Windows Media Builder
Automated preparation of Windows RT 8.1 & Windows 10 Installation Media
Last updated
Automated preparation of Windows RT 8.1 & Windows 10 Installation Media
Last updated
Windows Media Builder is available two versions, one for Windows RT 8.1 and one for Windows 10, its purpose is to automate and simplify the creation of USB installation media for Windows RT devices.
Downloads the latest release of Windows RT 8.1 (IR5).*
Downloads Windows Updates.*
Integrates Windows Updates with customizable update levels to allow for Jailbreak compatibility.
Downloads Office 2013 RT Home & Student Plus Updates and creates update pack.*
Downloads Windows Defender Updates and creates an update pack.*
Integrates device drivers.
Customization of provisioned Apps.
* Windows RT 8.1 IR5 is downloaded from Archive.org, as of July 2023 the Microsoft source for these files is no longer available. Windows and Office Updates are still downloaded directly from Microsoft.
ASUS VivoTab RT
Dell XPS 10
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11
Microsoft Surface 2
Microsoft Surface RT
NEC LaVie Y *
Nokia Lumia 2520
Samsung Ativ Tab
* The NEC LaVie Y is a rebadged Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 released for the Japanese market. This device is supported by creating an image for the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11. The only difference would be the loss of NEC branding.
Supported
Supported (Requires Yahallo to be applied and requires removal of Golden Keys if installed)
Supported (Requires removal of Golden Keys if installed)
Non-functional
An x86 or x64 PC running Windows 10 (1703) or above, Windows Media Builder cannot be run on the device that the image is being created for.
At least 48GB available hard drive space on the device Windows Media Builder is being run on.
8GB+ USB Drive.
Download the required version of Windows Media Builder.
Right click on the downloaded file and select "Extract All..."
Select a destination for the extracted files.
Click "Extract".
The use of Windows Media Builder or the installation media it produces is entirely at your own risk.
Open the folder where Windows Media Builder was extracted to.
Right click on "Build.cmd" and select "Run as administrator".
Select the tab relevant to the version of Windows Media Builder in use.
Select Device. Select target device by entering its number from the list.
Select Windows Update Mode.
All Updates for Windows
Longhorn/Golden Keys Jailbreak Safe
Myriachan Jailbreak Safe
Service Stack & Update 3 Only (Longhorn/Golden Key & Myriachan Jailbreak Safe)
Service Stack Only (Longhorn/Golden Key & Myriachan Jailbreak Safe)
No Updates (Longhorn/Golden Key & Myriachan Jailbreak Safe)
The default language is English (United States), would you like to select another language (Y/N)? Answering "Y" will display a list of available languages for Windows RT 8.1, select the language by entering its number from the list. Answering "N" will default to English (United States) and skip language selection.
Would you like to enable the Start Menu by default (Y/N)? This option will only appear if the new Start Menu update is included in the Windows Update Mode selected in Step 1. Answering "Y" will enable the Start Menu by default, answering "N" will leave the Start Screen enabled.
Would you like to update provisioned apps (Y/N)? Answering "Y" will update all provisioned Apps with the latest available versions, answering "N" will not perform any updates to the Apps that shipped with Windows RT 8.1 (IR5).
Would you like to uninstall provisioned apps (Y/N)? This option will only appear if provisioned Apps are not being updated. Answering "Y" will remove all provisioned Apps, answering "N" will not make any changes to the Apps that shipped with Windows RT 8.1 (IR5). Answering "Y" will offer further options to remove the following System Apps that are not normally removed. These additional options should be considered untested.
Camera
OneDrive & Photos (These Apps are a part of the same package)
Store
Would you like to uninstall BitLocker (Y/N)? Answering "Y" will remove BitLocker components, answering "N" will not make any changes to BitLocker. This option should be considered untested.
Would you like to uninstall Office 2013 RT Home & Student Plus (Y/N)? Answering "Y" will remove Office files and registry entries, answering "N" will not make any changes to Office. This option should be considered untested.
Would you like to uninstall Windows Defender (Y/N)? Answering "Y" will remove Windows Defender components, answering "N" will not make any changes to Windows Defender. This option should be considered untested.
Would you like to uninstall Adobe Flash (Y/N)? Answering "Y" will remove Adobe Flash components, answering "N" will not make any changes to Adobe Flash. This option should be considered untested.
Would you like to uninstall VPN Packages (Y/N)? Answering "Y" will remove VPN Package components, answering "N" will not make any changes to VPN Packages. This option should be considered untested.
Would you like to create a Windows Defender update package on the installation media (Y/N)?
This option will only appear if Windows Defender is not being uninstalled. Answering "Y" will download Windows Defender updates and place them on the installation media, answering "N" will skip creation of the Office update package.
Windows Defender updates cannot be integrated directly so once Window RT 8.1 installation is complete run the following as administrator where X:\ is the path to the USB drive:
X:\Windows_Defender_Update_Pack\Defender_Update.cmd
Would you like to create an Office 2013 RT Home & Student Plus update package on the installation media (Y/N)?
This option will only appear if Office is not being uninstalled. Answering "Y" will download and extract Office 2013 RT Home & Student Plus updates and place them on the installation media, answering "N" will skip creation of the Office update package.
Office Updates cannot be integrated directly so once Window RT 8.1 installation is complete run the following as administrator where X:\ is the path to the USB drive:
X:\Office_2013_RT_Update_Pack\Office_Update.cmd
Select Windows Setup Mode Select the Windows Setup Mode by entering its number from the list.
Windows Setup (Default)
Creates installation media using default Windows Setup, this mode is not as touch friendly as the Windows Recovery Environment and does not create a recovery partition.
Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
Creates installation media using the Windows Recovery Environment, this mode is touch friendly and will create a recovery partition.
Modified WIM Files Only (No Setup)
Creates modified WIM files for manual installation.
Windows Image Compression Mode Select a Windows Image Compression Mode by entering its number from the list.
Windows Imaging Format (WIM) Format Offers shorter image creation time at the expense of lower compression.
Electronic Software Delivery (ESD) Format Offers higher compression at the expense of longer image creation time. Using this option will result in lower disk space usage on the installation USB and where applicable result in a smaller recovery partition.
Would you like to continue? (Y/N)? Previously selected options will be displayed along with information and warnings relevant to the chosen configuration. Answering "Y" will start the process of downloading any required files and building the image, Answering "N" will return to the Main Menu.
Once the process is complete the following options will be offered.
Would you like to create USB Installation Media (Y/N)? Answering "Y" will prompt for a USB drive to be selected, answering "N" will skip to the next step. The installation files can be written to USB from the Main Menu or copied manually at a later time if needed.
Would you like to create an ISO image (Y/N)? Answering "Y" will create an ISO image containing the generated installation files, answering "N" will skip to the next step. This step is not required and is for archival purposes, an ISO can be generated from the Main Menu at a later time if needed.
Would you like to create Windows to Go USB Media (Y/N)? This option will only appear if "Offer Windows To Go USB Output" has been enabled in the settings menu. Answering "Y" will prompt for a USB drive to be selected, answering "N" will skip to the next step. The installation files can be written to USB from the Main Menu at a later time if needed.
The path to the installation files will be displayed and the following prompt will be shown: Would you like to open this folder (Y/N)? Answering "Y" will open the folder where the installation files are contained, answering "N" will skip to the next step.
All Done - Returning to Main Menu... Press any key to continue . . . After a key is pressed Windows Media Builder will return to the Main Menu.
This will permanently delete ALL data stored on the device. This includes any operating system installation, software and any personal data.
Select the tab relevant to the Windows Setup Mode being used.
Surface keyboards do not respond in this setup mode if it was connected at bootup, at present the workaround is to detach and then reattach the keyboard when the screen above is displayed.
Wait until the above screen is displayed and click "Next".
Tick "I accept the license terms" and click "Next".
Click "Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)".
If there are existing partitions present, select each one individually and click "Delete".
Click "Drive 0 Unallocated Space" and click "Next".
Once Setup files have been copied the device will reboot automatically.
Follow onscreen instructions to complete the Windows Out of Box Experience (OOBE).
This applies only when using the Windows RT IR5 Media Builder and have selected the option to create an Office 2013 RT Home & Student Plus update package. This step does not apply when using Windows 10 Build 15035, any selected updates to an Office installation under Windows 10 will be applied automatically.
Insert USB which contains the installation media generated by Windows Media Builder.
Open the USB drive in Explorer and open the Office_2013_RT_Update_Pack
folder.
Right click on Office_Update.cmd
and select "Run as administrator".
Follow onscreen instructions.
Windows Media Builder can write existing installation files that were previously generated, to access the list of existing installation files enter "W" at the Main Menu and press Enter.
If any existing installation files are available they can be written by entering its number and pressing Enter, a confirmation prompt will be shown be before proceeding to offer write options for the selected image.
Windows Media Builder has some limited configuration settings but generally there is no need to change the defaults. To access the Settings Menu enter "S" at the Main Menu and press Enter.
1: Select "Downloads" Parent Directory (Source Windows Media, Windows & Office Updates) - User requested option, changes the path where Windows Media Builder will download its files to.
2: Select "Tmp" Parent Directory (Temporary Files & WIM Mount Points) - User requested option, changes the path where Windows Media Builder will extract any temporary files and create any working directories.
3: Select "Windows_Media" Parent Directory (Output Windows Media) - User requested option, changes the path where Windows Media Builder places its output.
4: Bundled DISM - User requested option. Disabled by default, if enabled then Windows Media Builder will use the bundled copy of DISM.
5: Download Verification (SHA-1) - User requested option. Enabled by default, if disabled then Windows Media Builder will skip verification of any files that have been downloaded.
6: ISO/USB/VHD Media Label - User requested option, set a custom volume label for any generated ISO file or USB drive.
7: Windows 10 Enterprise / RT 8.1 Product Key - Change the Product Key applied the the generated install.wim.
8: Office 2013 Product Key - Option available for Windows 10 Builder 15035 Media Builder only, change the Product Key applied to the installation of Office 2013 RT Home & Student Plus.
9: KMS Address - Option available for Windows 10 Builder 15035 Media Builder only, change the address to the Key Management Services host server applied to the install.wim which will be used to activate Windows 10 Build 15035 and Office 2013 RT Home & Student Plus. 0: Use Torrent Download If Available - Enabled by default as of v2.53, if enabled then Windows Media Builder will download any files via BitTorrent instead of HTTP when possible. Enabling this option may improve download speeds but results may vary.
W: Windows Product Key Type - User requested option and available for Windows 10 Builder 15035 Media Builder only, will switch product key type between GVLK (Generic Volume License Key) and OEM:NONSLP (Non System Locked Pre-installation). Selecting GVLK will attempt to activate via the KMS selected under option 9, selecting OEM:NONSLP will attempt to activate via Microsoft using a modified upgrade ticket (HWID Activation).
Switching the product key type will automatically change the Windows product key selected under option 7.
K: Activate Windows Offline (KMS38) - User requested option and available for Windows 10 Builder 15035 Media Builder only. Disabled by default, this option can be enabled when the use of a GVLK (Generic Volume License Key) for Windows has been selected. When enabled this option will use the KMS38 activation method which should activate Windows until the year 2038, this method of activation does not require an internet connection.
O: Office Product Key Type - User requested option and available for Windows 10 Builder 15035 Media Builder only, will switch product key type between GVLK (Generic Volume License Key) and Retail. Selecting GVLK will attempt to activate via the KMS selected under option 9, selecting Retail will attempt to activate via Microsoft using a valid Office 2013 Home & Business key.
Switching the product key type will automatically change the Office product key selected under option 7 however the default Retail key provided will not activate Office, after switching to retail the user must enter their own valid Office 2013 Home & Business key under option 7.
A: Auto Convert Install.wim To ESD If Output > 4GB - User requested option and available for Windows RT 8.1 IR5 Media Builder only. Enabled by default as of v2.53, if enabled an output Install.wim that is larger then 4GB will be automatically converted to ESD. G: Offer Windows To Go USB Output - User requested option. Disabled by default, if enabled "Windows To Go" output will be offered either after creating an image or when writing an existing one.
C: Enable Custom Addon - Option only available if \Addons\Custom\Custom.cmd
exists, disabled by default. If enabled the commands contained within Custom.cmd will be optionally applied when building an image. For an example Custom.cmd file see \Addons\Custom\Custom_Example.cmd
.
L: DISM Log Level - Option available starting with Windows Media Builder v2.3c only. This setting alters the amount of detail included in the "Log-DISM.txt" file that is included with Window Media Builder output. The available settings are:
Errors only.
Errors and warnings. (Default)
Errors, warnings, and informational.
All information and debug output.
D: Set Default Values - Returns Windows Media Builder to its default settings.
E: Exit Settings - Return to Main Menu.
To access the Miscellaneous Menu enter "M" at the Main Menu and press Enter.
Entering "U" on the Miscellaneous Menu will check for any available updates to the download lists used by Windows Media Builder. If any updates are available a confirmation prompt will be shown before proceeding with the update.
Relies on Archive.org for for the download of Windows RT 8.1 IR5 and unfortunately the download speed can be quite slow.
Attempting to remove or update provisioned apps in Windows RT 8.1 IR5 for Saudi Arabia, Bulgaria, Germany, Croatia, Hungary, Russia and Slovakia results in the following error:
App packages (.appx) cannot be serviced on an offline image after a user has logged into the image.
7-Zip - Copyright (C) 1999-2019, Igor Pavlov.
Aria2 - Copyright (C) 2006, 2019 Tatsuhiro Tsujikawa.
DecryptESD - Copyright (C) 2017, Thomas Hounsell.
GNU Wget - Copyright (C) 1996-2008, Free Software Foundation, Inc.
QEMU - Copyright (C) 2003-2021 Fabrice Bellard and the QEMU Project developers. (Thanks to @x86corez & @driver1998)
SetACL - Copyright (C) 2012, Helge Klein.
tget - Copyright (C) 2024, sweetbbak.
Media Builder & Guide - @jwa4.
Download: / - Version 2.50 - 13th September 2023
Download: / - Version 2.50 - 13th September 2023
Insert the USB created by Media Builder and .
Insert the USB created by Media Builder and .
Insert the USB created by Media Builder and .
Insert the USB created by Media Builder and .
Entering "J" on the Miscellaneous Menu will offer to write a copy of the of the automatically.
Entering "Q" on the Miscellaneous Menu will start the regular Media Builder process for creating an image however instead of installation media the output will be a Click-to-Run Package that is capable of emulating Windows RT 8.1 or Windows 10 Build 15035 on a Windows x64 PC.
Symptom: Surface RT or Surface 2 will boot the local Windows installation or boot loop if no local installation is found instead of booting from installation USB created using the Windows Setup or Windows Recovery Environment installation options. Fix: This issue is most commonly caused by not removing the Golden Keys / Longhorn jailbreak before attempting installation, for users of Surface 2 this may also be caused by not disabling Secure Boot using Yahallo. See the page for information on jailbreaking the device or alternatively recreate the installation USB using the Modified Windows RT 8.1 Recovery Environment option.