Building a Custom Windows OS Template
Organization admins can create a custom OS template to launch remote desktops. It also lets you activate your own OS license.
Follow these steps precisely to build a working image. Proceed with care.
Important:
About Disk Partition
1. The custom template requires either a single disk partition, or two: one for EFI/Boot and the other for the system and data.
2. LVM partitions are not supported—please avoid them.
3. An incorrect partition layout will break automatic disk resizing and machine naming.
Windows
1. Install "Red Hat VirtIO SCSI pass-through controller
When the installer asks "Where do you want to install Windows?", click "Load drivers", then pick the appropriate driver. The storage drive will then appear.
2. Initial Setup
When prompted "Let's connect you to a network", click I don't have internet
When you see "There's more to discover...", click Continue with limited setup
Enter any username but leave the password blank
3. Install Virtio-win drivers and guest agents
Once the machine starts and you're logged in, open CD Drive E and run Virtio-win-guest-tools. This installs the virtio drivers, spice vdagent and qemu guest agent. Click Next and OK to finish.
4. Disable Hibernate
Right-click Command Prompt and choose "Run as administrator". Type "powercfg.exe /hibernate off" and press Enter.
5. Enable Shutdown/Restart Windows 10 without Any Prompts
Open the registry editor and navigate to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop.
Add a new String Value called AutoEndTasks and set its value to 1.
6. Check if the required service exists and set to "Automatic Start"
- Spice-Vdagent : for support of qemu vnc clipboard
- BalloonSerivce: for guest memory usage stats
7. Install and configure Tightvnc to allow proper VNC connection
Visit https://www.tightvnc.com/download.php to grab the TightVNC installer for Windows.
Run it and, after installation, disable authentication.
Open the "TightVNC service configuration" tool and set it up.
8. Enable Shared-drive
Shared-drive allows cloud desktops to exchange files during a training course, or between a user's local PC and the cloud desktop. It's based on WebDAV technology. You'll need to map the drive before use. See the screenshot below.
9. Shutdown your Windows properly
Click the Windows icon in the bottom-left, then Power, then Shutdown.
Please Note
To add extra optional features such as
- DDWebdav (synchronising the trainer's content folders to each participant's machine),
- or DDUpload (for easy file uploads into a DaDesktop machine);
Please get in touch with DaDesktop Tech Support.