Capture Reference Image using DISM 

IT Pro that support Small Business with 10 or 20 users maybe it’s not going to setup MDT 2013 to deploy Windows or Office. 

In the past i wrote an article Windows Sysprep Tool for Virtual Machines which describe how can use sysprep to generalize a Virtual Machine. 

But what if you want to use sysprep to generalize a Virtual Machine and use it to deploy in a Physical PC? 

I face this scenario before a month in small business and today i publish the article with step by step what you can do to create an image with all your Applications and deploy it in Workstations. 

I decide to create a Windows 10 Virtual Machine in HYPER-V because it’s easier and faster. 

• Download Windows 10 from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 
• Setup the Virtual Machine.  
• Install Office and other applications that used by company 
• When you are ready It’s time to capture it and create an image that will use it when you need to deploy it. 

Generalize Windows 10 Installation 

After create a Windows 10 PC base on your company requirements the first step is to generalize the Windows 10 to safely use it for deployment.  

With  /generalize option in sysprep command will remove unique pc specific information like SID , restore points  which allows you to safely use windows image in another Workstation/Laptop. 

If you want more details you can find it in Sysprep (Generalize) a Windows installation from Microsoft. 

• Open cmd as administrator the cmd. 
• Go in path c:\windows\system32 
• Type the following command 
  sysprep /generalize /shutdown 

  

• After run the command will appear a window. 
• Be sure that is selected the option Enter System Out-Of-Box Experience and check the Generalize. Click OK to start. 

  

• When the sysprep finish the VM will shutdown. 

Capture Windows 10 after Generalize 

After have generalize the Windows 10 installation it’s time to capture the image. Because we don’t have Microsoft Deployment Toolkit we must do it with Dism command. 

So let’s start 

• Boot the Workstation/Laptop from Windows 10 boottable USB that you create to setup your Workstation/Laptop. 
• Click Next 

  

• Click in Repair Computer 

  

• Select the Troubleshooting 

capture-image-step3.png 

  

• Select Command Prompt 

  

• When command prompt open run the following dism command 
   dism /capture-image /imagefile:c:\win10refimg.wim /capturedir:c:\ /name:”win10 reference image” 
  The /imagefile command determine that path which the image will save it. 
  The /Capturedir specify the directory which the image was applied. 

  

• Wait until finish 

Copy the Image file in network share 

The image file created but must be copy in network share folder to have access on it for the deployment. 

To accomplish this the Workstation/Laptop must be connected in LAN 

• Run the start /w wpeinit  
• Type ipconfig to verify that has take an ip address from your DHCP. 
• If you don’t have a dhcp run the following command to give a static ip address 
  netsh ip set address “Interface name” static <ip><netmask><gateway> 

  

• Identify the ip address of network share that you will copy the image file 
• Use net use command to map a drive from network share folder 
  net use f: \\192.168.50.250 /user:admin admin 
• Run the following command to copy the image file 
  copy c:\win10refimg.wim f:\