How to make Custom OS installers?

[Pierre3400]

Hey guys,

I am going to be doing some benching, and this will at the end of the day ruin the OS system on a regular basis.

So what i wanted to do was, buy a bunch of USB flash drives, install windows, and the drivers and pretty much anything i'll need, apart from installing GPU drivers, and then get this repacked into a USB flash drive, so a reinstall will run much faster.

But how do i go about doing this? Is there free software? Can i do what i am looking to do?

 

[EarthDog]

Been covered in the forums and the info is on the web. Let me dig up some links (don't hesitate to search in the meantime...)...

EDIT: Choose your poison - http://www.techradar.com/us/news/so...ting-custom-windows-installation-discs-679477

 

[Pierre3400]

Been covered in the forums and the info is on the web. Let me dig up some links (don't hesitate to search in the meantime...)...

I know its possible within reason, but is it possible to do with all benching software, and all custom settings and everything? Like an installer that makes me able to pick up where i left off sort of deal.

I have not done this before, and would like to know more about the process.

 

[EarthDog]

I never install benchmarks... they literally take a couple of minutes...

That said, you can take an image of the system with all the benchmarks installed and re-image your drives from that.

EDIT: What I would do if you want your image to span chipsets is to Do a basic windows installation with no drivers. Install all the benchmarks/monitoring tools. Snap that image and use it. That way you only have to install INF/NIC/GPU drivers.

 

[Pierre3400]

I never install benchmarks... they literally take a couple of minutes...

That said, you can take an image of the system with all the benchmarks installed and re-image your drives from that.

Re-image? As in install?

What i am curious about it, basically, i want to do a fresh install, figure out what updates need to be done, if any, change all the visuals, and then have the motherboard drivers preinstalled, plus all my networked drives! Since i have setup folders for screenshots and so on, on the network.

 

[EarthDog]

Yes. That is called an image. You setup your system how you want it and take a 'snapshot' with backup software like Acronis (to name one example). Then if you bork or just want to blow your OS out of the water, install from the image you created. Super simple with the right software (if you are going to ask which software, you need to search the forums as that question is asked about monthly and been covered a ton... my suggestion is Acronis).

 

[Pierre3400]

Yes. That is called an image. You setup your system how you want it and take a 'snapshot' with backup software like Acronis (to name one example). Then if you bork or just want to blow your OS out of the water, install from the image you created. Super simple with the right software (if you are going to ask which software, you need to search the forums as that question is asked about monthly and been covered a ton... my suggestion is Acronis).

Well yeah, i was going to ask about the installing image process next

I have just seen a lot of "changed" versions of W7, where its custom, but still runs the native W7 installer, but i guess once we move into images, this is over.

 

[EarthDog]

but i guess once we move into images, this is over.