How to Create Your Own Windows Based Operating System

Last Updated: January 5, 2022

If you'd like to create a Windows-based operating system, this article will tell you all about doing just that. You need to know at least one programming language, such as C++. Or if you don't know any, just skip the coding part in this article. You also need to know file manipulation of system files, this will not be as easy though. If you concentrate on all the steps, you will get there with your own operating system.

Steps

1
Make sure you have all the requirements ready, you will need them. The requirements are listed under Things You'll Need below.
2
Decide what CPU the OS is compatible with. For example: x86 (32-bit), x64 (64-bit). Make sure your computer that you will target matches the CPU type you will specify later. Write down what processor architecture, you need to remember that.

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3
Decide what you want to use as storage (CD, DVD, USB, HDD).
- Note: If you choose a CD or DVD, your image file of your system must be smaller than 1G. We will talk about the image file later.
4
Download the Windows 7 AIK from this link: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5753
5
Install it and then turn off your User Account Control (UAC) in the control panel. This allows us to do anything to the system files stored in the image file we are going to change.
6
Find and open the Deployment Tools Command Prompt in the start menu.
7
Set up the image file. The image file is 120MB. If you install it on a CD as a live filesystem, then you are not able to save anything. Type the following command in the Deployment Tools Command Prompt: copype _Your_Chosen_Processor_Architecture_ C:\PathWhereYouWantToStoreTheImageFile. Example: copype x64 X:\Data\MyWindowsOS
8
Mount the image. So you have created our image (if it has been done right) and now you need to mount it so that you can change its contents. Type the following: imagex /mountrw PathOfImage 1 PathOfImageFolder/mount. Example: imagex /mountrw X:\MWOS\winpe.wim 1 X:\MWOS\mount.
9
Add anything you want to it, the mount point is your specified mount point. When you are done with modifying its contents, type imagex /unmount MountPointPath /commit. Example: imagex /unmount X:\MWOS\mount /commit
10
Type move PathOfImageFile PathOfImageFolder/ISO/sources/boot.wim
11
When that is done, type the following command to create a CD image. Type: oscdimg -n -bPathOfImageFolder\etfsboot.com PathOfImageFolder\ISO PathIfImageFolder\winpe_x86.iso
12
Test your image in virtualbox, vmware or even for real.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I do this on my main PC and on Windows 10?

Jackson Derryberry

Community Answer

If your PC is Windows 10, then yes. You can just go to Microsoft's website and search Windows ADK