Given standard PC hardware, it's typical to set up a reference PC, which includes all additions, deletions, preferences and settings that match such a configuration deployed in offices or in the field. Then, IT pros can try out, test and finalize a current base image for each update cycle. This can serve as the basis when deploying PCs to users as well as as a reference point for repairing, recovering and updating already deployed PCs in users' hands.
The service operation responsible for supporting and deploying PCs will need to maintain a physical PC or an equivalent VM for each standard configuration in actual use. Alternatively, that operation can obtain and use a representative unit to make sure everything is set up, configured and working as desired. Then, deploy that unit to some user once the bulk of the user population has been serviced.
Microsoft calls this process capturing a Windows image. It uses a running Windows installation with all desired customizations as the basis for creating an install Windows Image (WIM) file. This custom file replaces install.wim in the Sources folder within the ISO used to drive install, repair and recovery capabilities going forward.
Follow these steps to capture an image:
The DISM command creates a customized WIM file -- namely, Reference.wim in the previous example -- that provides the basis for later deployment. This comes from using a special script named ApplyImage.bat based around the Microsoft Sysprep utility. At the heart of this script is a DISM command. Its general syntax looks like
Here, is an input parameter in the script for the to be created. It identifies a file specification for the image file, such as Reference.wim. The directive identifies an image index for multi-part image files. It defaults to 1 for a single-partition, single-image file like the one the previous DISM command creates. Finally, the directive points to a mapped drive -- W -- where the reference image file is stored for the script to consume.
There are several tools that can help you work on Windows images. The ultimate reference here is the Microsoft Learn "DISM Image Management Command-Line Options" article, which explains what the command can do and the precise syntax that allows it to function. Some of the most relevant actions include the following: