Customize Windows Welcome
Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2
Note
This content applies to Windows 7. For Windows 8 content, see Windows Deployment with the Windows ADK.
Windows® Welcome is the user's first look at the Windows® 7 operating system. To customize and to brand Windows Welcome, you must update the Oobe.xml file. The following procedure describes how to update Oobe.xml to add your customizations to Windows Welcome.
A sample of Oobe.xml is provided with the Windows OEM Preinstallation Kit (Windows OPK) and the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) in the \Samples directory. This sample uses the fictitious company Fabrikam and Fabrikam graphics and offers.
To view the sample files in Windows Welcome
- Copy the \Info folder to \Windows\System32\Oobe, and copy the \Fabrikam folder to the root of the C: drive, where C is the letter of the drive onto which you have installed Windows 7.
To view Windows Welcome with the sample content
On the Start menu, point to All Programs, and then click Accessories.
Right-click the command prompt shortcut, and click Run as administrator.
Accept the User Account Control dialog box.
Navigate to \Windows\System32\Sysprep.
Run sysprep /oobe.
Start the computer.
Note
You cannot edit the Oobe.xml file by using Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM).
To customize Windows Welcome by using Oobe.xml
Create a file named Oobe.xml and store this file in Windows\System32\Oobe\Info.
Additionally, a sample Oobe.xml and sample graphic files are provided with the Windows OPK and the Windows AIK in the \Samples directory. To use this sample in a production environment, replace the Fabrikam content with your company's content.
By using an XML editor or a text editor, such as Notepad, update Oobe.xml with the appropriate files, paths, and content.
Save your updated version of Oobe.xml in Windows\System32\Oobe\Info, or in the appropriate language- and locale-specific folders required for your customizations.
Test Windows Welcome by repeating the procedure, "To view Windows Welcome with the sample content," earlier in this topic.
Additional Information
For information about Oobe.xml settings and the folder structure for multiple-language and multiple-region deployments of Oobe.xml, see Oobe.xml Technical Reference.