Inspired by Johan's post http://www.deploymentresearch.com/Research/tabid/62/EntryId/174/Building-reference-images-like-a-boss.aspx

I am probably one of the few that uses SCCM to capture base images. I use it because I create a thick image and it keeps the history of packages that it has installed meaning that newly imaged machines will know that they have already installed software x when they recieve it's required deployment.

Patch the install.wim

Patching the default Windows 7 install.wim so it doesn't need to install as many updates during OSD.

1. Download WSUS Offline Update from  http://download.wsusoffline.net/

2. Extract to C:wsusoffline and run UpdateGenerator.exe

3.  Choose Windows 7 x64 Global and click start.

4. Important: Delete KB2506143, KB2533552 and KB2819745 from C:wsusofflineclientw61-x64glb if they exist. They break the wim. If your company hasn't deployed IE11 also delete patches for it.

5. Extract a Win7 SP1 Enterprise ISO to 'C:OS Windows 7 SP1 x64'

6. Create the dir C:mount

7. Mount the wim -

dism /mount-wim /wimfile:"C:OS Windows 7 SP1 x64sourcesinstall.wim" /mountdir:C:mount /index:1

8. Patch the wim -

dism /image:C:mount /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:wsusofflineclientw61-x64glb

9. Commit/Close the wim -

dism /unmount-wim /mountdir:C:mount /commit

10. Copy the 'OS Windows 7 SP1 x64' folder to an unc share and import into SCCM under Operating System Installers.

Use Mikael Nystrom's Cleanup Script

1. Download via http://deploymentbunny.com/2014/06/05/nice-to-know-get-rid-of-all-junk-before-sysprep-and-capture-when-creating-a-reference-image-in-mdt/

2. Place in a UNC Share.

3. Copy ZTIUtility.vbs from MDT 2013 to the UNC Share.

4. Modify Action-CleanupBeforeSysprep.wsf second line to reference the ZTIUtility.vbs in the same folder

<script language="VBScript" src="ZTIUtility.vbs"/>

5. Create a package in SCCM.

6. Before the capture steps create a run command step surrounded by 2 reboots:

cscript.exe Action-CleanupBeforeSysprep.wsf using the package created and disable 64-bit file system redirection

The updated wim will have the patches required for this step.

Access the wim directly from the distribution point

For this to work you need to tick the checkbox on the OS Installer properties to copy to a share, then also the Access content directly in the task sequence Apply OS step.

Monitor KB2894518 for mutiple reboot updates

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2894518

Create a separate deployment for these updates to a collection that excludes your capture VMs

Tweak your Virtual Machine

• Don't use the Legacy Network adapter (Have had issues at capture stage)

Visit http://www.deploymentresearch.com/Research/tabid/62/EntryId/174/Building-reference-images-like-a-boss.aspx for VM tweaks

• Use 2 vCPUs
• Use a RAM Disk