Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer
Purpose
The Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer (ICD) tool streamlines the customizing and provisioning of a Windows image.
Note
In the next update of Windows 10, Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer (Windows ICD) is removing support for generating customized Windows images. For that release, you will need to use Unattend and Windows System Image Manager (WSIM) for customizing Windows desktop images, and the Managed Centralized Settings Framework (MCSF) to customize Windows mobile images. For more information, see Windows System Image Manager Overview Topics and Customize using the mobile MCSF framework.
You can use Windows ICD to do the following tasks:
- View all of the configurable settings and policies for a Windows 10 image or provisioning package.
- Create Windows provisioning answer files.
- Add third-party drivers, apps, or other assets to an answer file.
- Create variants and specify the settings that apply to each variant.
- Build and flash a Windows image.
- Build a provisioning package.
Windows ICD is primarily designed for use by:
- OEMs, ODMs, and Makers looking for a simple and streamlined process of creating and deploying a Windows image.
- System integrators who provision devices based on their customers' needs.
- IT departments for business and educational institutions who need to provision bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and business-supplied devices.
To determine if Windows ICD is the right tool for you, see the following table, which shows the scenarios that Windows 10 supports and the tool that you can use.
| If you are | interested in | use |
|---|---|---|
| System builder or OEM | Configuring and applying Windows images on new desktop and mobile devices | Windows ICD to create full image media (USB, network, USB tethering) |
| Small organization | Customizing new desktop and mobile devices | Windows ICD to create provisioning package(s) |
| Small organization | Configuring and applying Windows images on new desktop devices | Windows ICD to create full image media (USB, network, USB tethering) |
| Mid-sized organization | Creating and deploying custom Windows images on new or existing desktop devices | Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) to create and deploy custom image(s) (USB, network, Windows Deployment Services (WDS)/Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)) |
| Mid-sized organization | Configuring and applying Windows images on new desktop devices | Windows ICD to create provisioning package(s) |
| Mid-sized organization | Customizing mobile devices | Windows ICD to create provisioning package(s) |
| Large organization | Creating and deploying custom Windows images on new or existing desktop images | DT and/or Configuration Manager to create and deploy custom image(s) (USB, network, WDS/PXE/Multicast) |
| Large organization | Customizing new desktop and mobile devices | Windows ICD to create provisioning package(s) |
Contact Us
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In this section
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Changes to Windows ICD | In the next update of Windows 10, Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer (Windows ICD) is removing support for generating customized Windows images. For that release, you will need to use Unattend and Windows System Image Manager (WSIM) for customizing Windows desktop images, and the Managed Centralized Settings Framework (MCSF) to customize Windows mobile images. For more information, see Windows System Image Manager Overview Topics and Customize using the mobile MCSF framework. |
| Getting started with Windows ICD | Read this topic to find out how to install and run the Windows ICD. Once you have Windows ICD running, check out the supported Windows ICD project workflows to learn about some of the things you can do using the tool. |
| Supported platforms for Windows ICD | Provides information about:
|
| Build and apply a provisioning package | You can use Windows ICD to create a provisioning package (.ppkg), which contains customizations that you can include for a particular Windows image. You can either apply the provisioning package to an image or share it as a standalone package that can be applied to a running system using the Provisioning Engine. For more information about PPKGs and how they are generated and applied, see Provisioning packages. |
| Build a provisioning package with classic Windows applications | Create a provisioning package that includes Windows desktop applications and other files with your Windows 10 for desktop editions (Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education) devices. |
| Export a provisioning package | Export a provisioning package if you want to reuse the customizations already configured in a different project or to share it as a standalone package that can be applied to a running system during initial device setup or later. |
| Create a provisioning package with multivariant settings | Multivariant provides a generic mechanism for creating a single image that can work for multiple markets and reduce the number of images that OEMs need to create and test. It enables OEMs to dynamically configure language, branding, apps, and network settings during runtime based on the mobile operator and locale/country. Windows 10 provisioning is an updated and enriched version of the runtime configuration or multivariant feature supported in Windows Phone 8.1. In Windows 10, multivariant is available for all Windows editions. To provision multivariant settings, you must create a provisioning package with defined Conditions and Settings that are tied to these conditions. When you install this package on a Windows 10 device, the provisioning engine applies the matching condition settings at every event and triggers provisioning. |
| Build and deploy an image for Windows 10 Desktop | You can use Windows ICD to create a new Windows 10 for desktop editions image and customize it by adding drivers, apps, language packs, settings, and more. You can also build the deployment media either to a folder or to a USB key. |
| Build and deploy an image for Windows 10 Mobile | You can use Windows ICD to create a new Windows 10 Mobile image and customize it by adding settings and some assets. |
| Build and deploy a Windows 10 IoT Core image | You can use Windows ICD to customize and create a new Windows 10 IoT Core (IoT Core) image. |
| Configure customizations using Windows ICD | You can use Windows ICD to configure the Windows device UI, connectivity settings, and user experience to better reflect your brand, to meet mobile network requirements, to comply with IT department security requirements, or to fit market segments or regions where the device will ship. |
| Use the Windows ICD command-line interface | You can use the Windows ICD command-line interface (CLI) to automate the building of provisioning packages and Windows 10 for desktop editions and Windows 10 Mobile or IoT Core images.
|
| Use the package splitter tool | Enterprise IT professionals who want to use a barcode to provision mobile devices during OOBE can use the package splitter tool, ppkgtobase64.exe, which is a command-line tool to split the provisioning package into smaller files. |
Plan for Windows 10 deployment
Windows 10 provides new deployment capabilities, scenarios, and tools by building on technologies introduced in Windows 7, and Windows 8.1, while at the same time introducing new Windows as a service concepts to keep the operating system up to date. Together, these changes require that you rethink the traditional deployment process.
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 servicing options | Windows 10 provides a new model for organizations to deploy and upgrade Windows by providing updates to features and capabilities through a continual process. |
| Windows 10 deployment considerations | There are new deployment options in Windows 10 that help you simplify the deployment process and automate migration of existing settings and applications. |
| Windows 10 compatibility | Windows 10 will be compatible with most existing PC hardware; most devices running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 will meet the requirements for Windows 10. |
| Windows 10 infrastructure requirements | There are specific infrastructure requirements to deploy and manage Windows 10 that should be in place prior to significant Windows 10 deployments within your organization. |
| Windows Update for Business | Get an overview of how you can implement and deploy a Windows Update for Business solution and how to maintain enrolled systems |
| Windows To Go: feature overview | Windows To Go is a feature in Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education that enables the creation of a Windows To Go workspace that can be booted from a USB-connected external drive on PCs. |
| Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) Technical Reference | The Microsoft® Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) helps you determine whether the applications, devices, and computers in your organization are compatible with versions of the Windows® operating system. |
| Change history for Plan for Windows 10 deployment | This topic lists new and updated topics in the Plan for Windows 10 deployment documentation for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. |
Windows 10 servicing options
Servicing option summary
Comparison
Windows 10 servicing options
Availability of new feature upgrades for installation
Current Branch (CB)
Current Branch for Business (CBB)
Long-Term Servicing Branch (LTSB)
Supported editions
Immediate
Deferred by ~4 months
Not applicable
Minimum length of servicing lifetime
Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Education, Windows 10 Enterprise, IoT Core, IoT Core Pro
Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Education, Windows 10 Enterprise, IoT Core Pro
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB
Ongoing installation of new feature upgrades required to receive servicing updates
Approximately 4 Months
Approximately 8 months
10 years
Supports Windows Update for release deployment
Yes
Yes
No
Supports Windows Server Update Services for release deployment
Yes
Yes
Yes
Supports Configuration Manager/configuration management systems for release deployment
Yes (excludes Home)
Yes
Yes
First party browsers included
Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer 11
Microsoft Edge, IE11
IE11
Notable Windows system apps removed
None
None
Microsoft Edge, Windows Store Client, Cortana (limited search available)
Notable Windows universal apps removed
None
None
Outlook Mail/Calendar, OneNote, Weather, News, Sports, Money, Photos, Camera, Music, Clock