Windows 7 Automated Installation Kit (AIK)
By
Patrick Nelson
The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) is a
deployment kit.
It allows unattended
Windows 7 installations.
The kit allows for capturing Windows 7 images with ImageX;
configuring and modifying images with Deployment Imaging
Servicing and Management (DISM) and making Windows
Pre-installation Environment (PE) images.
Windows AIK works alongside the
User State Migration Tool
(USMT.)
Other features include the Volume Activation Management Tool
(VAMT,) which lets IT automate and run the volume activation
process using a Multiple Activation Key (MAK.)
Windows AIK is good for extremely customized environments.
Deployments with Windows AIK can take many, flexible forms.
The tools included in the kit include Windows System Image
Manager (Windows SIM) for opening images, creating answer
files and managing shares and configuration sets.
ImageX is for capturing, creating, modifying and applying
Windows 7 images.
DISM is included too. It’s for applying updates, drivers and
language packs.
Windows PE is a stripped-down operating system environment.
The Windows AIK has tools for building and configuring
Windows PE environments.
USMT is also included. USMT is a migration tool for moving
user data from a previous operating system.
The latest release of Windows AIK ties in with
Windows 7.
DISM replaces many tools which were in the previous Windows
AIK including Package Manager, the International Settings
Configuration Tool, and the Windows PE command-line tool.
USMT is now installed as part of Windows AIK.
This Windows AIK creates a new Windows default partition
structure where a second partition is created by
default--for recovery tools and data encryption, for
example.
Windows editions can be changed during deployment using
DISM. There is a new “/Apply-Profile” option to reduce the
contents of a Windows PE image.
This reduces storage space and is geared towards storage on
USB drives.
You can now deploy virtual hard disks (VHDs) with a native
boot. In Windows 7,
a VHD can be used as the running operating system on
designated hardware.
You can create a bootable VHD. Other big changes with this
version include the functionality to now manage windows
activations with VAMT.
New configurable settings for Windows 7 are available in
most images and are managed by Windows SIM.
Microsoft have a new section on TechNet relating to this
version of Windows AIK and how it applies to Windows 7 (and
Windows Server 2008 R2.)
You can investigate these changes and learn more about the
Windows AIK in general by clicking here.