[ANSWERED] Can I trust in Winreducer just for Updates?

I have a Windows 8.1 version with the install.esd files.
I converted it to install.wim and now I'am integrating all available updates which were found by winreducer.
Is this a good idea or is that not that good?

Hi Drake
Not sure what you mean about 'good idea'
It should work, which is good.
You have lots of ways to integrate updates, not least just installing the OS and updating from within Windows, making any changes you want, then capturing that 'image' as install.wim...
However, it would be a good idea just to try using WinReducer to remove something that you know you definitely don't want in your install.wim file. For example. I only ever use my install.wim with English language users, so I remove all the non-english languages.
Try that, as well as integrating your updates, and see if it helps.

Many thanks

Well I'm in audit mode and installing all updates and software which is needed on six computers with six different persons so that I created all of them in this main Windows. But I read something about an unattended.xml and that is not needed in my opinion.

I thought when I use sysprep /generalize /oobe and shut down the vm I can get the data from this vm and put it on another pc without problems. Am I wrong?

Are these machines all the same ... do they have identical hardware???

Sysprep /generalize switch will wipe the hardware database, and you'll need install the drivers for the target machine.
The /oobe switch will wipe the users, not even the Administrator user will be remembered, unless you explicitly provide an unattend file to sysprep to tell it to copy the 'audit' user as the default user for the new installation.
Installed software will always be remembered, but again, the settings for that software may be lost if they are user specific.  e.g. Firefox.

Here is some information you could read about this...
LINK 1
LINK 2

EDIT: By the way, you may have problems trying to run Windows Update in 'audit' mode. If you do, then there is a solution, but it would be easier to integrate the updates before you install...

That is strange.
I rebooted the VM to normal mode and after that I was going back to audit mode in which the users are still there.

Will the users be deleted when I "booted" completly through to Windows for the first time?
Because it would be great to have the users already in.

The hardware of each computer is different to one another and that's what is bugging me the most.

Just so I understand you correctly, are you saying that you chose to /reseal /oobe /shutdown with Sysprep, but the VM instead rebooted back into Audit mode??

In answer to your question, yes, Sysprep does normally remove any created users when you issue Sysprep with /reseal /oobe switches. I believe the /oobe switch is responsible for removing the users, but I may be wrong.

If you are trying to create a 'universal' image with all your customisations then Winreducer can help you reduce the image but you'll have to do your homework to research the methods for making the image universal, in terms of installing the drivers for the right hardware...

Search for terms like 'create Windows 8 universal image .wim'

You may think that I'm not really answering your question, but there is so much good information already out there that it would be best for you to concentrate your questions here on what Winreducer can do for you.