F5F Stay Refreshed Software Operating Systems Generate a W11 image from a Rufus-made flash drive for VM use.

Generate a W11 image from a Rufus-made flash drive for VM use.

Generate a W11 image from a Rufus-made flash drive for VM use.

S
seunghaJ
Junior Member
Find
15
12-01-2023, 03:50 AM
#1
I need to adapt W11 for use in a Linux VM. My initial try was just using the downloaded ISO, but I learned it’s risky without first processing it with Rufus. I’ve relied on Rufus for years and always defended Windows’ installation process. Now that I see how W11 installs without it, I’m concerned. It keeps installing features I didn’t request. I’ve been using a flash drive with Rufus-W11 that doesn’t need an online account, but I’m unsure how to turn it into an ISO for my VM. Rufus doesn’t appear to have a way to generate an ISO, and I found some hints it creates two partitions on the USB. PowerISO is flagged as a virus by Windows, and Isumsoft also failed. I’m considering using "Boxes" for the VM in Linux.
Reply
Reply
S
seunghaJ
12-01-2023, 03:50 AM #1

I need to adapt W11 for use in a Linux VM. My initial try was just using the downloaded ISO, but I learned it’s risky without first processing it with Rufus. I’ve relied on Rufus for years and always defended Windows’ installation process. Now that I see how W11 installs without it, I’m concerned. It keeps installing features I didn’t request. I’ve been using a flash drive with Rufus-W11 that doesn’t need an online account, but I’m unsure how to turn it into an ISO for my VM. Rufus doesn’t appear to have a way to generate an ISO, and I found some hints it creates two partitions on the USB. PowerISO is flagged as a virus by Windows, and Isumsoft also failed. I’m considering using "Boxes" for the VM in Linux.

Reply
Reply
I
Ivonator12345
Junior Member
Find
6
12-01-2023, 04:50 AM
#2
Consider giving NTlite a shot. The free edition lets you accomplish nearly everything Rufus can. https://www.ntlite.com/
Reply
Reply
I
Ivonator12345
12-01-2023, 04:50 AM #2

Consider giving NTlite a shot. The free edition lets you accomplish nearly everything Rufus can. https://www.ntlite.com/

Reply
Reply
J
Jlopez15
Junior Member
Find
42
12-06-2023, 08:19 PM
#3
Yes, USB passthrough is supported. You can use a new USB device, connect it, and run it inside a VM. The boot menu allows you to switch on boot order and choose USB or update VM settings directly.
Reply
Reply
J
Jlopez15
12-06-2023, 08:19 PM #3

Yes, USB passthrough is supported. You can use a new USB device, connect it, and run it inside a VM. The boot menu allows you to switch on boot order and choose USB or update VM settings directly.

Reply
Reply
L
lukas_3434
Member
Find
55
12-08-2023, 07:47 PM
#4
This setup seems more intricate. I aimed to eliminate the TPM and account setup while keeping everything else intact. The notes I made should remain in MS format to prevent future issues. I’m not a big supporter of these scripts because they often cause problems and I’m using W11 IOT, which already appears to have removed the TPM. Manually skipping the online sign-in worked for me. Once installed, it seems stable without extra bloat. However, my concern stays—without IOT, the same problems might return. For archiving, creating a Rufus ISO could be helpful later. This is the VM I’m working with. I tried again to spin up a new one from the USB drive, but it seems to require an OS file format. Could another VM program handle USB flash drives better?
Reply
Reply
L
lukas_3434
12-08-2023, 07:47 PM #4

This setup seems more intricate. I aimed to eliminate the TPM and account setup while keeping everything else intact. The notes I made should remain in MS format to prevent future issues. I’m not a big supporter of these scripts because they often cause problems and I’m using W11 IOT, which already appears to have removed the TPM. Manually skipping the online sign-in worked for me. Once installed, it seems stable without extra bloat. However, my concern stays—without IOT, the same problems might return. For archiving, creating a Rufus ISO could be helpful later. This is the VM I’m working with. I tried again to spin up a new one from the USB drive, but it seems to require an OS file format. Could another VM program handle USB flash drives better?

Reply
Reply
M
mikkelaksel
Junior Member
Find
38
12-09-2023, 11:56 AM
#5
It worked using Proxmox and VirtualManager with QEMU on Linux. The main issue was that the PFSSense download page was locked, needing an account. I used a USB stick containing multiple PFSSense ISO images and connected it via passthrough. This allowed me to boot directly into the VM or adjust the boot order/USB priority if needed. After uploading to the ISO server, network booting worked seamlessly, eliminating the need to manually install the ISO on each new VM.
Reply
Reply
M
mikkelaksel
12-09-2023, 11:56 AM #5

It worked using Proxmox and VirtualManager with QEMU on Linux. The main issue was that the PFSSense download page was locked, needing an account. I used a USB stick containing multiple PFSSense ISO images and connected it via passthrough. This allowed me to boot directly into the VM or adjust the boot order/USB priority if needed. After uploading to the ISO server, network booting worked seamlessly, eliminating the need to manually install the ISO on each new VM.

Reply
Reply