Installing Drivers and Activating Windows using Audit Mode

Installing Drivers and Activating Windows using Audit Mode

Installing Drivers and Activating Windows Through OOBE or Audit Mode


It is important to let customers customize their Windows first boot settings (OOBE settings). The entire installation process for a custom build must be carried out manually, for instance, the setup and activation of Windows, and the updating of drivers.
In this scenario, some Windows features ( Audit Mode) enable installation to be completed without interrupting with the out-of-the-box experience.


What is Out Of Box experience (OOBE)?

The Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) is the phase of Windows setup that allows you to personalize your Windows experience at the first boot after windows installation . You can perform a variety of tasks, such as installing drivers, activating windows, defining personalized settings, setting up user accounts, signing up for wireless networks, joining business networks, and installing drivers.



What is Audit Mode?


Audit mode enables you to personalize your computer, install applications and device drivers, and test it in a Windows environment. 

It is also useful to capture the image for reuse in your organization's network, as well as to define privacy settings.



When you boot into audit mode, the computer starts in the built-in administrator account, which is then removed automatically during the generalize configuration pass.

When you configure a computer to boot to audit mode, it will continue to boot to audit mode until you configure it to boot to Out-Of-Box Experience (OOBE) 

Customizing windows In Audit Mode


To enter audit mode, press SHIFT+CTRL+F3 from the OOBE screen. Windows will reboot the computer into audit mode, and the System Preparation (Sysprep) Tool appears. 

You can update all the drivers, customize wallpapers, install additional software and activate Windows in the Audit mode.



 



After the driver installation is finished, to shut down the system, choose Enter System OOBE from the System Preparation tool and then choose reboot or shut down to leave the audit mode.













In order to transition from audit mode to OOBE, close the window, select Enter System OOBE from the Sysprep tool, and then select Reboot. When restarting the system, give it five to ten seconds to exit audit mode and enter the OOBE interface.

 

CMD to Shut down the system from the OOBE interface

 

The setup process for Windows 10 doesn't offer a clear way to turn off your computer. Once your computer has booted, you must proceed through setup until you reach the desktop, where you can shut it down without risk.

For the new owner to see the initial setup screens. you must shut down the computer without using the desktop. There is a proven way to shut down the system from OOBE

Pressing the Shift+F10 keyboard combination launches a Command Prompt window.

 

 

With access to the command prompt, it’s simple to shut down your PC: type shutdown /s /t 0 to immediately shut down. The /s tells Windows to shut down (instead of rebooting or suspending); /t 0 means shutdown after 0 seconds (i.e. immediately). Also, you can use shutdown /p to shut down the system.

 

You should use this procedure after Windows 10’s installation has been completed. As soon as you get to the OOBE Screen, use the sequence of commands to shut down your device. 


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