Hi I was wondering if anybody can help me please?...... I wish to modify my Windows 7 installation media so that it installs a default logon background image and a default background (desktop) image of my choosing. I have a clean ISO image of Windows 7 SP1 to work with. I am happy to simply replace the two .jpg images in question with those I wish to use as my defaults but I do not know where they are stored. I have used WAIK and ImageX and managed to mount install.wim Unfortunately I still don't know where to begin. I have already added an autounattend.xml file to the root of my installation media which injects the product key and this works ok. Can I add some lines to this xml file to reference different jpg's which I can add to the installation media? What is OOBE.xml and the OOBE folder? I have read about this but don't understand whether I can use this method and how it should be done. Please help. Many thanks indeed.
Guys, Thank you very much for these suggestions and links. I'm at work now but will take a look in 3 or 4 hours. If I have any questions I'll drop back here. ...but for now I just wanted to acknowledge your kindness and for giving your time in answering. Cheers!
spwizimg.dll contains the setup screen backgrounds, whereas imageres.dll contains the logon screen backgrounds. For the desktop background several methods can be used, like mounting the install.wim with DISM and replacing the default image, or using setupcomplete.cmd to run actions before first logon, like: Code: %systemroot%\system32\takeown.exe /f "%systemroot%\Web\wallpaper\windows\img0.jpg" && icacls "%systemroot%\Web\wallpaper\windows\img0.jpg" /grant administrators:F ren "%systemroot%\Web\wallpaper\windows\img0.jpg" "imgOrig0.jpg" and then having the image of your liking written to that location. It gets a bit involved, so if you are just looking at doing these few things one of the above-mentioned tools would probably be a better option
Hi parapher and thank you for your time. I'll expand on what I'm trying to do as I believe this will make things clearer. I recently purchased an Alienware laptop which came with Windows 7 preinstalled. I like the branding: Log on default background image Desktop images Control panel text (for example manufacturer "Alienware"). Control panel icons (Alien image icon) and Windows Experience Index (a different alien image icon). etc... However there are a few things I don't like. So what I want to do is create my own Windows 7 installation media by modifying an untouched ISO. I want to add the branding which I have described above. I have looked at the recovery media (created recovery disks for the Alienware factory install) but there are two of them and the .wim files appear to be split across 2 DVD5's making things confusing and difficult to mount using imageX. I have tried to understand OOBE and autounattend.xml etc etc but cannot determine the best way to do this. Would this branding be created as a theme on my factory installation media? Is there any method by which I could extract that theme and add it to my new installation media and make it the default? Please help Thank you so much...
...oh dear! I've spent hours on this today and several days previously only to get nowhere! I'd hate to give up! I'm not a complete novice but I am going round in circles. I wish to be able to specify the default Logon Background in my installation media (Not the default Desktop Background) so that it is already set after a fresh install. I also wish to be able to add branding icons to my installation media. This is what i have tried... 1) Used Windows Download Integrator. It does not appear to be able to do what I need. 2) On my current installation (the factory install from Alienware) I have investigated imageres.dll using Resource Hacker but it only holds the standard light blue Windows 7 images, not the Alienware ones. 3) I have looked at Biosversion. This doesn't appear to do what I want. 4) I have looked at Buster67's AIO but that doesn't appear to do what I need. 5) i have been looking at the $OEM$ folder assessment tool / project files but that looks so messy to have every single manufacturer/logo/brand/icon etc included in my installation. Is there some method by which I can find/extract the branding background/icons etc from my current factory default installation and somehow add them to my fresh, untouched Windows 7 installation ISO? Please help a little more Thank you...
@ vwgolfman, I don't see the problem with using Windows 7 • Vista DVD 'Multi-OEM|Edition' Activation yes the other manufacturer files are on the dvd but they will not be installed on windows only Alienware will be. Another thing you could just uninstall all the bloatware you don't want from the factory install from Alienware and sysprep the machine make install.wim.