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NTLite Windows 11 Image Creation Notes
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NTLite-Image-Config-Notes.md

NTLite Image Configuration Notes - Windows 11 - 23H2

  • April 2024
    • updated with latest NTLite (2024.4.9880) and Windows 11 23H2 (Update 1) ISO (Feb 2024)
    • Negate default Admin user password expiration
    • apply latest security updates
    • So far, no luck removing the onedrive backup nag message without completely disabling Onedrive notifications
  • Nov 2023
    • updated with latest NTLite and Windows 11 23H2 ISO (Oct 2023)
    • added a few additional configuration elements - changes in Bold Italics
    • Some sections within NTLite have been renamed, so that has been updated as well
  • Sept 2023
    • updates for removing clickware icons from Start Menu in Home/Pro
  • June 2023
    • initial using 22H2

Resources

Prep

Latest Windows Version

Load Image into NTLite

  • Add
    • image Directory
    • select folder where ISO contents were copied
    • Right click on Win 11 Pro - select Load

Configuration

Integrate / Updates - added April 2024

  • I typically like to use a stock Windows ISO and add updates on after the install
  • But just after a few months, the deltas are growing pretty large
  • Does really speed up time to deployment in my initial testing

Update Integration Process

  • Click the "Add" in the left pane, and select "Latest Online Updates"
  • Pick and choose what you want
  • I selected the latest monthly and a few security related updates

Integrate / Registry Changes

Disable "set up network connected devices automatically"

  • Create file: DisableNetworkDeviceAutoSetup.reg 
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\NcdAutoSetup\Private]
"AutoSetup"="0"
  • Add .reg file to "Registry Queue" List in NTlte

Clean up Clickware icons in Start Menu

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device\Start]
"ConfigureStartPins"="{\"pinnedList\":[{\"desktopAppId\":\"MSEdge\"},{\"packagedAppId\":\"Microsoft.WindowsStore_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App\"},{\"packagedAppId\":\"windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy!microsoft.windows.immersivecontrolpanel\"},{\"packagedAppId\":\"Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App\"},{\"packagedAppId\":\"Microsoft.WindowsAlarms_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App\"},{\"packagedAppId\":\"Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App\"},{\"packagedAppId\":\"Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App\"},{\"desktopAppId\":\"Microsoft.Windows.Explorer\"}]}"
"ConfigureStartPins_ProviderSet"=dword:00000000
  • Add .reg file to "Registry Queue" List in NTlte
  • The below export file was created from a fresh N edition of Windows 11, this was the source of the above .reg file
{"desktopAppId":"MSEdge"}
{"packagedAppId":"Microsoft.WindowsStore_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App"}
{"packagedAppId":"windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy!microsoft.windows.immersivecontrolpanel"}
{"packagedAppId":"Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App"}
{"packagedAppId":"Microsoft.WindowsAlarms_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App"}
{"packagedAppId":"Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App"}
{"packagedAppId":"Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App"}
{"desktopAppId":"Microsoft.Windows.Explorer"}

Post Setup - added April 2024

  • Disable user password expiration
    • Section: Integrate / Post Setup
    • Toolbar: Add - Template - Disable user password expiration
    • This Applies: "net accounts /maxpwage:unlimited"

Remove / Components

  • Localization/Language = Remove all except US/en

Multimedia

  • remove: XBox Core

Remoting and Privacy

  • remove: Remote Assistsance

Apps

  • Remove: Cortana
  • Remove: Feedback Hub
  • Remove: Get Help
    • added back Nov 2023 - Windows troubleshooting tools are being integrated into "Get Help".
  • Remove: Mail and Calendar
  • Remove: Microsoft News
  • Remove: Microsoft People
  • Remove: Microsoft Photos
  • Remove: Microsoft To Do
  • Remove: Movies and TV
  • Remove: MSN Weather
  • Remove: Office
  • Remove: Quick Assist
  • Remove: Tips (Get Started)
  • Remove: Windows Maps
  • Remove: Windows Voice Recorder
  • Remove: Xbox App
  • Remove: Xbox Game Bar Plugin
  • Remove: Xbox Game Bar
  • Remove: Xbox Game Speech Window
  • Remove: Xbox TCUI
  • Remove: Your Phone

Configure / Settings

Desktop

  • accent color = RED FF0000
  • Classic Context Menu - enabled
  • Dark mode for Windows - enabled
  • Desktop Icon - My Computer - enabled
  • Desktop Icon - Recycle Bin - enabled
  • on resume, display login screen - enabled
  • Show People on Taskbar - disabled
  • Taskbar alignment - left
  • Taskbar - show on all monitors - enabled
  • Taskbar chat and widgets - disabled
  • Teams install - disabled
  • Use print screen button - enabled

Explorer

  • always show more detail in file copy - enabled
  • autoplay - disabled
  • display tray items - enabled
  • added Nov 2023
    • Navigation pane - Automatically expand to current folder - enabled
    • Open File Explorer to - This PC
    • View - Show extensions for know file types - enable
  • added April 2024
    • Navigation pane - Gallery = Delete
    • Navigation pane - Libraries = Disabled
    • Show Files from Office.com = Disabled

Configure / Setting / Privacy

  • Allow Telemetry - Security (disable policy)
  • Clipboard history - enable

Disable these items:

  • Automatic installation of sponsored apps (Consumer Experience) - disable
  • Automatically connec to hotspots temporarily to see if paid network services are available - disable
  • Automatically connect to suggested open hotspots - disable
  • Automatically install suggested apps - disable
  • 3 x Collect for Cortana ...
  • 4 x Cortana options
  • Let apps use user advertising ID
  • Let Microsoft provide more tailoreed experiences
  • Let Windows collect my activies rom this PC
  • Let Skype...
  • Occasionally show suggestions in start
  • Pre-installed apps
  • Pre-installed OEM apps
  • Search - include BING results
  • Send Microsoft info about how I write
  • added Nov 2023
    • Show me suggested content in the Settings app
    • Show me Windows welcome experience after updates
  • Suggest ways I can finish setting up
  • use page prediction to improve reading, speed up browsing
  • Windows spotlight tips
  • added April 2024
    • Feedback Frequency
    • Personalize your speech, typing, and inking input by sending your input data to Microsoft
    • Show frequently used folders in Quick Access
    • Show frequently used files in Quick access

Configure / Settings / System

  • Local User account setup support - enabled
  • 2x TPM and SecureBoot requirement - disabled

Configure / Settings / Windows Update

  • Give me updates for other MS products - enabled

Configure / Services

  • Connected User Experience and Telemetry - disabled

Configure / Unattended (top of app window)

  • Enable
  • Check Boxes: copy to install image, copy to boot image, prompt edition selection

Setup standard Admin user

  • From Menu "Add local Account", no password

OOBE (Final install options) / Windows Localization

  • Input locale = US | 00000409
  • System Local & UI language & User Locale = English - en-US

OOBE (Final install options) / Shell Options

  • Set Timezone

OOBE (Final install options) / Shell Options

  • skip EULA page = true
  • skip local account setup = true
  • skip online account setup = true
  • Skip wireless Setup = true
  • Network location = Other / Public
  • Skip 'Get going fast' page = true
  • Skip Windows Welcome = true
  • Skip Welcome Center = true

WindowsPE (Setup Options) / Windows Localization

  • Input locale = US | 00000409
  • System Local & UI language & User Locale = English - en-US
  • Setup UI Language = English - en-US

WindowsPE (Setup Options) / Windows Setup Options / User settings

  • Skip EULA page = true

Build new ISO

Apply Section

  • Save the image

  • check remove nonessential editions

    • uncheck: Home, Pro, Pro N, Windows PE

  • reapply tasks across editions

    • expand all tabs, make sure checked boxes are correct

  • uncheck and check "create ISO", assign new image name

  • Select Process button at top

Appendix

Files used to customize the Start Menu

Export_Layout.ps1

  • This creates the package list as shown in the above Registry section
  • Edit this file to remove/add as needed
$JSON = $env:TEMP + "\LayoutModification.json"

Export-StartLayout -Path $JSON
$pinnedList = (Get-Content $JSON).Replace('{"pinnedList":[','').Replace(']}','')

$StartApps = Get-StartApps

$pinnedList.Split(',') | % {
    if ($_ -match 'desktopAppLink' ) {
        $App = (($_ -split '\\\\')[-1] -split '\.')[0]
        $AppID = ($StartApps | where { $_ -match $App }).AppID
        "{`"desktopAppId`":`"$AppID`"}"
    }
    else { $_ }
}

Remove-Item $JSON

Configure_StartPins.ps1

  • Use the edited package list file as the feeder to this script. It will output the necessary .reg file
  • .\Configure_StartPins.ps1 .\LIST.TXT
Write-Output @"
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device\Start]
"@

$list = ((Get-Content $args[0] | Select-String -Pattern "{`"(desktop|packaged)AppId`":`"[A-Za-z0-9._!]+`"}") -join ",").Replace('"','\"')

Write-Output ('"ConfigureStartPins"="{\"pinnedList\":[' + $list.TrimEnd(",") + ']}"')
Write-Output '"ConfigureStartPins_ProviderSet"=dword:00000000'
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