Building a reusable Windows 11 image can save significant time when deploying new virtual machines. If you work with VDI environments, test labs, or cloud scenarios, repeating the Out of Box Experience (OOBE) can slow down your workflow. This guide walks through the steps to create a Windows 11 image that boots directly to the login screen and does not require a Microsoft account. It follows the same process demonstrated in the video and offers additional details to help you complete each step confidently.

Step 1: Prepare the Required Tools

Before starting, verify that you have the Windows 11 ISO and the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit installed. Mount the ISO and copy the install.wim file to a writable location on your system. This file is required to build the answer file that bypasses the setup screens.

Step 2: Create the Unattend.xml File
Open Windows System Image Manager from the Windows Kits folder. If prompted, create a new catalog file by selecting the install.wim you copied earlier. Once the catalog is created, begin configuring the components needed to bypass OOBE.

1. Open the Components list.
2. From components, add “amd64_Microsoft-Windows-International-Core_xx_neutral” to “7 oobeSystem”.
3. Add “amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_xx_neutral” to “7 oobeSystem”.
4. Locate your language and region value from this document.
5. Go to Windows-Internatiional-Core and update the following values to the regional values from the document.
   • InputLocale
   • SystemLocale
   • UILanguage
   • UserLocale

6. Go to Windows-Shell-Setup and open OOBE.
7. Set the following values to “true”.
   • HideEULAPage
   • HideLocalAccountScreen
   • HideOEMRegistrationScreen
   • HideOnlineAccountScreens
   • HideWirelessSetupInOOBE
8. Set ProtectYourPC to 3, to turn off express privacy settings.

9. Go to Tools and verify “Hide Sensitive Data” is enabled.

10.  Go to UserAccounts, LocalAccounts, right-click and select Insert New LocalAccount.
11. Create a local administrator account by assigning a description, display name, and the name used as a login name.  Enter “Administrators” in Group to add the user as a local admin.
12. Set the users password in the password node.

13. Save the file as unattend.xml. You will use this later when preparing the image in Audit Mode.

Step 3: Create the Source VM in Hyper-V

In Hyper-V Manager, create a new virtual machine using Generation 2 hardware. Assign at least 4 GB of memory, connect it to a network with internet access, and attach the Windows 11 ISO as installation media. Do not start the VM yet.

Once created, go to settings for the VM.  Enable the Trusted Platform Module under Security settings, which is required for Windows 11. Change the processor count to two or more. 

Start the VM and proceed through Windows Setup and select the Enterprise edition. 

Step 4: Enter Audit Mode

Once Windows Setup completes and the OOBE screens appear, press Ctrl+Shift+F3. The system will reboot into Audit Mode. Audit Mode allows you to install updates, make configuration changes, and prepare the system without creating a user profile. The Sysprep window will appear automatically; close it for now.

Once logged in, install any available updates and reboot the system when the installation is complete. The operating system will remain in Audit Mode until Sysprep is executed.

Once the virtual machine is updated, disable BitLocker. Sysprep will fail if the drive is encrypted. Additionally, you may want to permanently disable BitLocker on the image and all VM’s created from it. To disable BitLocker, set the following Registry Key and value:

Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BitLocker
DWORD: PreventDeviceEncryption
Value: 1

Additionally, stop the BitLocker Drive Encryption Service (BDESVC) and set the startup type to “Disabled.” This will prevent any newly created virtual machines from encrypting the local system drive.

IMAGE Disable BitLocker

Make any other configuration changes, such as installing applications that should be included in the base image. However, avoid adding any applications that are installed per-user, such as Windows Store Apps. Software installed per-user will prevent Sysprep from running.

Step 5: Copy the unattend.xml File to the VM

The next step is to transfer the unattend.xml file to the image VM. However, copying files from Hyper-V to the client OS is not possible. Instead, you can use FTP, OneDrive with the web client, or another cloud storage service to transfer the unattend.xml file to the image VM. Ensure that the unattend.xml file is placed on the root of the C drive, where Sysprep can detect it.

Step 6: Run Sysprep to Create the Image

The image VM can be Syspreped once it is up-to-date and has a copy of the unattend.xml file. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following command:

c:\Windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /mode:vm /shutdown /unattend:c:\unattend.xml

This command will:

• Run Sysprep to genderize the OS and return it to the out of box experience (OOBE).
• Use the mode:vm switch for virtual environments. This mode skips hardware detection during the first boot and must be deployed on the same hypervisor.
• The system will automatically process the Sysprep operation and shut down. The unattend.xml file’s location is specified and applied to the image.

Step 7: Save the Image for Reuse

From the hypervisor, locate the virtual hard disk for the image VM and copy it to a safe location. Rename it for future use. This file can now serve as a reusable image template.

Step 8: Test the Image

To verify the process’s correctness, start the image VM used to run sysprep. This VM is in the same state as the .vhdx file used to create new VMs. Alternatively, create a new VM using the copied virtual disk and start the VM. 

Verify that the test virtual machine bypasses the On-Boot Operating System Environment (OOBE) screens and directly accesses the Windows login screen. Log in using the credentials specified in your unattend.xml file. Upon successful login, your image is ready for deployment.

Conclusion

You now have a working Windows 11 image that bypasses the OOBE process and is ready to deploy in Hyper-V or other environments. This method speeds up testing, lab management, and VDI deployments. Continue refining the image to meet your organization’s needs.

Links:

Zero to Hero with Azure Virtual Desktop
https://www.udemy.com/course/zero-to-hero-with-windows-virtual-desktop/?referralCode=B2FE49E6FCEE7A7EA8D4

A Beginner’s Guide to the AZ-900
https://www.udemy.com/course/beginners-guide-az-900/?referralCode=C74C266B74E837F86969

Hybrid Identity with Windows AD and Azure AD
https://www.udemy.com/course/hybrid-identity-and-azure-active-directory/?referralCode=7F62C4C6FD05C73ACCC3

Windows 365 Enterprise and Intune Management
https://www.udemy.com/course/windows-365-enterprise-and-intune-management/?referralCode=4A1ED105341D0AA20D2E

Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/get-started/adk-install?WT.mc_id=AZ-MVP-5004159

Windows Language Pack Default Values
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-8.1-and-8/hh825682(v=win.10)?WT.mc_id=AZ-MVP-5004159