So you have installed SmartDeploy Enterpise, and are ready to capture your first WIM? Great!

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to capture a virtual machine and turn it into WIM (Windows Imaging Format) using SmartDeploy.

1. Open the Capture Wizard by going to Start– All Programs – SmartDeploy – SmartDeploy Enterprise – Capture Wizard.

2. Select Next on the Welcome to the Capture Wizard page to proceed to the Virtual Hard Disk page.

3. Select Browse and browse to your virtual disk file. SmartDeploy supports the following file formats.

a. .vhd

b. .vmdk

c. .hdd

d. .vdi

4. Once you have selected your virtual hard disk, select Next to proceed to the Select Virtual Disk Volumes page. If you click the Details button, that will show the Disk number and Partition number.

5. Select Next to proceed to the Operating System page.

6. Enter the product key for the operating system that you want to deploy. This is also your chance to enter your local administrator account password. Note: Un-checking Mask password allows you to see your password to prevent creating an account with a password you didn’t intend on using.

Note: These fields are not required during the capture process and you will have a chance to enter the product key during the deployment phase. However, if you enter the product key during this step you will not be prompted again during deployment.

7. Select Next to proceed to the Image Type page

8. You now have two options, choose Standard image if you wish to capture an image to a new or existing .WIM file. This guide only provides instructions on creating a new .WIM file.

9. Select Next to proceed to the Save Image page

10. Click Browse and select a location where you want to save the .WIM file. Be sure to use a descriptive name. When creating multiple .WIMs, a standard naming convention is recommended.

11. Create an Image name for your .WIM.

12. Create an Image description for your image (optional).

13. Select Next to proceed to the Completing the Capture Wizard

14. Select Finish to start the capture and create your .WIM.

You have now successfully created a .WIM file ready for deployment using SmartDeploy Enterprise!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I’ll be glad to help.