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Configuring Virtual Machines

For packaging I use Hyper-V with VMs for two use cases: 1. Installing software and detecting changes, uses checkpoints to restore 2. Autopilot VMs for testing the packaged application.

Hyper-V Setup

Installing Hyper-V

Enable Hyper-V 
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Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All

Configure switch

Switch Setup 
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New-VMSwitch "Pakking (External)" -NetAdapterInterfaceDescription "Realtek USB GbE Family Controller #2" -AllowManagementOS $true

Create VMs

VM for software installation

Create VM for installing software 
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$VMName = "pkg-win11-01"
$VM = @{
    Name = $VMName
    MemoryStartupBytes = 8192MB
    Generation = 2
    NewVHDPath = "C:\Virtual Machines\$VMName\$VMName.vhdx"
    NewVHDSizeBytes = 128GB
    BootDevice = "VHD"
    Path = "C:\Virtual Machines\$VMName"
    SwitchName = "Pakking (External)"
}
New-VM @VM
Add-VMDvdDrive $VMName -Path "C:\Virtual Machines\ISOs\Win11_24H2_Norwegian_x64.iso"
Set-VMFirmware $VMName -EnableSecureBoot On -FirstBootDevice (Get-VMDvdDrive $VMname)
Set-VMKeyProtector $VMName -NewLocalKeyProtector
Set-VMProcessor $VMName -Count 6 -HwThreadCountPerCore 0
Enable-VMTPM $VMName
Set-VM $VMName -AutomaticCheckpointsEnabled $false

Autopilot VMs

Create VMs for Autopilot 
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foreach ($num in 1..4) {
    $VMName = "autopilot-win11-{0:D2}" -f $num
    $VM = @{
        Name = $VMName
        MemoryStartupBytes = 8192MB
        Generation = 2
        NewVHDPath = "C:\Virtual Machines\$VMName\$VMName.vhdx"
        NewVHDSizeBytes = 128GB
        BootDevice = "VHD"
        Path = "C:\Virtual Machines\$VMName"
        SwitchName = "Pakking (External)"
    }
    New-VM @VM
    Add-VMDvdDrive $VMName -Path "C:\Virtual Machines\ISOs\Win11_24H2_Norwegian_x64.iso"
    Set-VMFirmware $VMName -EnableSecureBoot On -FirstBootDevice (Get-VMDvdDrive $VMname)
    Set-VMKeyProtector $VMName -NewLocalKeyProtector
    Set-VMProcessor $VMName -Count 6 -HwThreadCountPerCore 0
    Enable-VMTPM $VMName
    Set-VM $VMName -AutomaticCheckpointsEnabled $false
}

VM Setup

Software installation VM

After the VM is configured, run through the windows setup with a local user account, make sure to run Windows Update after OOBE and then proceed to power down and make a checkpoint.

Create Snapshot 
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Checkpoint-VM -Name "pkg-win11-01" FreshInstallWithUpdates

Autopilot VM

Gather the HWID and other information needed during OOBE and register them in your Autopilot devices. Getting the required information can be done by pressing Ctrl+Shift+D during OOBE, this opens the diagnostic menu where you can export autopilot logs congaing the one CSV file you need.

The Autopilot VMs should be reset for testing new packages, for this you can use the Company Portal to reset the device.