Glossary

The terms used in Setup Foundry and in this documentation, briefly explained.

since 0.9.7.7

Purpose

This glossary explains terms you may encounter in Setup Foundry or in this documentation. Use search to look up a specific term.

Notes

Error reports

Error reports are details about an error in Setup Foundry that the application sends to the manufacturer when you allow it: the error, the program version and where it occurred, no personal data and no content. You decide in the setup wizard or under Legal with the switch Report errors to us.

Work folder

The work folder is where Setup Foundry stores Windows sources, downloaded software, and completed media. You set it in the setup wizard at the Work folder step.

Autoupdate

Autoupdate is meant to keep Setup Foundry up to date. In the beta phase the feature is not finished yet; its switch is hidden until it really updates. Until then a new version is installed over the old one.

Baseline

A baseline is a set of security settings that Microsoft recommends for Windows, Office, or Edge. Setup Foundry downloads baselines and includes them as policy packages.

Continuous audit

Continuous audit checks the completed Windows installation at every system startup to see whether the policies are still set as the medium set them. It is available from Setup Foundry Home.

Edition

The edition is the level of Setup Foundry: Setup Foundry Free, Setup Foundry Home, or Setup Foundry Pro. All three are the same program. The license determines the edition.

Setup wizard

The setup wizard is the sequence of steps when you first start Setup Foundry. It asks for the work folder, prerequisites, administrator account, Windows source, and software.

Hyper-V

Hyper-V is the program for virtual machines that is part of Windows itself. Whether Hyper-V is available depends on your Windows edition, not on your Setup Foundry edition: Windows Pro includes Hyper-V, while Windows Home does not. Setup Foundry can use Hyper-V for the test machine in every edition.

Install Assist

Install Assist appears on the new PC before the installation starts. The program asks for the computer name, shows the connected drives, and starts the Windows installation.

Installation medium

The installation medium is the USB drive or ISO file that Setup Foundry builds. It contains Windows, your choices, and the selected software.

ISO

An ISO file contains the complete contents of a DVD or drive. Setup Foundry accepts an ISO file as a Windows source and can build an ISO file as an installation medium.

License

The license is the code that changes Setup Foundry Free to Setup Foundry Home or Setup Foundry Pro. By default, a license applies to two computers. The number is part of the license.

Machine

A machine is a virtual machine that Setup Foundry creates and manages for you in Hyper-V or VirtualBox. The test machine is one of these machines.

Medium

Medium is short for installation medium.

Profile

A profile is the set of choices a medium is built from. Every edition has exactly one active profile. Several profiles side by side, for example one per customer or group of computers with its own company and logo, are available only in Setup Foundry Pro.

Test machine

A test machine is a virtual machine on your PC that is installed from the completed medium. It shows the result before you install a physical computer.

Policies

Policies are settings that Windows uses centrally to determine what is allowed and what is not, for example, for privacy or security. Setup Foundry includes them on the medium.

Policy editor

In Setup Foundry Pro, the policy editor is the view where you can read every single Windows policy and turn it on or off.

Policy package

A policy package is a group of related policies that is included on the medium or left off as a whole. There are eleven policy packages. You can select them from Setup Foundry Home.

Telemetry

Setup Foundry no longer sends usage statistics since version 0.9.8.3. What the application sends with your consent are error reports; see Error reports.

USB drive

A USB drive is the most common installation medium. Creating it completely erases the drive.

Variant

In Setup Foundry Pro, a variant is a configuration based on the same Windows source, for example, for different departments. Each variant can have its own test machine.

VirtualBox

VirtualBox is virtual machine software that runs on any version of Windows. Setup Foundry can use it for the test machine and install it in the setup wizard.

Preinstalled packages

Preinstalled packages are programs that Microsoft includes with Windows, such as games or advertising apps. Setup Foundry removes them during installation. From Setup Foundry Home, you choose which preinstalled packages are removed.

Windows source

The Windows source is the Windows installation used to build the medium. It is downloaded from Microsoft or comes from your own ISO file.

Target computer

The target computer is installed from the medium. Setup Foundry is not needed on it.