How to make a Windows bootleg/Windows7

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This article is still being worked on.

Windows 7 Linux Mint V2, a CollabSysOS release that I have worked on.

In this tutorial, I'll be going through how I make Windows 7 bootlegs. It's actually a very different process from Windows XP, however it is much easier. This tutorial will also work with Windows 8.x, 10 and 11 but we're going over Windows 7 in this guide. We're going to be using something called Audit Mode, introduced with Windows Vista.

Pre-requisites

We'll be using these tools in the tutorial:

• A Windows 7 ISO: These are very common, I would recommend you use Windows 7 Professional SP1.
• Hiren's Boot CD: This is the PE you will be using to capture the image using DISM.
• Access to a Windows install: This could either be on your host or in a VM. I'm using Linux personally, so I'll have to install Windows in a VM to make the ISO, though you can just follow the steps on your host if you run Windows.
• Any file hosting service: Because where else will you store your ISO?
• A VM: Where else are we going to make the thing? You can use your favourite hypervisor, but we're using VMware Workstation in this tutorial. I have not tested VMware Player.

Preparation

Create a VM

Create a VM in Workstation, go through the necessary steps.

Acquire themes and programs

You'll actually be doing this step inside the VM, so wait until we reach Audit Mode, then gather everything.

Boot into Audit Mode

You'll be greeted with the usual Windows 7 installer. Go through it as you would normally and wait for it to install. Go play a game, take a walk or whatever and when you come back you should be at the OOBE screen. This is the important part: Do NOT continue. Instead, press CTRL+SHIFT+F3. This will exit the OOBE and enter you into Audit Mode. And finally, here comes the real fun, making the bootleg.