Create custom Windows 10 installations with MSMG Toolkit
You have two core options when it comes to creating custom Windows 10 installations. Either start from scratch by manipulating a Windows 10 ISO image directly, or modify a running system instead. MSGM Toolkit falls in the former category, as it will modify a source image and not the running system.
Note: It is highly recommended that you create a backup of the system partition before you run the program. Note that you need a Windows 10 ISO image, or a Windows 10 DVD, as this is used as the base image for the custom version.
You may download MSMG Toolkit from My Digital Life but that requires an account. If you don't have an account on the site, download the software program from Majorgeeks instead.
Create custom Windows 10 installations
Extract the package that is provided as a 7z archive file, and run the script in the root afterwards. The program displays an EULA on start which you need to accept to continue. Basically, what it says is that the author is not responsible for damages or issues. The application is a command line script for the most part.
MSGM Toolkit runs some scans once you hit the a-button for accept, for instance to detect the version of the operating system, and make sure the required tools are all available (stored in the MSMG Toolkit folder).
The program displays its main screen afterwards. The first thing that you need to do is select a source image or folder. You can copy the source folder of a Windows 10 installation image or DVD to the DVD\sources folder of the MSGM Toolkit folder to have that picked up for instance.
Tap on the 1 to start the source folder selection process, and select one of the available options afterwards.
Once you have set the source, you may start the customization process. The main menu items that you will use during the process are (3) integrate, (4) remove, and (5) customize.
Integrate
Integrate allows you to add language packs, drivers, features, updates, and custom features to the Windows 10 installation.
- Language Packs -- This enables you to add language packs -- read support for additional languages -- to the custom Windows 10 installation media.
- Drivers -- Add drivers to the installation media, for instance for hardware that Windows does not support by default, or does not provide up to date drivers for.
- Windows Features -- Enables you to add Windows components such as Microsoft Games, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Sidebar, or Windows Media Feature Pack to the installation. Some of these restore features that were removed previously (e.g. Microsoft Edge).
- Updates -- Integrate Windows Updates directly so that they are installed during installation of Windows 10, and not installed afterwards.
- Windows Custom Features -- Add custom system files, UxTheme patch, or a custom Windows Recovery Environment.
Remove
You may use the remove option to cut components from the Windows 10 installation.
- Remove default Metro apps -- Lists all default applications, and provides you with the means to remove select Windows 10 applications, all applications, all except Windows Store, and all online apps.
- Remove Default Metro Apps Associations -- This removes the file associations from Metro apps so that they are no longer launched when you open associated files on the Windows 10 machine.
- Remove Windows Components -- Remove Windows 10 components such as Cortana, Telemetry Services, Home Group, Parental Controls, or Xbox & Gaming from the image. There is also an advanced option to remove things like Microsoft Edge, Adobe Flash, Windows Defender, or Windows System Restore.
- Remove Windows Components using Package List
Customize
Customize enables you to import or export default metro application associations from and to XML files.
Once you are done
When you are done making the changes, you need to use the apply menu to apply the changes to the selected source.
Once that is out of the way, you may use the target menu to create a new installation medium, for instance by making a custom Windows 10 DVD ISO image, burning the ISO image to a bootable Flash drive, or burning an ISO image to DVD.
It is recommended that you test the custom Windows 10 installation media, for instance in a virtual machine, before you install it on computer systems.
Closing Words
MGMT Toolkit is a handy script for Windows devices to create custom Windows 10 installations from a Windows 10 ISO image or sources folder.
It enables you to make basic modifications to the installation media, for instance by removing select Windows apps, but also more advanced modifications such as adding drivers to the Windows 10 image, or removing core components.
A comparable program is NTLite. It enables you to modify a live installation, or create new custom media.
Now You: Do you customize your Windows installations?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help