Trying to keep it basic, Windows 11 base image deployment

[TheRobins]

Hi all,

 

Seen plenty of threads, tried different ways but wonder if I am missing a trick (apart from running a loads of USB memory sticks from the Media Creation Tool)

 

I want to deploy a base Win 11 image to our devices, and have it sit at the OOBE window ready to deploy Autopilot/Stroke intune. I have messed around with MDT using our working Windows 10 task squence, culling it and just adding a simple return to OOBE and shutdown squence, 

 

I am getting some errors with Sysprep which is a bit of a PITA but I am sure a few hours and testing again might be ok.

 

However, I am sure you clever people out there know of some shortcuts, I am want to image a load of existing 12th and 13th Gen intel Desktops and Laptops to the simple OOBE window, and let my magical USB stick to the rest

 

Any suggestions welcome.

 

 

[synaesthesia]

Don't bother sysprepping - just MDT install from the ISO image and stop the task sequence before it gets to the setup part  That'll leave you nicely at the OOBE for Autopilot.

[TheRobins]

~Interesting theory, Ill give it a bash

 

Thanks

 

 

[LeMarchand]

I don't sysprep any more either. Not quite as advanced as @synaesthesia - it's all installed by GPO, but it's great just swapping out the ISO every so often for the latest version, taking minutes, rather than almost starting from scratch.

[FN-GM]

I dumped imaging all together. Using OSD cloud, I configured a USB drive that does the following

1. Download the latest ISO from Microsoft.

2. Apply that to the disk

3. Download and apply the correct drivers from Dell (Can also do HP and Lenovo)

4. Reboot and had off to InTune.

 

Works great and we have zero servers and imaging systems to maintain.

[TheRobins]

6 minutes ago, FN-GM said:

I dumped imaging all together. Using OSD cloud, I configured a USB drive that does the following

Thats been in my to look at bookmarks for 12 months, may re-visit again if its not too much of a pain scripting

 

Thanks, 

[RobFuller]

OSDCloud is brilliant, we use this for any rebuilds or recovery of devices that don't have the option built into the BIOS to pull down a new Windows install.

Also going to investigate this summer setting up https://www.iventoy.com/en/index.html so I can host this ISO and others to PXE boot from without the need to always use a USB stick as thats less convenient. 

[FN-GM]

15 minutes ago, TheRobins said:

Thats been in my to look at bookmarks for 12 months, may re-visit again if its not too much of a pain scripting

 

Thanks, 

 

I set up the ISO image using Powershell. There are zero custom scripts.

[TheRobins]

51 minutes ago, FN-GM said:

 

I set up the ISO image using Powershell. There are zero custom scripts.

Having a go now, Just burning my first attempt with Rufus to USB but constant interuptions and phone calls isnt helping

[FN-GM]

On 07/07/2025 at 22:51, TheRobins said:

Having a go now, Just burning my first attempt with Rufus to USB but constant interuptions and phone calls isnt helping

How did you get on?

[TheRobins]

OSDCloud yeah it works. Sadly I only have a spare slow USB stick so intial setup is really quite slow, I have 10 faster ones coming today. Once it runs through it stores drivers and the OS image on the USB so it shouldnt need to download each time. As all of our kit is HP drivers just install there and then. The most important thing is, it gets a fresh windows 11 image on and sits at the OOBE sceen for me.

 

Also, this morning I found an article (based on Win 10) to create a very simple MDT task to do similar (minus drivers). It actually works, I skipped the 7th step as I didnt want to autopilot just yet, some tweaking of cutsomsettings.ini to EN-GB and UK keyboard and it will image Win 11 as fast as the network card will take it, 2 minute of setup, reboot and the OOBE Is waiting. Good thing is I now have 2 choices to choose from - https://osddeployment.dk/2018/12/08/how-to-deploy-autopilot-device-fast-with-mdt/

 

 

Edited July 9, 2025 by TheRobins
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