How to properly install updates to a Windows image?

Question

System administration

I messed up several Windows images when updating them in audit mode, had a lot of fun restoring them, and suddenly I was enlightened: Microsoft did not remove the ability to install updates in audit mode out of a whim.
Therefore, a natural question arises for me: if not with the help of the audit mode, then how?
The images are intended to be deployed via WDS and then used on physical and virtual machines, mainly Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2.

Answer 1

N-lite has been used since XP. It is quite alive and developing https://www.ntlite.com/

Answer 2

Media Creation Tool