Create a Slipstreamed Hyper-V Server 2019 installation image with working Remote Desktop for Administration

Hyper-V, Microsoft, Windows Deployment, Windows Server

If you have been following the saga of the non-working Hyper-V Server 2019 release from November. You may be aware that the most prominent issue – that of Remote Desktop Services for Administration not working – has now been resolved in the February 2019 patch release cycle.

This article outlines how to create updated media for Hyper-V Server 2019 using the original installation medium and patch it into a working state.

Note from the author

Please note that if you intend to use Hyper-V Server in a production environment, you should wait for Microsoft to re-issue the office ISO. Once it is released, it will be made available in the Microsoft Server Evaluation Centre.

View: Microsoft Evaluation Centre

Pre-requisites

You will need access to a Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019 system in order to update the installer.

Obtain and install the Windows ADK 1809 (or later) selecting the Deployment Tools option (providing you with an updated version of DISM)
Download: Windows Assessment & Deployment Kit (ADK)

Retrieve the original Hyper-V Server 2019 ISO
Download: Hyper-V Server 2019 (1809)

Download following updates from the Microsoft Update Catalogue
Note: This is correct as of early March 2019. It is suggested that you apply newer cumulative and servicing updates as they are released in the future.

  1. KB4470788
  2. KB4482887
  3. KB4483452

View: Microsoft Update Catalogue

[Optional] If you wish to apply any language regionalisation (e.g. EN-GB), source the CAB file(s) for the language features that you require. For example:
Microsoft-Windows-Server-LanguagePack-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-GB~10.0.17763.1.cab

Updating the Installation Image

To update the installation image:

  1. Create a folder on C:\ called ‘Mount’
  2. Add a second folder on C:\ called ‘hvs’
  3. In the hvs folder, create a subfolder called ‘Updates’
  4. Extract the entire contents of the ISO from the Hyper-V Server 2019 ISO into C:\hvs
  5. Place the three MSU files from the Microsoft Update Catalogue into the C:\hvs\Updates folder
  6. [Optionally] Place the CAB file for the language pack into the C:\hvs folder and for convenience rename it ‘lp.cab’
  7. Open an elevated Command Prompt
  8. Issue:
    cd /d "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Deployment Tools\amd64"
    To navigate into the working folder for the updated version of DISM.exe
  9. Issue:
    dism.exe /mount-image /ImageFile:"C:\hvs\Sources\install.wim" /Index:1 /MountDir:"C:\Mount"
    To unpack the installation image into the C:\Mount folder
    Note: Do not navigate into this folder with CMD, PowerShell or Windows Explorer. If you leave a handle open against this folder when you try to re-pack the install.wim, it will fail.
  10. Once the mounting is complete, patch the installation by issuing:
    dism.exe /Image:"C:\Mount" /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:\hvs\Updates"
  11. [Optional] Apply the language pack by issuing (change en-GB to your language as applicable):
    dism.exe /Image:"C:\Mount" /ScratchDir:"C:\Windows\Temp" /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:\hvs\lp.cab"
    dism.exe /Image:"C:\Mount" /Set-SKUIntlDefaults:en-GB
    If you intend to use ImageX, DISM or WDS to deploy this image, you can skip the following command. If you intend to create a new bootable ISO or UFD, issue:
    dism.exe /image:"C:\Mount" /gen-langini /distribution:"C:\hvs"
    This will create a new Lang.ini file which must be included in the ISO/UFD media (but is not required for other deployment methods)
  12. Dismount and re-package the install.wim file by issuing:
    dism.exe /unmount-image /MountDir:"C:\Mount" /Commit
  13. Once DISM has processed the installation image, the new Install.wim file can be found at:
    C:\hvs\Sources\install.wim
  14. At this point you will have a working installation image which you can use to create a new ISO, UFD or install via WDS. You should delete the Updates folder and [optional] lp.cab from C:\hvs before creating a new ISO or bootable UFD.

If it goes wrong at any point, issue the following command to abort the process and go back and try again:
dism.exe /unmount-image /MountDir:"C:\Mount" /Discard

Delete the C:\Mount and C:\hvs folders once you have finished creating you new deployment media.

Final Word

If you follow the above, you will have not only a fixed RDP experience, but also a current patched version of Hyper-V Server. Eliminating a little time spent waiting for Windows Update to run.

If you are going to enable RDP for Administration. As ever, do not forget to enable the firewall rule in PowerShell. SConfig.cmd does not do this for you!

Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Desktop"