Tutorial for creating and testing a 700MB Windows 7 or 8 ISO

Purpose: 

System Requirements

• Recent version of Parallels (version 10) on a recent version of OS X (Yosemite) and 8 GB RAM (this will probably work similarly in VMware)
• Windows ISO file: RTM or Download version of Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1
• NTLite with at least the Home license, after trying out the free version (it cannot remove as much as the licensed one)

Preparations

• Preferably, create a Virtual Machine as a Host for NTlite with the full version of the target OS
  • for example Windows 8 Pro 32 bit
  • assign at least 2GB memory for the OS hosting NTlite
• Install NTlite on the Host
  • use HWlist, if targeting the OS for other hardware
• Download Windows 8.1 ISO from Microsoft (this includes a lot of recent updates already) or use RTM/MSDN ISO
  • http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media
  • Official downloads for Windows 7 SP1 are available here with an (unused?!) product key. Iso images can be also be found on MSDN; and by looking up for example en_windows_7_professional_with_sp1_x86_dvd_u_677056.iso with a hash of SHA1: D89937DF3A9BC2EC1A1486195FD308CD3DADE928 (Google: ‘mydigitallife MSDN Windows 7’)
• Extract contents to a folder on the Desktop, for example ‘Windows8Pro’

NTlite Settings

• Toolbar – Add – Image Folder – select ‘Windows8Pro’: to select the OS source
• For Windows 8.1, let NTlite convert the compressed .esd to a .wim
  • Backup this folder for re-use later for example Windows8ProForNTlite
  • Add this folder as the source
• Toolbar – Load: Load Windows 8.1 Pro from install.wim (wait a minute…)
• In Components:
  • Toolbar – Compatibility: select things you want to keep working…
    • Printing
    • Recommended All
    • USB support
    • Windows Update
    • Host Machine (or HWlist)
  • Toolbar – Expand All – Uncheck All: now only the absolute minimum is selected to be installed
  • Add to that the following, by checking what you need:
    • Application Compatibility! (needed for a lot of older applications)
    • Media – high definition audio device (both)
      • wdmaudio (if not already selected)
    • Floppy Disk Support (otherwise Device Manager will have an unassigned Device from Parallels)
    • Group Policy Client & Local Security Policy (useful for changing some otherwise inaccessible settings)
    • Wallpapers (Default)
    • Internet Explorer client
    • optional: Accessories – Mouse pointers
    • optional: add ‘Time Service’ (did not work in Windows 8.1, but OK in Windows 7)
    • Win7: Desktop Window Manager (for Audio and Network Connections to work – may get fixed in later NTlite version)
  • No need to add Metro (almost all settings can be done elsewhere)
• In Features:
  • Internet Explorer is enabled
• In Updates – Integrate Update Packages:
  • Automatically using the NTLite (v1.7+) with the Download Updates function, more info here
  • Or manually:
    • To find out relevant Update packages, you should first make an NTlited install without integrated updates
      • then run Windows Update and make a list of all important Security Updates by KB number
    • Download the relevant updates based on the list created in the first step
      • manually from Microsoft Download Center (search by KB number) or some other tool
  • Integrate relevant updates
• In Tweaks:
  • optional: modify ‘Services’ according to Black Viper Safe list usually a few dozen changes
  • Auto Reboot on BSOD – disable
  • UAC: disable prompt on Secure Desktop
• In Unattended:
  • Toolbar – Enable, then Auto-fill
    • modify Administrator user as needed including Password “yyyyyy”, possibly check Autologon
  • optional: Toolbar – Add local account: Group – Users, …
  • Toolbar – Configure disk partition: Check… Install to this partition, Maximum, OK
  • use Generic install Key for Windows 8.1 (Bing it 😉
• In Post Setup:
  • Add 7Zip
  • Add Sysinternals Process Explorer (self-expanding 7zipped exe)
  • Add WinDirStat http://windirstat.info/index.html
  • optional: Add Firefox
  • add some tweaks, reg hacks etc. (see below)
    • Win8DisableSwapfile.reg – disable Metro swapfile
    • Win8NoLockScreen.reg – disable the Lock Screen
    • setvmem.bat – set smaller Virtual Memory
• In Apply:
  • Toolbar – check Clean Update backup, optional: check Reuse Driver Cache
  • Toolbar – check Save changes to image
  • Toolbar – keep check on Backup Log & Backup preset
  • optional: Toolbar – check ESD compression (gets the image down to almost CD size, but can take about 15 mins longer) without ESD compression the image will be around 900 MB
  • Toolbar – check Create ISO image: Save to outside of the VM and name it something meaningful (Windows_8.1_Pro_32bit_en_US_NTLite4.iso)
  • In Source – Toolbar – Save – Preset name: for example Win8NTlite4

Installation in Parallels VM:

• Select image file
  • Select Operating System – ‘Windows 8.1’ (if not recognised)
  • Win8: Select ‘Look like Windows 7’ (to get Start8 start menu)
  • Customize: Sharing, Applications, Startup, Memory, disable USB Webcam
• Install should then all be fully automatic for Windows 8, Windows 7 may ask for a key, which can be skipped
  • when creating partition manually: search for “How to Avoid Reserved or Hidden Partition in Windows 8”

After Installation in Parallels VM:

• Parallels Hard Disk will be about 2.3 – 2.8 GB, memory usage about 250 MB (win8.1)
• Win7: disable system restore
• set 125% Windows & Font scaling (on Hi-Res monitors)
• Install Parallels Tools
  • Win7: Install Parallels ‘Mac Look’
    • adjust fonts & sizes Segoe UI 11px
  • Win8: ‘Windows 7 Look’ (Win8)
• add Process Explorer shortcut
• check or install WinDirStat
• In Win8.1:
  • Start8
    • optional: Update Start8 to version 1.5+ (from website)
      • sometimes problems with uninstall-loop in Windows 8.1
  • Start 8 settings:
    • Desktop: Disable all Windows 8 Hot corners
    • Configure:
      • Show ‘Run’
      • Hide shortcuts:
        • Games (do not work)
        • Help and Support, etc.
• Check for Updates in Windows Update (first time can be slow)
  • ignore (most) Optional Updates
  • change Settings (uncheck ‘give me recommended updates…’)
  • hide unwanted updates, especially if you skipped some intentionally during the integration
• make Firefox default (if installed)
• launch 7Zip as Admin to associate file-types with all users
• disable Windows Error Reporting in Group Policy
  • Administrativ Templates – Windows Components – Windows Error Reporting
• Activation
  • check: %windir%\system32\cmd /c slmgr/dli
• optional: Install downloaded Theme
• Check Device Manager
• Win7: sounds: disable startup sound
  • Disable Delete Confirmation on Recycle Bin

Cleanup:

• Use WinDirStat to check what is taking up most space
• Delete ‘Software Distribution’ (stop Windows Update Service first)
• Shrink WinSXS
  • (see relevant articles)
  • On Windows 8.1:
    • Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore
      
    • Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase
    • Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore
• Delete: C:\Users\Christian\AppData\Local\Temp\PrlToolsPackages
• Delete any restore points and disable System Protection (Win7)
• launch Windows Disk CleanUp
• optional: CCleaner (disable Monitoring)

Not working or Missing:

• Creating new Users in a Group
  • fast user switching
  • Create an account via an Administrator command shell cmd.exe:
    • net user /add useraccountname mypassword
    • net localgroup administrators useraccountname /add
• Even with Metro disabled, Metro IE is installed
  • Metro IE will not load any pages
  • On full screen “Here is Start” will not disappear
• cannot change account picture (due to Metro not being installed)
• generally: if nothing from .Net is installed, Event Viewer will not work
• some errors will show up in Event Monitor, not all of which have been explored by me

Conclusions after testing:

• Saves a lot of space for each VM, usually only 2.5 to 3.5 GB per VM even with installed updates & applications
  • whereas a regular VM with Win7 or Win8 easily takes up 8 to 20 GB and keeps on growing
• Win8 Lite is more responsive and almost as fast as a Windows XP VM
• used Process Explorer to check memory usage, which is between 200 and 300 MB after idling for 5 minutes (about half of a regular install)
• Device Manager shows no errors
• Network, Sound and all built in desktop applications incl. Administrative Settings work
• .Net Framework 3.5 or 4.5 can be installed later, if needed
• most desktop applications will install and run smoothly
• tested Firefox, Quicken, Bibleworks, etc.

Registry tweaks & Swapfile Size in Post Setup:

Some Silent Install Switches:

If you want to use one of these example presets, please adapt them to your needs: at a minimum check the Components – [toolbar] Compatibility options.

For more presets look at Emma’s excellent work here.