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ChrisTitusTech merged 3 commits into from
Aug 9, 2026
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docs: correct Win11 Creator behavior after the ISO workflow refactor #4920

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7fcaec1
docs: correct Win11 Creator behavior after the ISO workflow refactor
vyas-devgna Aug 5, 2026
0d6e68a
docs: align disk space, driver injection, and stuck-run guidance
vyas-devgna Aug 5, 2026
cb3d01f
docs: narrow this PR back to the edition and output size claims
vyas-devgna Aug 5, 2026
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8 changes: 2 additions & 6 deletions docs/src/content/docs/code-reference/architecture.mdx
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -149,8 +149,6 @@ The **Win11 Creator** is a specialized subsystem within Winutil that creates cus
- Applies offline registry tweaks (hardware bypass, privacy, telemetry, OOBE)
- Deletes telemetry scheduled task definitions
- Pre-stages setup scripts from autounattend.xml
- Removes unused Windows editions
- Cleans component store via DISM

### Win11 Creator Data Flow

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -181,16 +179,14 @@ Invoke-WinUtilISOModify (runs in background runspace)
│ ├─ Delete telemetry scheduled task files
│ ├─ Pre-stage setup scripts from autounattend.xml to C:\Windows\Setup\Scripts\
│ └─ Unload registry hives
├─ DISM /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase (saves 300-800 MB)
├─ Dismount and save the modified install.wim (~10+ minutes, slowest step)
├─ Export selected edition only (removes all other editions, saves 1-2 GB each)
├─ Dismount source ISO
└─ Report completion, enable export options
↓
Invoke-WinUtilISOExport (user chooses output)
├─ Option 1: Save as ISO
│ ├─ Build bootable ISO via oscdimg.exe (BIOS/UEFI dual-boot)
│ └─ Output: Win11_Modified_[date].iso (2.5-3.5 GB)
│ └─ Output: Win11_Modified_[date].iso (close to the source ISO size)
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│
└─ Option 2: Write to USB
├─ Format USB as GPT
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -272,7 +268,7 @@ The `Invoke-WinUtilISOScript` function applies **50+ offline registry tweaks**:

- **Temporary working directory**: ~10-15 GB
- **Original ISO**: 4-6 GB
- **Modified ISO**: 2.5-3.5 GB
- **Modified ISO**: close to the source ISO size
- **Total needed**: ~25 GB for safe operation
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## Data Flow
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6 changes: 4 additions & 2 deletions docs/src/content/docs/guides/win11creator.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -56,9 +56,7 @@ Click **Run Windows ISO Modification and Creator** to start the customization pr
- **Enable local account setup** — injects an `autounattend.xml` that skips the Microsoft account screen during OOBE
- **Disable BitLocker and device encryption** — removes startup overhead
- **Disable Chat icon** — removes chat taskbar button
- **Strip unused editions** — keeps only your selected edition, saving 1–2 GB per removed edition
- **Pin the selected edition during setup** — writes setup metadata so OEM firmware keys for a different edition do not force the installer down the wrong product-key path
- **Clean the component store** — runs DISM cleanup to reclaim another 300–800 MB

**Privacy & Telemetry Tweaks:**
- **Disable telemetry** — advertising ID, tailored experiences, input personalization, speech online privacy
Expand All @@ -76,6 +74,10 @@ Click **Run Windows ISO Modification and Creator** to start the customization pr

A live log shows progress as each step completes. This stage usually takes **10–30 minutes** depending on disk speed. The WIM dismount near the end is the slowest part, so do not close WinUtil while it is running.

:::note
The resulting ISO is close to the size of the source ISO. WinUtil does not remove the unused editions from `install.wim`; it selects your edition through `sources\ei.cfg` and `autounattend.xml` so Windows Setup installs the right one.

@chatgpt-codex-connector chatgpt-codex-connector Bot Aug 5, 2026

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P2 Badge Clarify first-logon staging in the guide

For runs without driver injection, this new note is the only place explaining that the image is preserved, but the Step 3 bullets immediately above still promise AppX, OneDrive, registry, and task removals as if they are baked into the ISO. The implementation writes autounattend.xml/sources\$OEM$ setup scripts and only calls driver servicing when $InjectCurrentSystemDrivers is true (functions/private/Invoke-WinUtilISOScript.ps1:529-538), so users expecting an offline-debloated install.wim will not see those changes until first logon; update this section to describe the staging behavior.

AGENTS.md reference: AGENTS.md:L127-L127

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@vyas-devgna vyas-devgna Aug 5, 2026

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Skipping this one deliberately. The Step 3 bullets are pre-existing text that this PR does not touch, and an earlier revision added exactly this clarification before it was reverted to keep the change scoped to the edition and output size claims behind #4918.

On the substance you are right, but a header tweak would not do it justice. The passes differ: the hardware requirement bypasses are written during windowsPE, the account and OOBE behavior during oobeSystem, and the AppX, registry, scheduled task and OneDrive work runs at first logon. Describing all of it as first-logon staging is what the previous revision got wrong, and it was raised in review as well. That needs the three phases documented separately across the guide and the architecture page.

AGENTS.md section 6 also asks not to improve adjacent docs unless required, so I would rather leave this for the follow-up pass than half-fix it here.

:::

---

### Step 4 — Export Your Result
Expand Down