I keep a small micro-SD card with a bunch ISOs and VM templates for ready use (using a niftyDrive). As a result I need a minimal Windows 7 install that I can use as a VM template.
The goal: Windows 7 fully patched, with Bitdefender and Chrome installed.
Here’s the steps I used to create mine:
Install a full Windows 7
Install Windows AIK
Install BuClean Suite
Run 7Customizer in BuClean
Chose to use customize from a Windows 7 SP1 iso (could have used a CD/DVD as well).