Deployment Tool for the bootable Unattended Windows installation

Nota: Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en 2008 and has been comprehensively updated. While nLite remains relevant for legacy Windows XP/2003 deployments, modern alternatives are covered for current Windows versions.

Creating a bootable, unattended Windows installation disc or USB drive saves enormous amounts of time when deploying operating systems repeatedly. Instead of clicking through the Windows Setup wizard and manually installing drivers and updates on each machine, you can automate the entire process. This guide covers the classic tool nLite for legacy Windows versions, its modern successor NTLite, and the enterprise-grade Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) and Windows Deployment Services (WDS) for current deployments.

What Is an Unattended Windows Instalación?

An unattended installation is a Windows setup that runs without user interaction. All configuration choices — disk partitioning, product key, computer name, network settings, regional options, and user accounts — are pre-defined in an answer file. The installer reads this file and applies the settings automatically.

Benefits of Unattended Instalacións

• Consistency: Every deployed machine has identical configuration
• Speed: No manual intervention means faster deployments
• Reduced errors: Eliminates human mistakes during setup
• Scalability: Deploy to dozens or hundreds of machines from the same image
• Compliance: Enforce organizational standards from the first boot

nLite: The Classic Tool for Windows XP and 2003

nLite is a free tool for customizing Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003 installation media. It was originally available at nliteos.com and remains the go-to solution for anyone still maintaining legacy systems.

Key nLite Features

Feature	Description
Service Pack Integration	Slipstream service packs directly into the installation files
Hotfix Integration	Add individual Windows updates and patches
Driver Integration	Include hardware drivers so they install automatically
Component Removal	Remove unused Windows components to reduce image size
Unattended Setup	Configure answer file settings through a GUI
Tweaks	Apply registry tweaks and system settings during install
Bootable ISO Creation	Generate a ready-to-burn ISO image

Paso-by-Paso: Creating an Unattended Windows XP CD with nLite

1. Extract the Windows CD: Copy the entire contents of your Windows XP CD to a folder on your hard drive (e.g., C:\WinXP_Source)

2. Launch nLite and point it to your source folder

3. Select tasks from the preset page:

   • Service Pack integration
   • Hotfix integration
   • Drivers
   • Components
   • Unattended
   • Options and Tweaks
   • Bootable ISO

4. Integrate Service Pack 3: Browse to the SP3 standalone installer (WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe). nLite extracts and integrates it into the source files.

5. Add hotfixes: Select any post-SP3 updates you have downloaded

6. Add drivers: Import storage controller drivers (critical for SATA/AHCI support on modern hardware), network drivers, and other hardware-specific drivers

7. Remove components: Deselect unnecessary components like MSN Explorer, Windows Messenger, or sample media files. Be cautious — removing the wrong component can break functionality.

8. Configure unattended settings:

   • General tab: Computer name, organization, product key
   • Network tab: Workgroup or domain settings
   • Users tab: Administrator password and additional user accounts
   • Regional tab: Language and locale settings
   • Desktop tab: Theme, resolution, wallpaper

9. Apply tweaks: Disable unnecessary services, configure Explorer settings, etc.

10. Create ISO: nLite compiles everything into a bootable ISO file ready for burning

vLite for Windows Vista

For Windows Vista customization, the companion tool vLite (vlite.net) provided similar functionality adapted for the WIM image format introduced with Vista.

NTLite: The Modern Successor

NTLite is the actively developed successor to nLite and supports Windows 7 through Windows 11 as well as Windows Server 2012 through 2025. It offers both free and paid editions.

NTLite Capabilities

Supported operations:
- WIM/ESD image mounting and editing
- Component removal (more granular than nLite)
- Update/hotfix integration
- Driver integration (including boot-critical drivers)
- Unattended answer file generation
- Registry tweaks and configuration
- Feature enable/disable
- Application integration (silent installers)
- Multi-edition ISO creation
- Live installation editing

Basic NTLite Workflow

1. Mount or extract the Windows ISO
2. Load the install.wim or install.esd from the sources folder
3. Select the Windows edition to modify
4. Apply updates, remove components, integrate drivers
5. Configure unattended settings
6. Apply changes and create a new ISO

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT)

For enterprise environments, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit is a free framework that orchestrates Windows deployment at scale.

MDT Architecture

MDT Deployment Share
|
+-- Applications/        # Silent application installers
+-- Operating Systems/   # Windows source files (WIM images)
+-- Out-of-Box Drivers/  # Hardware drivers organized by model
+-- Packages/            # Windows updates and language packs
+-- Task Sequences/      # Step-by-step deployment scripts
+-- Scripts/             # MDT automation scripts
+-- Control/             # Configuration files
+-- Boot/                # WinPE boot images

Creating a Basic MDT Task Sequence

1. Install the Windows ADK and MDT on a technician workstation
2. Open the Deployment Workbench
3. Create a new Deployment Share
4. Import a Windows operating system (from ISO or WIM)
5. Import drivers organized by hardware model
6. Import applications with silent install commands
7. Create a new Task Sequence:
   • Select Standard Client Task Sequence
   • Choose the imported OS
   • Configure product key and admin password
8. Update the Deployment Share to generate boot images
9. Boot target machines from the generated WinPE media

Key MDT Configuración Files

CustomSettings.ini — Controls automation behavior:

[Settings]
Priority=Default

[Default]
OSInstall=Y
SkipBDDWelcome=YES
SkipCapture=YES
SkipAdminPassword=YES
SkipProductKey=YES
SkipComputerName=NO
SkipDomainMembership=YES
SkipLocaleSelection=YES
SkipTimeZone=YES
SkipBitLocker=YES
SkipSummary=YES
SkipFinalSummary=YES
TimeZoneName=Eastern Standard Time
UILanguage=en-US
UserLocale=en-US
KeyboardLocale=en-US

Bootstrap.ini — Controls the WinPE boot environment:

[Settings]
Priority=Default

[Default]
DeployRoot=\\MDT-SERVER\DeploymentShare$
SkipBDDWelcome=YES
UserDomain=CONTOSO
UserID=MDTService
UserPassword=SecurePassword123

Windows Deployment Services (WDS)

WDS is a Windows Server role that enables network-based (PXE) deployment of Windows images. It works alongside MDT for a fully automated deployment pipeline.

Setting Up WDS

1. Install the WDS role on a Windows Server joined to the domain
2. Configure WDS to respond to PXE boot requests
3. Import MDT-generated boot images into WDS
4. Configure DHCP options 66 and 67 (or use IP Helpers) to direct PXE clients to the WDS server
5. Target machines boot from the network and receive the deployment task sequence

The Autounattend.xml Answer File

For standalone deployments without MDT or WDS, placing an Autounattend.xml file on a USB drive alongside the Windows installation media automates the setup process.

Minimal Autounattend.xml Example

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
  <settings pass="windowsPE">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE"
               processorArchitecture="amd64"
               language="neutral">
      <SetupUILanguage>
        <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
      </SetupUILanguage>
      <InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
      <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
      <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup"
               processorArchitecture="amd64"
               language="neutral">
      <DiskConfiguration>
        <Disk wcm:action="add">
          <DiskID>0</DiskID>
          <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
          <CreatePartitions>
            <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>1</Order>
              <Size>500</Size>
              <Type>EFI</Type>
            </CreatePartition>
            <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>2</Order>
              <Extend>true</Extend>
              <Type>Primary</Type>
            </CreatePartition>
          </CreatePartitions>
        </Disk>
      </DiskConfiguration>
      <ImageInstall>
        <OSImage>
          <InstallTo>
            <DiskID>0</DiskID>
            <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
          </InstallTo>
        </OSImage>
      </ImageInstall>
    </component>
  </settings>
  <settings pass="oobeSystem">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup"
               processorArchitecture="amd64"
               language="neutral">
      <OOBE>
        <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
        <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
        <ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
      </OOBE>
      <UserAccounts>
        <LocalAccounts>
          <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
            <Name>Admin</Name>
            <Group>Administrators</Group>
            <Password>
              <Value>TempPassword123!</Value>
              <PlainText>true</PlainText>
            </Password>
          </LocalAccount>
        </LocalAccounts>
      </UserAccounts>
    </component>
  </settings>
</unattend>

Using DISM for Image Servicing

The Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command-line tool allows you to modify WIM images directly:

# Mount the image
DISM /Mount-Image /ImageFile:C:\Images\install.wim /Index:1 /MountDir:C:\Mount

# Add a driver
DISM /Image:C:\Mount /Add-Driver /Driver:C:\Drivers\NIC /Recurse

# Add a Windows update
DISM /Image:C:\Mount /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\Updates\update.msu

# Enable a Windows feature
DISM /Image:C:\Mount /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3

# Commit changes and unmount
DISM /Unmount-Image /MountDir:C:\Mount /Commit

Comparison of Deployment Tools

Tool	Windows Versions	Cost	Network Deploy	GUI
nLite	2000, XP, 2003	Free	No	Yes
vLite	Vista	Free	No	Yes
NTLite	7 through 11, Server	Free/Paid	No	Yes
MDT	7 through 11, Server	Free	Yes (with WDS)	Yes
WDS	Server role	Included	Yes (PXE)	Yes
DISM	7 through 11, Server	Included	No	CLI only
Autounattend.xml	Vista through 11	Free	No	SIM tool

Resumen

For legacy Windows XP and Server 2003 systems, nLite remains the best tool for creating customized, slipstreamed, unattended installation media. For modern Windows versions (7 through 11), NTLite provides equivalent functionality with a polished interface. Enterprise environments benefit from the combination of MDT and WDS for scalable, network-based deployments. Regardless of the tool, the core concept remains the same: pre-configure installation choices, integrate drivers and updates, and automate the process to save time and ensure consistency.

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