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Windows Updates and Driver Installations

Once of the first things you should do upon completing a build and installing Windows is to run Windows Update and ensure the system has all the latest security patches. Depending on your internet connection, this can take anywhere from 1 hour to several hours to complete.

After the Windows updates have completed, you should update your Motherboard and GPU drivers - the best way to do this is by going to to motherboard manufacturer's product page and downloading the latest drivers from their support/drivers section. You should also ensure that the latest bios has been flashed to the motherboard by checking your current revision number (accessible in the bios menu by mashing delete on boot) against the latest available bios version.

Everything up to date? It's time for Sysprep!

Once you've gotten all your drivers and Windows Updates, navigate to "C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep" (replace C:\ with whatever drive you put Windows on) and then run the sysprep tool. 

For "System Cleanup Action", it should be the option shown for System Out-of-Box Experience. You can change the Shutdown Options to whatever you prefer - but upon next boot of the system it will be as if it were a first time login asking the user to create their account and accept the Windows License.

Why use Sysprep?

Sysprep is an excellent tool because it allows you to have the most up to date drivers and Windows Updates on the system while offering the Out-of-Box Experience to your buyer. You can even install some software before running Sysprep for your customer such as Google Chrome or RGB control software that will persist on the system!

Important note:

Sysprep is not a replacement for a format/fresh install - if you are reselling a system you used for personal use, it's highly recommended to reformat and do a fresh install to clear any of your personal data.