This decoupling is intended primarily to prepare a reference image of Windows - the state of the system with the settings made and installed software - for further deployment on a variety of computer devices. This greatly simplifies the work of systems engineers at OEM manufacturers and corporations. All those branded laptops with branded add-ons and software pre-installed in the Windows environment, which you still try to get rid of, are the result of deploying an operating system on them, the reference image of which was created on the basis of its pure distribution and then refined in audit mode. And the Sysprep utility participated in this process at one stage.

Sysprep removes computer component drivers from Windows, and the next time you start the system, it automatically installs new drivers for, accordingly, a new hardware configuration. The utility also resets the SID, clears the system event log, deletes the contents of the “Temp” system folder, deletes rollback points - in general, it clears traces of its work on the current device so that it can start working anew when Windows starts again. As if the operating system had just been installed. If necessary, Sysprep can reset the system activation up to three times.

How to run Sysprep

To run the utility, press Win+R, enter “Sysprep” and double-click the EXE file in the system folder that opens.

For what purposes can this utility be used?

Creating your own Windows builds

If you, friends, want to create your own build of Windows - with your own pre-installed programs, implemented updates, completed activation, changed settings, etc., you will use Sysprep before capturing the customized system image. And how to create your own Windows assemblies is dedicated to this on our website.

Replacement of components

Replacing important computer components such as the motherboard or processor in Windows 8.1 or 10 systems does not usually result in a blue screen of death. Windows 7 is more susceptible to this. But the emphasis on the word “usually”; situations may be different. It is better, however, in any version of the system, before replacing the motherboard or processor, turn off Windows and first run Sysprep. Running it will decouple the system from the current device drivers (i.e., simply delete them). And the next time you start the computer, the drivers will be installed in a new way. This method will not only help to avoid the possible appearance of a blue screen of death, but will also prevent another problem that may not appear immediately, but after some time of operation of the computer in a new configuration - a conflict between the old and new drivers of the replaced device.

We run Sysprep before directly turning off the computer to replace the motherboard or processor. In the utility window, set the action to “Go to the OOBE welcome window.” In the shutdown options, select “Shut down”.

Driver problems

If Sysprep was not used during the process of replacing the motherboard or processor, it does not matter, the utility can be launched at any time later. If, of course, there is a need for this, problems are observed in the operation of Windows due to the fact that the driver of the old device conflicts with the driver of the new one. Launch Sysprep. In its window, select transition to the OOBE window, and in the completion options, select reboot.

Sysprep will remove the old motherboard and processor driver along with other drivers. And, as in the previous case, the next time you start Windows they will be installed in a new way. This, by the way, is a universal way to solve problems with drivers. It can also be used in other situations - for example, when, when Windows malfunctions or is incorrectly updated to a new version, device drivers crash and then do not want to be installed. The only thing Sysprep will not help with is reinstalling IDE/AHCI/RAID drivers. In order for Windows to start with a changed hard drive controller, you need a new deployment of its image. Well, or you'll have to edit the registry manually.

Transferring existing Windows to another computer

To be able to transfer your old Windows to another computer, backup software creators implement special technologies in their products to unlink component drivers when restoring from a backup. Such technologies are available, for example, in Acronis and AOMEI backups - respectively, and . EaseUS Todo Backup also has this technology. These technologies essentially do the same thing as Sysprep, only not before capturing the image, but at the stage of Windows deployment, i.e. restoring it from backup. And these technologies benefit from Sysprep only by the ability to replace IDE/AHCI/RAID drivers, provided, of course, that the user has installers for these drivers. But while Sysprep is completely free to use and is part of Windows, technologies like Universal Restore usually come in paid editions of backup software. And if, for example, Acronis is all paid, then using the backup tools AOMEI or EaseUS and the participation of the Sysprep utility, we can transfer our working Windows to another computer completely free of charge. After all, the AOMEI Backupper and EaseUS Todo Backup programs have free basic functionality, which includes regular Windows backup and recovery.

To transfer your existing Windows to another hardware configuration, we prepare bootable media with a backup program. If you, friends, like the EaseUS Todo Backup program, how to create a bootable USB flash drive and work from it, creating system backups and restoring them. And if you like the AOMEI Backupper program, you can download a ready-made ISO image with it for burning to a flash drive or optical disc.

We have prepared the bootable media with backup, now we launch Sysprep. In its window, select the transition to the OOBE window, and in the shutdown parameters, shutdown.

We start the computer from bootable media with backup. We create a backup copy already unlinked from Windows drivers.

When creating, we specify the storage location for the backup copy as either a capacious flash drive, or a USB-HDD, or an internal hard drive, which can then be temporarily connected to a new computer. Next, we connect the flash drive or hard drive with the backup copy to another computer, boot from the bootable media with the backup and restore Windows.

When you restore Windows, its drivers will be installed in a new way.

Note: friends, with a traditional backup, Windows is transferred as is, along with its technical sections. If you need to transfer your system to a computer with a different GPT/MBR disk partitioning style or with a different IDE/AHCI/RAID hard drive controller, it is better to package the image of the existing Windows into an install.wim or install.esd file and deploy the system as a new one. How it's done, .

Reset Windows activation

Another feature of Sysprep is the ability to reset activation. Ideally, this function is intended, again, to decouple the Windows reference image from the activation and delivery of a modified system distribution without an embedded product key. But since it is not written or sealed anywhere that this function can be used for other purposes, knowledgeable people use resetting activation using Sysprep to extend the 30-day trial period of Windows 7. System activation can be reset three times, therefore, the whole trial - the period of work with “Seven” can be 120 days.

How to reset Windows 7 activation? Launch Sysprep. In its window, select the transition to the OOBE window, check the “Prepare for use” box below, and specify reboot in the completion parameters.

Note: There is another way to reset the system activation - using the command line. We discussed this method in the article about.

An activation reset using Sysprep can also be used to renew Evalution Windows evaluation free trial licenses. These are offered to IT specialists of companies as part of the Microsoft TechNet Evaluation Center project. These evaluation systems include Windows 10 Enterprise and . You can officially use them for free for 90 days, and then you need to either buy a product key or reinstall the system to start counting the days of the Evalution license again. But if at the end of the 90-day period you reset the Evalution activation using Sysprep, Windows will not need to be reinstalled for another 90 days, and then for another 90 days. As a result, we get 360 days of free use.

While using the sysprep utility, you may encounter various errors,

Let me remind you that in the first part we installed ADK, you can see it using the link on the left. Now we will prepare Windows 10 itself, everyone will of course do this for themselves, I will just tell you how I get a clean and updated ten, which differs from MSDN, only with fresh updates, which is very important when reinstalling the system, in view of saving a huge amount of time, which you would spend one hundred percent on installing software and updates.

And so I remind you that we will make ISOs based on the original MSDN Windows 10 threshold 2 (you can download the original Windows 10 image from the link on the left from the Yandex disk). Next, to create your image, you will need either a separate laptop, or best of all, a virtual machine on vmware workstation, the convenience is that everything will be done on one computer and you can easily access it, and the ten installed inside the virtual machine will not affect your main one in any way system.

And so we do a clean installation of Windows 10, in my case this is the Professional edition, you can have any other. Now you need to install MS Office and other programs. After which you need to install cumulative windows 10 updates so that when you try to find new ones, they are missing. After the update, be sure to reboot so that you do not have glitches and problems, the most common are

problems rebooting windows 10
Windows 10 start button not working

If everything is ok with the system, then you can now begin to prepare it for the reference image. A built-in utility called sysprep will help us with this.

Sysprep on Windows 10

And so the sysprep utility helps to depersonalize the Windows system, what does this mean

Removing Unique GUIDs and SIDs
Removing drivers installed for the current operating system

As I wrote above, the utility is built-in and is located along this path.

C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep

Let's launch it.

First of all, it is necessary to audit the system and prepare it for use, set everything as in the picture, if you get the error Sysprep could not verify the installation of Windows, then read how to fix it.