How to create a Windows 10 with S mode installation media

Originally, Windows 10 S was a divide edition streamlined for functioning, security, and express to the apps available in the Microsoft Store, which required its ain installation media.

All the same, starting with Windows 10 version 1803 (Apr 2022 Update), Microsoft is removing the "S" edition in favor of "Southward fashion," which offers the aforementioned locked down experience, but information technology's now a feature that tin can exist enabled on Windows 10 Habitation, Windows ten Pro and Enterprise.

If you want to run Windows 10 in S mode, you can create your very own USB bootable media that includes the required settings to activate Southward mode during the installation.

In this Windows x guide, nosotros'll walk you through the steps to enable S mode in a new installation.

How to enable S mode on Windows ten

If yous want to run Windows x in Southward way, y'all'll demand to create an unattend.xml file that must be applied to an epitome, which you can then utilise to do a make clean installation of Windows x.

How to import the installation files to your device
How to create an unattend.xml file to enable Southward way on Windows x
How to modify image to enable S mode on Windows ten
How to create a bootable media of Windows 10 with Due south mode
How to install Windows 10 with South mode enabled

How to import the installation files to your device

In society to create an installation media with Windows 10 Due south way enabled, y'all demand to open and modify an paradigm of Windows 10, and to do that y'all must offset import the installation files onto your device. The steps below volition evidence you how:

Open up File Explorer.
Navigate to the binder where you lot saved the Windows ten ISO file.
Right-click the ISO file, select Open up with, and click File Explorer to mount information technology. (Alternatively, you can also connect the USB flash drive with the installation files.)
Open the drive with the Windows 10 files.
Select all the files using the Ctrl + A keyboard shortcut.
Right-click the selection, and select Copy.
Navigate to the folder that you want to apply to store this projection files.
Correct-click inside the folder and select Paste.

In society to open up and modify the prototype, yous need an install.wim file. If you have an ISO that you created using the Media Creation Tool, y'all're likely to have an install.esd file, which y'all won't exist able to open.

Creating an install.wim file

If you lot don't have an install.wim file, you can use the DISM control tool to export the paradigm files and create a .wim image from a .esd file using these steps:

Open Start.
Search for PowerShell, right-click the top effect, select Run every bit administrator.
Blazon the following command to identify the alphabetize number of the edition you want to use and printing Enter:

dism /Go-WimInfo /WimFile:C:\path\to\folder\sources\install.esd

In the control make sure to change the path to the sources folder with the install.esd file on your device.
Identify the index number for the edition you want. For case, we're extracting Windows ten Pro, which in this instance has an index number of half dozen.
Type the following command to create an install.wim file and press Enter:

dism /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:C:\path\to\folder\sources\install.esd /SourceIndex:six /DestinationImageFile:C:\path\to\folder\sources\install.wim /Shrink:Max /CheckIntegrity

In the command make certain to change the path to the sources folder with the install.esd file on your device. The destination path should be the same every bit the source.

How to create an unattend.xml file to enable S mode on Windows 10

In order to create an answer file to enable S way, you lot'll demand to employ the Windows Arrangement Prototype Director (SIM) feature from the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK).

Installing Windows System Image Manager

You can follow these steps to install Windows SIM on your computer:

Download the Windows ADK installer for Windows ten version 1803.
Double-click the adksetup.exe file to brainstorm the installation.
Select the Install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit - Windows x to this figurer selection.
Click the Next push.
Select your privacy option.
Click the Next button.
Click the Accept push button to agree to the license agreement.
Articulate all preselected items.
Check the Deployment Tools package, which contains the Windows System Epitome Manager component.
Click the Install button.
Click the Close button.

Once you lot've completed the installation, you can continue setting upwardly the environment to create an unattend.xml file using the Windows System Prototype Managing director tool.

Setting up an answer file environment

In order to prepare the environment to create a new answer file projection, practise the post-obit:

Open up Start.
Search for Windows System Image Director, click the pinnacle result to open up the feel.
Click the File menu, and select the Select Windows Image option.
Navigate to the binder yous exported the Windows x files.
In the "sources" folder, select the install.wim epitome file, and click the Open push.
Select an edition of Windows 10 y'all want to employ. (It's always recommended to select the edition that you're planning to install.)
Click the OK push.
If you become a bulletin, click the Yes push button to create a new itemize file. (This process will take some time, but it's a one-time procedure. The .clg file volition be saved in the same location where the install.wim is stored, and you can reuse it later on other projects.)
Click the File menu, and select the Select Distribution Share option.
Navigate to the folder that yous're using to store the project folders and files.
On "Folder name," type a name (such as Distribution) to create a folder to store boosted project files.
Click the Open button.
Click the File bill of fare, and select the New Respond File pick.

After completing the steps, you lot volition now have the required surroundings to create an reply file.

Creating a Windows 10 reply file to enable S style

Using an respond file yous tin completely customize the installation of Windows ten. However, nosotros're just configuring Windows ten with S mode, as such will be setting upwardly the offline servicing phase of the automation process.

In order to create the respond file to enable S mode, employ these steps:

Under "Windows Prototype," aggrandize the Components binder.
Right-click the amd64_Microsoft_Windows_CodeIntegrity component, and select the Add together Setting to Pass 2 offlineServicing option.
On the right side, nether "Respond File," select the amd64_Microsoft_Windows_CodeIntegrity component.
On the right side, under "Settings," alter the SkuPolicyRequired value to 1.
Click the Tools carte, and select the Validate Reply File choice.
If there are no errors, click the File carte du jour, and select the Save Respond File As option.
Navigate to the folder yous want to salve the file.
Nether "File name," use the unattend.xml file name.
Click the Save button.

Once you've completed the steps, the unattend.xml file will exist created, which you tin can at present use to integrate into the Windows 10 image to enable Due south style.

Inside the unattend.xml file the settings portion for offlineServicing should look like in the instance below:

                      <settings laissez passer="offlineServicing">         <component name="Microsoft-Windows-CodeIntegrity"      processorArchitecture="amd64"      publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"      linguistic communication="neutral"      versionScope="nonSxS"      xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State"      xmlns:xsi="http://world wide web.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-case">             <SkuPolicyRequired>ane</SkuPolicyRequired>         </component>     </settings>

How to modify paradigm to enable Due south way on Windows 10

In this part of the process, you lot'll exist using the DISM command line tool in PowerShell to open and apply the unattend.xml file to an install.wim prototype, which will enable S mode during a normal installation of Windows 10.

To modify a Windows 10 paradigm, use these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Windows PowerShell, right-click the peak result, and select Run every bit administrator.
Blazon the post-obit command to create a mounting point in the root of the drive and printing Enter:

md c:\mount\windows
Type the post-obit control to mount the install.wim image file and press Enter:

dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:c:\path\to\sources\install.wim /alphabetize:1 /MountDir:C:\mount\windows

In the command brand certain to modify the path to the sources binder with the install.wim file on your PC.
Type the following command to create a folder chosen "Panther" within the mounted epitome and printing Enter:

md c:\mount\windows\Windows\Panther
Type the following command to import the unattend.xml file to the Panther folder and press Enter:

copy c:\path\to\binder\unattend.xml c:\mount\windows\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml

In the control make sure to modify the location of the unattend.xml file yous want to copy to the Panther'southward binder.
Type the post-obit control to use the unattend.xml file to the mounted paradigm and press Enter:

dism /Image=c:\mountain\windows /Apply-Unattend=c:\mount\windows\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
Close any application that may exist accessing files in the mounted image. Otherwise, yous'll get errors.
Type the following control to save the changes and unmount the Windows 10 image and press Enter:

dism /Unmount-Image /MountDir:"c:\mountain\windows" /commit

If yous get an error indicating that the image couldn't be unmounted, use the dism /cleanup-wim command to resolve the issue.

Quick Tip: Although Windows ten in Southward fashion will observe and install device drivers, sometimes, you may want to add together drivers to the offline image manually if you accept a particular piece of hardware as you won't be able to install it later on the installation.

How to create a bootable media of Windows 10 with S style

In order to complete the installation media y'all must replace the install.wim or install.esd file with the modified install.wim image on the USB bootable media using these steps:

Open up File Explorer (Windows key + E).
Navigate to the USB location with the Windows ten installation files.
Double-click the sources binder.
Right-click the install.wim file, and select the Delete option.
Open up File Explorer again (Windows key + E).
Navigate to the modified Windows 10 image (install.wim) location.
Correct-click the install.wim file, and select the Copy option.
Right-click and select Paste in the sources folder in the USB flash drive with the installation files.

Using Media Creation Tool to create an install media

Alternatively, if you don't have a USB bootable media already created, you tin can use the Media Creation Tool to create one with the steps below. Y'all'll only need to connect a USB flash drive of at least 8GB of infinite to your computer.

Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from this Microsoft Support website.
Double-click the file to launch the tool.
Click the Create installation media for another PC choice.
Click the Next button.
Select the language, architecture, and edition as required. (When selecting the architecture it's recommended to use Both.)
Click the Next push button.
Select the USB wink drive option.
Select the flash drive you lot want to utilise making sure that you empathise that everything will be deleted on that drive.
Click the Adjacent push button.
Click the Finish button.

After the installation media is created, remember to use the in a higher place steps to replace the install.esd (or install.wim) with the modified install.wim paradigm in the USB bootable media

How to install Windows x with S way enabled

One time you have the installation media created with the modified image, you lot can proceed to install Windows 10 as y'all would typically practice, but the installation will at present be configured with S style enabled.

If yous need help to perform a clean installation of Windows x, we got you lot covered with this guide.

This guide outlines the steps to create a bootable media that enables S mode during the installation of Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, but the instructions should also work for Windows 10 Abode and the Enterprise edition.

More Windows 10 resources

For more than helpful manufactures, coverage, and answers to common questions nearly Windows 10, visit the following resources:

Windows x on Windows Key – All yous need to know
Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

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