Custom Windows OS Template
A system admin can build a personalized OS template to deploy remote desktops. It's also handy for applying your own OS license.
Follow these instructions carefully to ensure a successful image.
Important:
About Disk Partition
1. The custom template needs just one partition, or optionally two: an EFI/Boot partition plus a system and data partition.
2. Avoid using LVM partitions – they aren’t supported.
3. An incorrect partition layout will break automatic disk resizing and machine naming features.
Windows
1. Install "Red Hat VirtIO SCSI pass-through controller
When prompted with "Where do you want to install Windows?", click "Load drivers" and pick the appropriate driver. The storage drive will then appear.
2. Initial Setup
When you see "Let's connect you to a network", choose I don't have internet.
Next, when prompted with "There's more to discover...", select Continue with limited setup.
Enter any username, but leave the password blank.
3. Install Virtio-win drivers and guest agents
After the machine starts and you've logged in, open CD Drive E and run Virtio-win-guest-tools. This installs the virtio drivers along with spice vdagent and qemu guest agent. Click Next and OK to complete.
4. Disable Hibernate
Launch Command Prompt by right-clicking and selecting "Run as administrator". Then type "powercfg.exe /hibernate off" and press Enter.
5. Enable Shutdown/Restart Windows 10 without Any Prompts
Open the registry editor and go to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop.
Add a new String Value called AutoEndTasks and set it 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 the installer, and when it finishes, turn off authentication. Then open the "TightVNC service configuration" tool and set it up accordingly.
Open "TightVNC service configuration" and configure it
8. Enable Shared-drive
Shared-drive lets cloud desktops share files with one another during training sessions in Italy, or between a user's personal computer and the cloud desktop. It relies on WebDAV file sharing. You'll need to map the drive first – check the screenshot for details.
9. Shutdown your Windows properly
Click the Windows icon in the bottom left, then Power, then Shut down.
Please Note
To enable additional optional features such as
- DDWebdav, which syncs trainer content folders to participants' machines,
- or DDUpload for effortless file uploads directly within a DaDesktop machine;
please reach out to DaDesktop Tech Support.