Guides / Multi-Edition Images

Multi-Edition Images

Merge multiple Windows editions into one ISO for flexible deployment scenarios.

Merge multiple Windows editions into one ISO, making it simpler to deploy different scenarios for each machine type. Choose one edition during setup instead of maintaining separate USB sticks or ISOs.

Understanding Editions

Windows images contain editions like Home, Pro, and Enterprise. NTLite supports exporting each edition to another image (WIM file) from the Source page, creating custom editions, and renaming them.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Prepare Base Images

  • Choose your base image and optionally update it with latest updates
  • Do nothing else to it, not even update cleanup
  • After processing, make sure it's not loaded (icon should be gray)

2. Export Editions

Right-click and Export → WIM to a file, for example D:\CustomImages\FirstCustomImage.wim. Keep this in a folder as your editing ground, not inside any ISO structure yet.

Export as many as you need from any base image. Each should be differently named. Make sure exports are from the ISO you'll merge them back into, as the boot image needs to be compatible.

3. Customize Each Edition

Add exported images to the Source page if not listed. Right-click the desired edition, then Editto change its name to something specific like "Windows Pro for Admins".

When editing exported images, ensure they are detected as Status: "Isolated" on the Source page.

If using Unattended settings, enable "Copy to Install image" in the toolbar so automation settings are per-image, not shared across all editions.

4. Merge Back Into ISO

When done configuring each isolated image, make sure none is loaded. Export them back into any ISO structure at .\Sources\Install.wim.

When asked Overwrite or Append, choose No (Append). Review the current status on the Source page to see how images are stacking up.

5. Final Cleanup

  • Delete any unwanted editions by right-clicking and choosing Delete
  • Remove .\autounattend.xml and .\Sources\ei.cfg if present (they auto-select editions)
  • Create ISO by right-clicking the final image folder

Testing

Test the ISO in a virtual machine. Start with just two lightly but obviously different images to verify the method works before investing time into the final product.

Maintenance Tips

  • Keep original isolated images for future editing, or delete them and edit the merged image directly
  • Backup complex final images regularly when editing directly
  • After bigger file changes, right-click the WIM and Convert → Recompress before making the final ISO
IntroductionISO Support & Image Edits