How To Create a Custom Windows ISO with Apps & Settings (Backup for Yourself)

Creating a custom Windows ISO allows you to preserve your apps, accounts, and personal settings exactly as configured. This guide explains how to capture your system state and build a bootable ISO for personal backup.

Important Note

The ISO will contain the exact Security Identifier (SID) of your current machine. For personal backup on the same computer, this works perfectly. Using the ISO on a different computer may cause driver conflicts or activation issues.

Install & Configure Windows

• Boot from Windows installation media and install Windows normally.
• Create your user account, install required software, drivers, and updates.
• Configure personal settings (wallpapers, Start menu, registry tweaks, etc.).
• You may also use your existing Windows installation.

Prepare the Destination Disk

• Ensure sufficient free space.
• Create a folder named Scratch on the destination partition.
• Run Disk Cleanup, empty the Recycle Bin, and clear browser cache to reduce image size.

Boot into Recovery Environment

The Windows partition must be offline to capture the image. Options include:

• WinRE: Hold Shift + Restart → Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Command Prompt.
• WinPE: Boot into WinPE.
• Windows Installation Media: Boot from ISO/USB and press Shift + F10.

Check Drive Letters

diskpart
list volume
exit

Identify the Windows partition (e.g., C:) and the destination partition (e.g., E:).

Capture the Image

Option A: Standard Capture

dism /Capture-Image /ImageFile:E:\install.wim /CaptureDir:C:\ /Name:"Windows 11 Capture" /Description:"Windows 11 Capture Apr 2026" /Compress:max /CheckIntegrity /Verify /ScratchDir:E:\Scratch

Option B: Capture with Exclusions

Create Exclusion.ini before rebooting:

[ExclusionList]
\Data

[CompressionExclusionList]
*.mp3
*.zip
*.rar
*.mp4
*.png
*.webp
*.jpg
*.jpeg
*.7z

Run with config file:

dism /Capture-Image /ImageFile:E:\install.wim /CaptureDir:C:\ /Name:"Windows 11 Capture" /Description:"Windows 11 Capture Apr 2026" /ConfigFile:C:\Data\Exclusion.ini /Compress:max /CheckIntegrity /Verify /ScratchDir:E:\Scratch

Append to Existing WIM or ESD

dism /Append-Image /ImageFile:E:\install.wim /CaptureDir:C:\ /Name:"Windows 11 Capture" /Description:"Windows 11 Capture May 2026" /ConfigFile:C:\Data\Exclusion.ini /CheckIntegrity /Verify /ScratchDir:E:\Scratch

Use dism /get-wiminfo /wimfile:E:\install.wim to list editions.

Edit the ISO with AnyBurn

• Download and install AnyBurn.
• Download a Windows ISO from Microsoft.
• Open AnyBurn → Edit Image File → Load ISO.
• Navigate to sources and replace install.wim or install.esd with your custom file.
• Save as Windows Backup.iso.

Final Result

You now have a bootable ISO that restores your system exactly as you left it:

• No OOBE.
• No reset.
• All apps, accounts, and settings preserved.

Virtual Machine Note

On VirtualBox or similar, create a .vhd disk and attach it to the VM. Save your image file to it, then attach the same .vhd to the host machine using Disk Management. Alternatively, use a shared folder between host and VM.

This method ensures a reliable backup ISO tailored to your system, preserving your exact configuration for future recovery.

By following these steps, you gain a personal recovery tool that mirrors your environment and saves time during reinstallation.