Windows 7 Beta Automated Installation Kit

Accompanying the public release of Windows 7 Beta Build 7000, Microsoft made available additional downloads, including the Language Interface Pack for the operating system, as well as the Windows Automated Installation Kit. The WAIK went live at the end of the past week, almost concomitantly with the Windows 7 Beta downloads, with the Redmond company emphasizing the connection between the solution and the next iteration of the Windows client. Serving a collection of resources aimed at streamlining the process of installing and customizing Windows installations, the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows 7 Beta) weighs in at 1376.1 MB and is packaged as an ISO DVD image.

“The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) is a set of tools and documentation that support the configuration and deployment of Microsoft Windows operating systems. By using Windows AIK, you can automate Windows installations, capture Windows images with ImageX, configure and modify images using Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management (DISM), create Windows PE images, and migrate user profiles and data with the User State Migration Tool (USMT),” Microsoft explained.

In addition to being tailored to the Betas of Windows 7 client and Windows 7 Server (Windows Server 2008 R2), WAIK also comes with support for Windows Vista RTM/SP1 and Windows Server 2008 RTM/SP1. What the solution is designed to do is permit the configuration and deployment of all supported operating systems, including Win 7, with Microsoft stressing that this is valid only for the RTM editions of the platforms. Windows Automated Installation Kit offers a range of tools including Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM); ImageX; Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM); Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE); Windows Setup; Sysprep and User State Migration Tool (USMT).

“The AIK is ideal for highly customized environments. The tools in the AIK enable you to configure many deployment options, and they provide a high degree of flexibility. The corporate deployment environment varies from one company to another. Depending on your business needs and resources, you may choose to use all or parts of the resources available in the AIK,” Microsoft added.

Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows 7 Beta) is available for download here.