Is it possible to create a multi-edition ISO?

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TawnyTim

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**FOR ANYONE LANDING HERE FROM AN INTERNET SEARCH**

I'm pretty new to NTlite. I purchased the maximum license as I'm a store owner. I want to make a Windows 10 ISO, which will install either Home or Professional, depending on whichever product key is found on the board. If no product key is found, I choose the edition, just like on a stock Windows 10 ISO. So I know how to mount the pro edition and apply my presets to it, and I know how to save the image. I can then load the Home edition and modify it, but then how do I tie it all together?
 
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Here’s my advice as per my experienced I can’t merge or group the two wim file image using ntlite but search for wintoolkit that will help you about your problem but since this site is for ntlite users I will not provide you a direct instructions how to do it just explore it on your own

Good Luck
 
When your ISO has multiple images, Setup will try following this logic:

1. If there is no unattended file, Setup will pick the available edition that matches the OEM product key. When there is no match for your key, Setup fails and complains it can't find the proper image.

2. If there is an unattended file and you selected which edition to install, Setup will install that edition regardless of the OEM key. Activation won't occur because the keys don't match.

3. If there is an unattended file and you selected "Prompt edition selection", Setup will ask you which edition to install. Again it will ignore the OEM key's edition.

4. If there is no OEM key, and you selected "Prompt edition selection", Setup will ask you which edition.

5. if you want to override the OEM key, then you need to create an EI.cfg file to allow edition changes.

In case you've been working with two separate ISO's (or two install WIM's), you can export the image from one WIM and append it to the other WIM file. NTLite will ask you to confirm if you want to overwrite, or append, to the target WIM. Now you can discard the other ISO project.
 
NTPrank001 said:
Here’s my advice as per my experienced I can’t merge or group the two wim file image using ntlite but search for wintoolkit that will help you about your problem but since this site is for ntlite users I will not provide you a direct instructions how to do it just explore it on your own
Click to expand...
I answer this exact question every month... Try a forum search.
 
garlin said:
When your ISO has multiple images, Setup will try following this logic:

1. If there is no unattended file, Setup will pick the available edition that matches the OEM product key. When there is no match for your key, Setup fails and complains it can't find the proper image.

2. If there is an unattended file and you selected which edition to install, Setup will install that edition regardless of the OEM key. Activation won't occur because the keys don't match.

3. If there is an unattended file and you selected "Prompt edition selection", Setup will ask you which edition to install. Again it will ignore the OEM key's edition.

4. If there is no OEM key, and you selected "Prompt edition selection", Setup will ask you which edition.

5. if you want to override the OEM key, then you need to create an EI.cfg file to allow edition changes.

In case you've been working with two separate ISO's (or two install WIM's), you can export the image from one WIM and append it to the other WIM file. NTLite will ask you to confirm if you want to overwrite, or append, to the target WIM. Now you can discard the other ISO project.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the lesson! So, since I'm an idiot and didn't do my proper due diligence, I have now found and read through the article here: https://www.ntlite.com/how-to-create-a-custom-image-with-multiple-editions/

I've got a question about those instructions. Before I ask that question however, allow me to review my specific use case using Windows 10 for the purpose of my example:

  • One ISO file
  • Pro & Home editions inside this ISO
  • Each edition will have unattended setup for the purpose of
    • Setting time zone
    • Creating local user named "User"
    • Setting "[KEY]" so that the oem key is picked up
So, just so I'm fully understanding this process, what I want to happen is for the whole install process to behave like a factory Windows image, where it will pick up and select any edition which the board has a key for. This was all well and good, and I was following the instructions in the link I posted, but I got to a point where it says:
– Make sure there are no files: .\autounattend.xml and .\Sources\ei.cfg in the resulting ISO file structure, those can automatically pre-select default image and skip the prompt.
Click to expand...
Now I'm confused. Can I not do what I'm trying to do if I'm using an unattended setup?
 
That warning is missing some context. It's possible for either autounattend.xml or EI.cfg to specify which edition to install, bypassing the edition selection logic.

This can be avoided by using "Prompt edition selection" in Unattended mode, and leaving EI.cfg's [EditionID] as blank.

If using [KEY] for the Product Key doesn't work, then you can force Windows to run a Post-Setup PowerShell script to license it.

SetOEMProductKey.ps1 (courtesy of MS)
Code: 
$ProductKey = (Get-WmiObject -Class SoftwareLicensingService).OA3xOriginalProductKey
iex "cscript /b C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs -ipk $Productkey"
Start-Sleep 5
iex "cscript /b C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs -ato"
 
yotoprules said:
Would this work if I wanted my custom versions of Windows 10 and 11 to be on the same ISO?
Click to expand...
What's the specific question being asked?

If you're asking whether a multi-edition ISO can contain different OS releases from W7 thru W11? Yes, there's many threads on how to do that. Use this forum's Search function to find those more in-depth discussions.

The last two questions were about special cases of automatically licensing Windows, when the target PC may have a different BIOS license than the selected install edition (Home/Pro).
 
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