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Quick startup script when setting up new Windows computer.
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Replace the dead /oobe link with /oobe-vms and /oobe-desktop, and
document what each script does, how to build the ISOs, how to install,
and the placeholder account.

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README.md

Windows OOBE Scripts

Unattended setup for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021: an answer file installs Windows, then a PowerShell script configures the machine on first logon and restarts it.

Variant Answer file OOBE script Disk ISO
VMs (Unraid/KVM, VirtIO) unattend/vms-WIPE-DISK.xml oobe-vms.ps1 Wipes Disk 0 without asking build/virtio-vms.iso
Desktops, laptops, any VM unattend/desktop-PROMPT-DISK.xml oobe-desktop.ps1 Prompts you to pick the disk/partition build/desktop.iso

Run a script by hand

From an elevated PowerShell:

irm https://url.isworking.fyi/oobe-vms | iex
irm https://url.isworking.fyi/oobe-desktop | iex

The short links point at the raw files on master, so pushing a change updates what new installs run. Logs go to C:\ProgramData\OOBE\oobe-<name>.log.

What the scripts do

Both:

  • Install the MeshCentral agent silently as a service
  • Enable RDP, ping, the C$ admin share, and OpenSSH Server (PowerShell as the default shell)
  • Set the network to Private, turn off the UAC prompt, and turn on dark mode with no mouse acceleration (current user and default profile)
  • Install Winget
  • Restart when finished

oobe-vms.ps1 also:

  • Installs the VirtIO drivers, QEMU guest agent and SPICE agent from the mounted virtio-win ISO (downloads them if it isn't mounted)
  • Never sleeps or hibernates (enforced by policy), never turns off the display or disks, and stops Windows powering down the network adapter
  • Enables WinRM and keeps the clock synced

oobe-desktop.ps1 also:

  • Uses the Balanced plan: dims the display after 5 minutes (only works on screens Windows controls the brightness of) and sleeps after 30 minutes

Build the ISOs

Requires curl and xorriso:

./build-isos.sh

This downloads the latest virtio-win ISO (only when a new release is out) and writes to build/, which git ignores:

  • virtio-vms.iso: virtio-win plus autounattend.xml (the VM answer file) and oobe-vms.ps1
  • desktop.iso: autounattend.xml (the desktop answer file) and oobe-desktop.ps1

Rerun it after changing an answer file. Changes to the scripts reach new installs through the short links without a rebuild. The copy on the ISO is only used if the download fails.

Install

VM (Unraid): put the LTSC ISO in "OS Install ISO" and virtio-vms.iso in "VirtIO Drivers ISO", then boot. Everything is automatic, and Disk 0 is erased.

Desktop: copy autounattend.xml and oobe-desktop.ps1 from desktop.iso to the root of the LTSC install USB. For a VM, attach desktop.iso as a second CD instead. Setup stops once to ask where to install; everything else is automatic.

Setup only reads a file named exactly autounattend.xml at the root of a disc or USB drive.

Accounts

Both answer files create a local administrator labadmin with the placeholder password mdwelcome, stored in plain text. VMs log in automatically every boot; desktops only on the first logon, then show the sign-in screen. Change the password in the answer file before using this for anything that matters.