Understanding Setup

To automate Windows Setup, you must first understand the installation process. Knowing the underlying process will help you understand the decisions you must make when developing Windows Vista for deployment.

The Windows Vista installation process is simple. All editions of Windows Vista use the same installation image (Install.wim in the Sources folder of the installation media). The product key determines which edition of Windows Vista installs. This simplifies the installation process and allows the use of one basic image to install all systems. The installation process is divided into three phases: Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE), Online Configuration, and Windows Welcome.

Windows Setup runs in phases, which ...

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