Cyberwin

This repository contains tools and instructions for creating a bootable Windows 11 ISO with an autounattend.xml file on a Linux system.

Prerequisites

1. Windows 11 ISO: Download the official Windows 11 ISO from the Microsoft website.
2. genisoimage and mkisofs: Install these tools on your Linux system.
3. autounattend.xml: Copy autounattend.xml file from the repository.

Steps

1. Install Necessary Tools

Open a terminal and install genisoimage and mkisofs:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install genisoimage mkisofs git

2. Mount the Windows 11 ISO

Create a mount point and mount the Windows 11 ISO:

mkdir /mnt/cyberwin
sudo mount -o loop ~/Downloads/Win11_23H2_EnglishInternational_x64v2.iso /mnt/cyberwin

3. Clone Cyberwin Repository and Copy the Contents of the ISO to a Working Directory

Create a working directory and copy the contents of the mounted ISO:

cd $HOME
git clone git@github.com:Frajder/cyberwin.git
mkdir ~/cyberwin/win11iso
cp -rp /mnt/cyberwin/* ~/cyberwin/win11iso/

4. Add Your autounattend.xml File

Copy your custom autounattend.xml file to the root of the working directory:

cp ~/cyberwin/autounattend.xml ~/cyberwin/win11iso/

5. Create the Bootable ISO

Use mkisofs to create the bootable ISO:

cd ~/cyberwin/win11iso
sudo mkisofs -iso-level 3 -udf -D -b boot/etfsboot.com -no-emul-boot -boot-load-seg 0x07C0 -boot-load-size 8 -allow-limited-size -o ~/win11_bootable.iso -m boot.catalog -relaxed-filenames -volid "WIN11" .

6. Verify the ISO

You can verify the contents of the newly created ISO to ensure it includes the autounattend.xml file:

mkdir /mnt/cyberwin
sudo mount -o loop ~/win11_bootable.iso /mnt/cyberwin
ls /mnt/cyberwin

Ensure that autounattend.xml is present in the root directory.

7. Create a Bootable USB

Replace /dev/sdX with the appropriate USB drive identifier. Be very careful with this command, as selecting the wrong device can result in data loss.

sudo dd if=~/win11_bootable.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress

That's it! You've created a bootable Windows 11 ISO with an autounattend.xml file on Linux.

Actions list in autounattend.xml

List of the actions that the autounattend.xml file performs:

General Information

• The XML file is designed for unattended installation of Windows 10 and 11 with various customizations, debloating actions, and tweaks.
• It contains credit to Memory's Tech Tips, Schneegans.de, and Chris Titus Tech for the base file and tweaks.

Pass: offlineServicing

• No specific actions defined.

Pass: windowsPE

• Product Key Configuration

  • Set the Windows product key.
  • Automatically accept the EULA.

• Bypass Windows 11 System Requirements

  • Add registry entries to bypass TPM, Secure Boot, Storage, CPU, RAM, and Disk checks.
  • Force Windows Setup to show all available editions during setup.

Pass: generalize

• No specific actions defined.

Pass: specialize

• Run Synchronous Commands
  • Extract and execute scripts defined within the XML file.
  • Execute a PowerShell script to remove pre-installed packages.
  • Run Chris Titus Tech's WinUtil Tweaks.
  • Execute a script for HKLM registry entries.
  • Add items to the right-click context menu.
  • Load and unload the default user registry hive for modifications.
  • Add registry entries to execute a script the first time a new user logs in.

Pass: auditSystem

• No specific actions defined.

Pass: auditUser

• No specific actions defined.

Pass: oobeSystem

• OOBE Configuration
  • Hide EULA, OEM registration, online account, and wireless setup screens during OOBE.
  • Set network location to "Work".
  • Set Windows Update protection level to 3.

Extensions

• Scripts and Customizations
  • ExtractScript: Extracts and executes embedded scripts.
  • remove-packages.ps1: Removes pre-installed bloatware apps and Windows capabilities.
  • wintweaks.ps1: Various system tweaks including enabling .NET Framework, setting execution policies, disabling telemetry, removing OneDrive and Teams, and adjusting system services.
  • localmachine.cmd: Sets features and policies for the local machine, including bypassing Microsoft account creation, disabling UAC, customizing start menu, and applying various registry tweaks.
  • contextmenu.reg: Adds "Take Ownership" to the right-click context menu.
  • currentuser.cmd: Applies customizations and privacy settings for the current user, such as disabling telemetry, ads, and background apps, and customizing the taskbar and start menu.
  • LayoutModification.xml: Defines a start menu template layout for new user profiles.

Detailed Actions

• Bypass Windows 11 System Requirements:

  • Bypass TPM, Secure Boot, Storage, CPU, RAM, and Disk checks via registry entries.
  • Modify Windows Setup to show all editions.

• HKLM Registry Entries:

  • Disable UAC.
  • Customize Windows Spotlight and lock screen settings.
  • Set desktop wallpaper.
  • Disable various Windows features and telemetry.
  • Optimize performance settings.

• HKCU Registry Entries:

  • Disable personalized content and ads.
  • Remove OneDrive setup.
  • Align taskbar and customize start menu.
  • Set performance and gaming optimizations.

This list highlights the extensive customization and optimization actions performed by the autounattend.xml file during the unattended installation of Windows.