Where Customization Begins 

  • Reviewing Configuration Passes

  • Windows® Automated Installation Kit (WAIK), Windows System Image Manager (WSIM), Win PE and Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) Tutorials are right here.
Windows® Automated Installation Kit (WAIK), Windows System Image Manager (WSIM), Win PE and Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) Tutorials are right here.
 #25622  by Neuropass
 10 Feb 2013, 16:12
The configuration passes represents the phases included in a Windows installation; those phases are basically the same since Windows Vista, even though several of its components have changed over time.

To understand a little bit more about the unattended files we are about to create, let’s review the configuration passes included:

windowsPE: In this phase we can find the configurations and parameters used in Windows Preinstallation environment , for example handling the disk where we are going to install the OS.

offlineServicing: This configuration pass is used to apply updates, drivers, or language packs to a Windows image.

generalize: In this phase computer-specific information is removed from the Windows installation enabling you to capture and reapply the Windows image to different computers.

specialize: In this stage we can find several Windows configurations like enabling features, network settings and domain settings.
auditSystem: This phase is only used when we select to boot using audit mode. Settings apply here before a user logs onto the computer, for example to installing out-of-box drivers.

auditUser: This phase also runs when audit mode is selected in the boot process. Here are settings applied when a user logs onto the computer.

oobeSystem: In this configuration pass, settings are applied before the “Windows Welcome” message starts. Some options usually used are language or creating user accounts.

This is diagram, taken from Microsoft TechNet, to explain the configuration passes

Image