- #CREATING A WINDOWS PE ISO INSTALL#
- #CREATING A WINDOWS PE ISO DRIVERS#
- #CREATING A WINDOWS PE ISO UPDATE#
- #CREATING A WINDOWS PE ISO SOFTWARE#
- #CREATING A WINDOWS PE ISO ISO#
#CREATING A WINDOWS PE ISO ISO#
PS: Don't forget to delete the extracted ISO folder, extracted VirtIO folder, and any updates from your computer - NTLite does not do this for you. Once NTLite is finished, you can close it, upload the ISO to Vultr, and deploy new instances using it! Consider double checking your work before processing. Depending on the image format you have chosen, the updates you have integrated, and your available computing resources, this could take up to an hour to process. In the end, your settings should look like this:
Label is the internal name of the ISO - it can be anything you want, such as "Windows Server 2016". Select "Don't backup log and preset" and then "Create ISO". It is recommended that you try ESD first and if you have problems, go back to using "Standard (WIM)". Do not remove any boot.wim editions!ĮSD vs Standard (WIM): Choosing ESD will result in a smaller ISO that will upload faster to Vultr, but it takes longer to create, and requires considerable computing resources.
It is recommended that you remove any editions you do not need to reduce the size of the ISO. When you are satisfied, select "Apply" on the left pane. If you have downloaded updates, you can integrate them in the "Updates" section.
#CREATING A WINDOWS PE ISO DRIVERS#
Integrate the same 5 drivers like before.įrom this point, you are free to make any other changes as you see fit. This will take a little more time to load since it is larger. Choose the operating system you plan on using and load it. Once you have integrated the drivers into both operating systems under Boot/Setup, we can now integrate them into the real operating system. Once it finishes, select "Source" on the left pane. Under "Options", select "Don't backup log and preset". Once the drivers are integrated, select "Apply" on the left pane. This list could change in the future as Vultr changes and upgrades their systems, so recheck this list next time you are preparing a new ISO. It is still recommended to include the rest to avoid potential issues. NetKVM (network driver) and viostor (storage driver) are REQUIRED. Replace 2k16 with the OS version you are installing and amd64 with the OS platform. There are 5 drivers you want to integrate. Integrate the drivers using "Add -> Drivers (INF selection)" on the toolbar: Once it finishes, select the "Drivers" category on the left pane.
Load "Microsoft Windows PE (圆4)" using the right click option. This will ensure that Vultr SSD drives are recognized during Windows setup and recovery. The first thing we'll do is integrate the VirtIO drivers into the Windows recovery and setup environments. Select the folder containing your extracted ISO files. Open NTLite and select "Add -> Image folder" on the toolbar. With all of our files set up, we can now proceed: Copy the contents to a new folder somewhere on your computer, such as C:\VirtIO.
#CREATING A WINDOWS PE ISO SOFTWARE#
Do not download/integrate Delta updates, the Malicious Software Removal Tool, or Windows Defender definition updates.
#CREATING A WINDOWS PE ISO INSTALL#
To find out what other updates are needed, you should install your ISO in a local VM, run Windows Update, and note the KBs. KB3186568 and KB4035631 are additional updates that can be integrated with Windows Server 2016. You can also integrate additional updates if you know they are needed.
#CREATING A WINDOWS PE ISO UPDATE#
Integrating a cumulative update will give you the latest security and bug fixes.
Preparation - Downloadsīefore we get started, there are a few things you need to download to your computer: You can also set up a Windows VM using your favorite Mac or Linux VM/sandbox/virtualization software. If you only have a Mac or Linux computer, do not proceed until you acquire a Windows computer. This tutorial uses a Windows Server 2016 ISO, but the same process applies to other versions.Ī Windows computer is required for this tutorial. Original/untouched Windows ISOs will not work on Vultr since they are missing the necessary drivers for interacting with Vultr's systems. This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating a Windows ISO that will be compatible with Vultr's systems.