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Windows SIM Overview Topics

Applies To: Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2

Windows® System Image Manager (Windows SIM) is a GUI that you use to create and manage answer files. Answer files are .xml files that are used in Windows Setup, Sysprep, Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM), and other deployment tools to configure and customize the default Windows installation.

You can use answer files to customize different aspects of Windows, including the default language settings, the partitions to create and format during installation, and the default settings for the Windows Internet Explorer® home page.

You can use Windows SIM to do the following:

  • Create and manage answer files.

  • Validate the settings of an answer file against a Windows image (.wim) file.

  • View all of the configurable component settings in a Windows image.

  • Create a configuration set that contains a complete set of portable folders with Setup files.

  • Add third-party drivers, applications, or other packages to an answer file.

In This Section

Windows SIM Scenarios Overview

Describes Windows SIM scenarios and when to use which scenario.

Windows SIM User Interface Overview

Describes the user interface of Windows SIM.

Windows Image Files and Catalog Files Overview

Describes conceptual information about Windows image files and catalog (.clg) files.

Answer Files Overview

Describes conceptual information about the structure of answer files.

Best Practices for Authoring Answer Files

Describes recommendations to consider when you are creating and managing answer files.

Distribution Shares and Configuration Sets Overview

Describes information about distribution shares, how they work, and when to create a configuration set.

See Also

Other Resources

Windows SIM How-to Topics
Windows SIM Reference Topics