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Hello, Is there a way to install OS (Fresh OS installation) and on 1st boot application should start installing.

Note: I do not want to install applications and then Xcaputre and intergreate into Install.Wim

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You can use SCCM or other products to do this, like Company portal via Intune, but nothing native to Windows.

Is there a specific reason these applications should not be in the base image?

You can in theory use GPO, but this isn’t ideal and can be problematic.

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You can also use non-Windows products, like PDQ Deploy but those require extra non-MS licenses (though SCCM is a pretty hefty cost on its own)

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autopilot and intune?

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Yep, to do what you want you will need a third party. Most are going to be an extra cost, (usually per machine). All will need extra configuring to get the job done. And different products will have different strengths.

PDQ has been mentioned earlier. I have had good success with them at a cost effective rate(cheaper then most and gets the job done).

Alot depends on your setup and budget. Are these machines going to be remote or onsite? How much of a budget do you have?

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This is the first thing I would suggest too. Its baked into windows, but requires all your users (yourself included) have an appropriate MS 365 license.

Autopilot the call home feature in the windows Installer that checks if a machine is registered (via a Hardware ID) to a business and then links it to your Intune.

Intune allows you to push software, configure policy and report on compliance.

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PDQ is free. You have to setup your deployments by yourself but free. You can buy a supported version as well.

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Is that free for everyone or free only for X-Sized companies/individuals? Also, without the inventory module, PDQ is pretty cumbersome. A lot of the tool’s benefits are found in the reports provided by PDQ Inventory.

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It has been 2 decades since I did that very thing: turn on the computer with the auto-loading image, win95/Win98 and a “fresh install” started before your eyes.

In order to obtain that same type of thing, you would have to have a partitioned drive, with the primary “blank” and the secondary set to install on next power up, a copy of your OS with the auto-answer file thoroughly tested, and that drive is the one you copy to other other drives, to be installed when/as needed. once the install starts, and the machine reboots, the primary drive would then pick up and auto continue the install, primary and secondary partitions set in the boot order of the BIOS.

Is that what you’re looking to do here? Or is pulling an image across the network/internet enough?

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I downloaded it as a full evaluation and when it expires you can use for free you just cant update it or get the already baked in deployments. Same with PDQ inventory. It still works fine but no software upddates.

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Somehow, I’d think that not getting security updates for a product that touches every part of your domain, on and off network, would be a deal-breaker…

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I doubt the updates are security related it basically utilizes the Windows Powershell technology to install

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We used PDQ Deploy and Inventory at both of my last two jobs, and yes, the majority of the minor patches PDQ puts out regularly were security-related.

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There are several ways to do this. You can use services like ninite if it has all the apps you want. You can also set up a first run script that installs it using something like chocolatey or winget. You can also use the setupcomplete.cmd file that runs once on final installation and does whatever you configure it to do.
Like mentioned, you can use external services with either your RMM or something like PDQ to simply install the programs you desire after it is on.
What are you using for your imaging? I use MDT and I can add all the applications and configuration to the image process so when it is done, it is ready to be deployed. The learning curve is a little bit steeper, but itworks really good. You can look at clonezilla or Fog Project for imaging as well.

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It is, but if you have remote or entra joined devices, it’s no longer useful. They do have PDQ Connect for that but it’s not free.

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Have you tried FirstLogonCommands in unattend.xml or using a setupcomplete.cmd script? These can fire off your deployment script as soon as the OS finishes installing. Another route could be using Task Scheduler to launch your installer script on first login.

If you’re doing this across multiple machines, you might also want to look into automation tools. Pulseway, for example, lets you push out scripts and software installations remotely post-OS install. Super handy if you don’t want to babysit every machine reboot. Hope this helps :blush:

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Amen to this. I’m currently deploying 24H2 using this method, pushed by a PXE server. It’s pretty much end-to-end with no input required. You can use autounattend to define a repository for installers, which will copy across during install. Also within autounattend, you define your batch file which fires off your installers. I use this for drivers and fixed software. Install any other LOB software from GPO, at domain join.

There’s a bit of work involved, but the benefit is, all of this can sit around any Windows install image with little (if any) adjustment required.

there are some great websites for creating the autounattend, which comes down to clicking on options and the site generates it for you. You will probably need to add stuff after, but 90% of the xml work will be done

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I am looking something like this.

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Rest all replied users i am sorry. I am not looking for any other options like Intune \ SCCM or WDS. Applications are purely system name based hence i can’t pre load them.

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