Building a clean windows 10 1709 x64 Sequencer

Been using guides from Rorymon and Tmurgent blogs.

While they are a great starting point, they do not cover all the latest and «greatest» bloat MS provide for you.

Here is the old template list from our Current Vmware Worstation Sequencer Image. It was made with the following properties:

Install Window 10 Username: admin Install VC++ Newest to oldest 2017-2005 Add .NET 3.5: Copy sxs folder too c:\temp. Run DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All /LimitAccess /Source:C:\temp\sxs Disable Windows Defender: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender DisableAntiSpyware"=dword:00000001 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Real-Time Protection DisableRealtimeMonitoring"=dword:00000001   Disable Windows 10 feature Upgrade: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate] "AllowOSUpgrade "=dword:00000000 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate] "DisableOSUpgrade "=dword:00000001 - Disable Windows Search service - Disable Offline Files service - Disable Diagnostic Policy Service  - Disable Windows Update service (This is getting trickier now )    Double click Windows Update service to open properties    Click Stop to halt the service.    Click the Log On tab    Select Log on as: This account: .\Guest    Leave password blank    Click Apply Install ADK - Sequencer + Auto-Sequencer Install PS module PassiveInstall Install AppV Manage Install ACE Procmon and procexp Uninstall OneDrive Uninstall all removable apps CPU: 1 Processor 2 cores Memory: 8GB  Network adapter: bridged Disk: 120GB Proxy enabled Show hidden files Show file extensions Screen off: never Hibernation: never

 

 

We also had to disable:

“Background transfer service”(BITS) and “Delivery Optimization” service

This is the registry of a completely empty package with Bits and enabled:

 

As we can see, there is a lot of unwanted registry values getting captures, so after disabling BITS we get this picture:

 

After Disabling “Delivery Optimization” service we get this picture. Looking much better J

 

It’s looking better now, but there was still too much stuff in here, so I also made a Sequencer template that has to be loaded every time you start sequencing, its removing stuff like Cloud store and Cortona stuff.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <SequencerTemplate xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">   <SequencerTemplateVersion>2</SequencerTemplateVersion>   <ID>ea4fd954-e515-46a5-93c7-9f1fd3775501</ID>   <HashOverall>236761879</HashOverall>   <HashSettings>2</HashSettings>   <HashFileExclusions>-1112920618</HashFileExclusions>   <HashRegExclusions>610179163</HashRegExclusions>   <hashTargetOSes>371857150</hashTargetOSes>   <AllowMU>false</AllowMU>   <AppendPackageVersionToFilename>true</AppendPackageVersionToFilename>   <AllowLocalInteractionToCom>false</AllowLocalInteractionToCom>   <AllowLocalInteractionToObject>false</AllowLocalInteractionToObject>   <FullVFSWriteMode>false</FullVFSWriteMode>   <ExcludePreExistingSxSAndVC>false</ExcludePreExistingSxSAndVC>   <FileExclusions>     <string>[{AppData}]\Microsoft\AppV</string>     <string>[{AppVPackageDrive}]\$Recycle.Bin</string>     <string>[{AppVPackageDrive}]\System Volume Information</string>     <string>[{Cache}]</string>     <string>[{Common AppData}]\Microsoft\Crypto</string>     <string>[{Common AppData}]\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware</string>     <string>[{Common AppData}]\Microsoft\Microsoft Security Client</string>     <string>[{Common AppData}]\Microsoft\Search\Data</string>     <string>[{Common AppData}]\Microsoft\Windows Defender</string>     <string>[{Cookies}]</string>     <string>[{CryptoKeys}]</string>     <string>[{History}]</string>     <string>[{Local AppData}]</string>     <string>[{Local AppData}]\Temp</string>     <string>[{LocalAppDataLow}]</string>     <string>[{Personal}]</string>     <string>[{Profile}]\Local Settings</string>     <string>[{Profile}]\NTUSER.DAT.LOG1</string>     <string>[{Profile}]\NTUSER.DAT.LOG2</string>     <string>[{ProgramFilesX86}]\Windows Kits\10\Microsoft Application Virtualization\Sequencer</string>     <string>[{ProgramFiles}]\Microsoft Security Client</string>     <string>[{ProgramFiles}]\Windows Defender</string>     <string>[{Recent}]</string>     <string>[{Windows}]\Debug</string>     <string>[{Windows}]\Logs\CBS</string>     <string>[{Windows}]\Temp</string>     <string>[{Windows}]\WindowsUpdate.log</string>     <string>[{Windows}]\WinSxS\ManifestCache</string>     <string>{AppData}]\Microsoft\AppV</string>     <string>{AppVPackageDrive}]\$Recycle.Bin</string>     <string>{AppVPackageDrive}]\System Volume Information</string>     <string>{AppVSystem32Logfiles}]</string>     <string>{Cache}]</string>     <string>{Common AppData}]\Microsoft\Crypto</string>     <string>{Common AppData}]\Microsoft\RAC</string>     <string>{Common AppData}]\Microsoft\Search\Data</string>     <string>{Cookies}]</string>     <string>{History}]</string>     <string>{Local AppData}]</string>     <string>{Local AppData}]\Temp</string>     <string>{LocalAppDataLow}]</string>     <string>{LocalAppDataLow}]\Microsoft\CryptnetUrlCache</string>     <string>{Personal}]</string>     <string>{Profile}]\Local Settings</string>     <string>{Profile}]\NTUSER.DAT</string>     <string>{Profile}]\NTUSER.DAT.LOG</string>     <string>{Profile}]\NTUSER.DAT.LOG1</string>     <string>{Profile}]\NTUSER.DAT.LOG2</string>     <string>{ProgramFilesX64}]\Microsoft Application Virtualization\Sequencer</string>     <string>{Recent}]</string>     <string>{SystemX86}]\config</string>     <string>{SystemX86}]\SMI</string>     <string>{System}]\config</string>     <string>{System}]\SMI</string>     <string>{System}]\wbem</string>     <string>{Windows}]\Debug</string>     <string>{Windows}]\Logs\CBS</string>     <string>{Windows}]\security</string>     <string>{Windows}]\ServiceProfiles\LocalService</string>     <string>{Windows}]\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService</string>     <string>{Windows}]\Temp</string>     <string>{Windows}]\WindowsUpdate.log</string>     <string>{Windows}]\WinSxS\ManifestCache</string>   </FileExclusions>   <RegExclusions>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppV</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware Setup</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Security Client</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Reliability Analysis\RAC</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SQMClient</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Wbem</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Notifications</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrenVersion\SPP</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrenVersion\SystemRestore</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Active Setup</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\AppV</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Cryptography</string>     <string>REGISTRY\MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\VSS</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-19\Software\Microsoft\SQMClient</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Classes\Local Settings\ImmutableMuiCache</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Microsoft\AppV</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\SessionInfo\1\ApplicationViewManagement</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StreamMRU</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Security and Maintenance</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\AppV</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StreamMRU</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]_CLASSES\Local Settings\MuiCache</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]_CLASSES\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU</string>     <string>REGISTRY\USER\[{AppVCurrentUserSID}]_CLASSES\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags</string>   </RegExclusions>   <TargetOSes /> </SequencerTemplate>

 

Our final template is now currently like this:

Install Window 10 Username: admin Install VC++ Newest to oldest 2017-2005 Add .NET 3.5: Copy sxs folder too c:\temp. Run DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All /LimitAccess /Source:C:\temp\sxs Disable Windows Defender: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender DisableAntiSpyware"=dword:00000001 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Real-Time Protection DisableRealtimeMonitoring"=dword:00000001   Disable Windows 10 feature Upgrade: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate] "AllowOSUpgrade "=dword:00000000 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate] "DisableOSUpgrade "=dword:00000001 - Disable Connected User Experiences and Telemetry (DiagTrack) service - Disable Windows Search service - Disable Background transfer service - Disable Offline Files service - Disable Delivery Optimization service - Disable Diagnostic Policy Service  - Disable Windows Update service (This is getting trickier now )    Double click Windows Update service to open properties    Click Stop to halt the service.    Click the Log On tab    Select Log on as: This account: .\Guest    Leave password blank    Click Apply Turned of all notifications: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-turn-off-notifications-in-windows-10/ Install ADK - Sequencer + Auto-Sequencer Install PS module PassiveInstall Install AppV Manage Install ACE Procmon and procexp Uninstall OneDrive Uninstall all removable apps CPU: 1 Processor 2 cores Memory: 8GB  Network adapter: bridged Disk: 120GB Proxy enabled Show hidden files Show file extensions Screen off: never Hibernation: never

 

Hope this will be of help to someone other than us, we used much more time doing this stuff than I would have done if MS had preloaded and updated the template and documentation after Windows 7/8