Windows Automated Installation 3.0

Windows automated installation kit is a freeware from Microsoft to modify the installation of windows 7. This tool is only for advanced users and for OEMs who need to install a customized version on their hardware.

Version 2.0 has support for Windows 7, Server 2003 with Service Pack 2, Vista SP1 and Server 2008. After installation, we get two programs with GUI, the Windows System Image manager and Volume Activation Management Tool. Additional command line tools are included into the installation folder.

System Image manager is the main program. It actually creates an answer file for Windows setup. An answer file gives the structure or the order in which Windows installation should be done. The first step is to create an 'Answer file' or open one (already included in the setup disc). We then can start modifying it to our convenience. New install packages can be integrated as .cab files. Custom driver integration can also be done. The program is not easy to understand and use.

Volume Activation Management Tool can be used to automate the activation of Windows. It can store the activation keys for all the computers in a network environment and do the activation. The-so called “Multiple Activation Keys” or MAK can be downloaded from the Microsoft licensing website.

The download file is an ISO image. You may install this after mounting onto a virtual drive by Daemon Tools. You may also try extracting it with winrar, or burning onto a DVD, etc. and then run the setup.

For those who need a simple program to change Windows setup and create a bootable image or DVD, download “vLite” program. This is actually a freeware released for Windows Vista. But Windows 7 is partially supported.