booting windows pe

Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on CD-ROM

Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on UFD

Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on Hard Disk

Walkthrough: Boot Windows PE from CD-ROM

Walkthrough: Boot Windows PE from Hard Disk

Walkthrough: Create a Custom Windows PE Image

Walkthrough: Create a Windows RE Image

Walkthrough: Deploy a Windows RE Image on Hard Drive

Walkthrough: Create a Windows RE Recovery Media

Add a Device Driver to an Offline Windows PE Image

Add a Device Driver to an Online Windows PE Image

Include a Custom Script in a Windows PE Image

Add an Application to a Windows PE Image

Add a Package to a Windows PE Image

Add a Language Pack to a Windows PE Image

Add an Update to a Windows PE Image

Prepare a Windows PE Image

View Current Packages in a Windows PE Image

Configure IPSec support for Windows PE Client

Customizing the Windows RE Experience

Booting Windows PE

After creating a custom Windows PE image, you must decide how the image will boot up and where it will run from. The first method is booting from a removable media into random access memory (RAM) and then running directly from a RAM disk. The second method is booting and running directly from a CD or the hard disk.

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There are five methods of starting Windows PE by using a RAM disk. You can create bootable Windows PE RAM disk images on:

CD-ROM. A USB flash drive (UFD). A hard disk. A Windows Deployment Services (Windows DS) server. You can access the image by way of PXE

boot. A supported PXE server. You can access the image by way of PXE boot.

Normally, when you start a computer from a hard disk drive, a CD-ROM, or a Windows DS (PXE) server, Windows keeps operating system file handles open and dedicated to that instance of Windows. Therefore, you cannot remove the CD that you used to start the computer and insert another CD. You cannot delete the hard disk partition from which you started the computer. The Windows DS (PXE) server that is used to start the computer must keep those file handles open, and Windows PE client computers cannot be detached from the network without causing Windows PE to become unstable.

The size of Windows PE enables the entire Windows PE operating system image to load into random access memory (RAM) and to start the computer from a RAM disk. The RAM disk boot feature provides a virtual CD file system in memory.

The Windows operating system Setup Loader now supports loading Windows PE from a RAM disk. The RAM disk driver supports loading an ISO-9660 (CD) image as a RAM disk. Booting Windows PE from a RAM disk enables you to:

Swap the CD that is used to start the computer and insert another CD to add drivers, utilities, applications, or a Windows operating system image.

Start the computer from a Windows DS (PXE) server with the ability to disconnect from the network once Windows PE has loaded. After the initial download of the Windows PE image, there is no longer any dependency on network resources, such as file handles, which normally must remain loaded until the Windows PE client computer restarts.

Delete and repartition the hard disk from which Windows PE has just started. Decrease total boot time.

Note Windows PE assigns X as the drive letter of any media that it boots from, and the assignment cannot be modified.

Requirements

The following items are required for starting Windows PE by using a RAM disk:

An x86, amd64, or IA64-based computer. A bootable Windows PE image created from a Windows PE 2.0 base image. A minimum of 512 megabytes (MB) of RAM when using the default Windows PE disk image

If you use a customized RAM disk image, the computer's RAM must be at least 100 MB more than the size of the customized RAM disk image. If there is not enough RAM to store the RAM disk image and to start the operating system, Windows PE will fail to boot.

Building a Windows PE Image

The first step in creating a customized Windows PE 2.0 image is to modify the base Windows PE image (Winpe.wim) by using ImageX and PEImg tools. ImageX is required to extract the files to a local directory. PEImg enables you to add and to remove packages, and to add out-of-box drivers and language packs. ImageX then enables you to recapture changes back into a .wim file.

The following diagram illustrates how a custom Windows PE image is built.

The general process for creating a custom Windows PE image includes:

1. Applying the base image (Winpe.wim) by using ImageX to a local directory share. For example,

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imagex /apply WinPE.wim 1 C:\myWinPE

2. Using the peimg /list command to see which packages are installed and available for installation. For example,

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peimg /list C:\myWinPE\Windows

3. Adding drivers, packages, and language packs as appropriate by using peimg /install command. For example, to add the HTA package,

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peimg /install=WinPE-HTA-Package C:\myWinPE\Windows

4. Copying any additional files or tools that you intend to include in the image. For example,

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C:\myWinPE\Program Files\myapp\myapp.exe.

5. Preparing the image by using the peimg /prep command. This command will remove any packages and language packs that are not designated for the final image. For example,

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peimg /prep c:\myWinPE\Windows

6. Capturing the new bootable image by using ImageX. For example,

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imagex /boot /compress max /capture c:\myWinPE c:\boot.wim "My Winpe Image"

The customized image is now ready to be copied or burned to bootable media. The most common method is to create an .iso file and then burn the image onto a CD-ROM. For more information about bootable methods, see Booting Windows PE.

Supported Packages

Windows PE 2.0 provides the following optional packages:

Package Name Description

WinPE-FONTSupport-<region>-Packages Additional font support for ja-jp, ko-kr, zh-cn, zh-hk, and zh-tw.WinPE-HTA-Package HTML Application supportWinPE-MDAC-Package Microsoft Data Access Component supportWinPE-Scripting-Package Windows Script Host supportWinPE-SRT-Package Windows Recovery Environment supportWinPE-WMI-Packages Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) supportWinPE-XML-Package Microsoft XML (MSMXL) Parser support

Note

The base Windows PE image (Winpe.wim) contains all the packages listed above, but they are not installed. They are only staged. You must use the PEImg tool to install the appropriate packages. When you run the peimg /prep command, packages that are not installed will be removed from the final image.

Supported Customizations

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Windows PE 2.0 supports the following customizations:

Adding and removing packages and language packs from the base image. Adding third-party drivers and third-party components. Adding Windows PE updates. Adding out-of-box Windows PE language packs. Customizing temporary storage.

Limitations

Once the peimg /prep command is applied to an image, the image is final. You can no longer add or remove packages. However, you can still add drivers and language packs.

Note

It is recommended that you recapture and save a copy of the image prior to running the peimg /prep command. This ensures that you have a customized base image that you can later modify. You must then reapply your customized base image, run the peimg /prep command against the image to optimize for size, and then recapture the new image.

Customizing Windows PE Environment

You can customize your Windows PE image to include specific environment settings when Windows PE boots up. For example, you can define specific network requirements, run customized scripts, or start customized applications. You can define these settings by using a combination of Winpeshl.ini, Startnet.cmd, and Unattend.xml.

You can launch customized applications by using winpeshl.ini, define custom command-line scripts by using Startnet.cmd, and define various Windows PE settings and actions by using Unattend.xml. For more information, see Include a Custom Script in a Windows PE Image.

You can define temporary storage to support customized applications. For more information, see Add an Application to a Windows PE Image.

Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on CD-ROM

This walkthrough describes how you can create a bootable Windows PE RAM disk on CD-ROM by using the Copype.cmd script. Windows PE RAM enables you to start a computer for the purposes of deployment and recovery. Windows PE RAM boots directly into memory, enabling you to remove the Windows PE media after the computer boots.

Note This method enables you to boot directly into memory and assigns the drive letter X, which does not correspond to the media (USB flash drive or CD-ROM) from which you booted. Ensure that you have sufficient memory to support the size of your Windows PE image plus any additional memory



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requirements, for example, if you plan on running any customized applications that need additional working memory.

Prerequisites

To complete this walkthrough, you need the following:

A technician computer, which provides all the tools and the source files. For more information, see Building a Technician Computer.

CD-ROM burning software. The Windows OPK, Windows AIK, and Windows PE Kit do not include CD-ROM or DVD-ROM burning software. However, you can obtain burning software from the Windows 2003 Resource Kit (cdburn and dvdburn) or use any third-party software.

A blank CD-ROM.

Step 1: Set up a Windows PE build environment

In this step, you create a required directory structure that supports building a Windows PE image.

1. On your technician computer, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Windows OPK or Windows AIK, and then click Windows PE Tools Command Prompt.The menu shortcut opens a Command Prompt window and automatically sets environment variables to point to all the necessary tools. By default, all tools are installed at C:\Program Files\<version>\Tools, where <version> can be Windows OPK or Windows AIK.

2. At the command prompt, run the Copype.cmd script.The script requires two arguments: hardware architecture and destination location. For example,copype.cmd <architecture> <destination>

where <architecture> can be x86, amd64, or ia64 and <destination> is a path to a local directory. For example,copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_x86

The script creates the following directory structure and copies all the necessary files for that architecture. For example,\winpe_x86\winpe_x86\ISO\winpe_x86\mount

Step 2: (Optional) Add additional customizations

This step is optional, but recommended. You can add applications and scripts to your Windows PE image that you might need while working in Windows PE. The following is a list of common tools to include in your Windows PE image.

ImageX - A tool for capturing and applying images during deployment scenarios. For example, at a command prompt, type:copy “c:\program files\<version>\Tools\x86\imagex.exe” c:\winpe_x86\iso\

Package Manager (Pkgmgr.exe) - A tool for servicing Windows images (.wim files) offline. You must copy the entire \Servicing folder. Offline servicing requires ImageX. For example,xcopy “c:\program files\<version>\Tools\<architecture>\Servicing” c:\winpe_x86\iso\Servicing /scopy %windir%\system32\msxml6*.dll c:\winpe_x86\iso\Servicing

where <version> can be Windows OPK or Windows AIK and <architecture> can be x86, amd64, or ia64. In both of the previous examples, the tools are not loaded into memory during a Windows PE RAM boot. The media must be available to access the tools.

Step 3: (Optional) Create an exclusion list

This step is optional, but recommended if you include ImageX as part of your Windows PE image. During an ImageX capture operation, some files might be locked, which will cause ImageX to fail. You can exclude specific files from being captured by creating a configuration file called Wimscript.ini. A configuration file is a text file. The following is a sample configuration file that includes common files that you must exclude during a capture operation.

1. Create a configuration file called Wimscript.ini by using any text editor (for example, Notepad).

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[ExclusionList]ntfs.loghiberfil.syspagefile.sys"System Volume Information"RECYCLERWindows\CSC

[CompressionExclusionList]*.mp3*.zip*.cab\WINDOWS\inf\*.pnf

You can add additional files or directories that you intend to exclude during a capture operation. For more information about configuration files, see Create an ImageX Configuration File.

2. Save the configuration file to the same location as ImageX as specified in Step 2. For example,

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c:\winpe_x86\iso\

ImageX will automatically detect wimscript.ini only if it is saved to the same location.

Step 4: Create a bootable CD-ROM

This step describes how to put a Windows PE RAM disk onto a CD-ROM. This option requires that you create an .iso file by using the Oscdimg tool.

1. On your technician computer, create an .iso file with Oscdimg. At a command prompt, type:

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oscdimg -n -bc:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_x86\ISO c:\winpe_x86\winpe_x86.iso

For IA-64 architecture, replace Etfsboot.com with Efisys.bin.

2. Burn the image (Winpe_x86.iso) onto a CD-ROM.

Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on UFD

This walkthrough describes how you can create a bootable Windows PE RAM disk on a USB flash drive (UFD) device by using the Copype.cmd script. Windows PE RAM enables you to start a computer for the purposes of deployment or recovery. Windows PE RAM boots directly into memory, enabling you to remove the Windows PE media after boot.

Note This method boots directly into memory and is assigned the drive letter X, which does not correspond to the media (UFD, CD-ROM) from which you booted. Ensure that you have sufficient memory to support the size of your Windows PE image plus any additional memory requirements, for example, if you plan on running any customized applications that need additional working memory.

Important If you use a UFD device to initiate a Windows Vista installation, you must leave the UFD device in the computer until Windows Vista Setup has successfully completed the Windows PE phase of setup. If you remove the UFD device prior to disk configuration (Windows PE phase), setup fails.

Prerequisites



Access to a computer running Windows Vista or a Windows PE session. A UFD device. The size of the UFD device must be at least 64 megabytes (MB) larger than your

Windows PE image plus any additional files that you include.



1. On your technician computer, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Windows OPK or Windows AIK, and then click Windows PE Tools Command Prompt.The menu shortcut opens a command prompt window and automatically sets environment variables to point to all the necessary tools. By default, all tools are installed at C:\Program Files\<version>\Tools, where <version> can be Windows OPK or Windows AIK.

2. At the command prompt, run the Copype.cmd script. The script requires two arguments: hardware architecture and destination location.

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copype.cmd <arch> <destination>

where <arch> can be x86, amd64, or ia64 and <destination> is a path to local directory. For example,

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copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_x86

Running the script creates the following directory structure and copies all the necessary files for that architecture. For example,\Winpe_x86\Winpe_x86\ISO\Winpe_x86\Mount

Step 2: Add additional customizations

This step is optional but recommended. You can add applications and scripts to your Windows PE image that you might need while working in Windows PE. The following are common tools to include in your Windows PE image.

ImageXA tool for capturing and applying images during deployment scenarios. For example,

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copy “c:\program files\<version>\Tools\x86\imagex.exe” c:\winpe_x86\iso\

Package Manager (Pkgmgr.exe)A tool for servicing Windows images (.wim) offline. You must copy the entire \Servicing folder and MSXML 6 binaries. Offline servicing requires ImageX. For example,

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xcopy “c:\program files\<version>\Tools\<architecture>\Servicing” c:\winpe_x86\iso\Servicing /s

copy %windir%\system32\msxml6*.dll c:\winpe_x86\iso\Servicing

where <version> can be Windows OPK or Windows AIK and <architecture> can be x86, amd64, or ia64.

In both examples, the tools are not loaded into memory during a Windows PE RAM boot. The media must be available to access the tools.

Step 3: Create an exclusion list

This step is optional but recommended if you include ImageX as part of your Windows PE image. During an ImageX capture operation, some files might be locked, which causes ImageX to fail. You can exclude specific files from being captured by creating a configuration text file called Wimscript.ini. The following is a sample configuration file that includes common files that you must exclude during a capture operation.

Copy Code[ExclusionList]ntfs.loghiberfil.syspagefile.sys"System Volume Information"RECYCLERWindows\CSC


Add additional files or directories that you intend to exclude during a capture operation. For more information about configuration files, see Create an ImageX Configuration File.

Save the configuration file to the same location as ImageX as specified in Step 2. For example,

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ImageX will automatically detect Wimscript.ini only if it is saved to the same location.

Step 4: Prepare UFD device

Before you can place Windows PE on a USB flash drive (UFD) device, you must use Diskpart to format the UFD with a Windows Vista or Windows PE environment.

1. From a running Windows Vista operation system or Windows PE session, insert your UFD device.2. At a command prompt, use Diskpart to format the device as FAT32 spanning the entire device, and

set the partition as active. For example,

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diskpartselect disk 1cleancreate partition primary size=<size of device>select partition 1activeformat fs=fat32assignexit

The example above assumes Disk 1 is the UFD.

3. On your technician computer, copy all the content in the \ISO directory onto your UFD device. You can manually create the directory structure or use the xcopy command to automatically build and to copy the appropriate files from your technician computer to your UFD device. For example,

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xcopy c:\winpe_x86\iso\*.* /s /e /f f:\

where c is the letter of your technician computer hard disk and f is the letter of your UFD device.

Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on Hard Disk

This walkthrough describes how you can create a bootable Windows PE RAM disk on a hard disk by using Windows PE RAM Disk media (such as a USB flash drive or CD-ROM). Staging Windows PE RAM on hard disk enables a number of different scenarios, including deployment, recovery, and diagnostics.

Windows PE RAM boots directly into memory, enabling you to reformat or to modify the hard drive after boot. In this example, you build a Windows PE RAM Disk CD-ROM or UFD media. You use the bootable media to start the new computer, format the hard drive, and then copy the Windows PE source files to the hard drive.

Prerequisites



A blank CD-ROM and CD-ROM-burning software, if you chose to create a Windows PE CD. A USB flash drive (UFD) device if you are creating a bootable UFD device. You will need access

to a computer running Windows Vista.

Step 1: Create a bootable Windows PE RAM media

Select one of these options and follow the instructions for building a bootable Windows PE RAM media. After you create your bootable media, continue to the next step.

Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on CD-ROM Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on UFD

Step 2: Prepare the hard drive

Boot the new computer with your Windows PE media and format the hard drive.

1. On the new computer, insert your Windows PE media and restart the computer.Windows PE will start and will launch the Command Prompt window.

Note If the hard drive contains an active partition, you must override the boot order to boot from the CD/DVD-ROM drive. During initial boot, select the appropriate function key to override the boot order. If this is a new computer, the hard drive will be unformatted, and you can skip this step.

2. Format the hard drive by using DiskPart.Windows PE RAM Disk requires an active partition with a size no less than the size of your Windows PE image. At a command prompt, type:

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diskpartselect disk 0cleancreate partition primary size=350select partition 1activeformatexit

Step 3: Copy Windows PE source files to hard disk

Once you have a formatted, active partition, you can copy the Windows PE source files from your bootable media to the hard disk. A Windows PE RAM disk requires the following directory structure.

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You can manually create the directory structure or use the xcopy command to automatically build and to copy the appropriate files from your bootable media. At a command prompt, type:

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where d is the letter of your CD-ROM drive or UFD media and c is the letter of your hard disk.

Walkthrough: Boot Windows PE from CD-ROM

This walkthrough describes how to boot Windows PE directly from CD-ROM/DVD-ROM media but not into a RAM disk. This method enables you to start a computer that has fewer than 512 megabytes (MB) of memory for the purpose of deployment or recovery.

Prerequisites



CD-ROM burning software. Microsoft Windows OPK, Windows AIK, and Windows PE Kit do not include CD-ROM- or DVD-ROM-burning software. However, you can obtain burning software from the Windows 2003 Resource Kit (cdburn and dvdburn) or use any third-party software.

A blank CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.


In this step, you will create a directory structure that supports building a Windows PE image.

1. On your technician computer, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Windows OPK or Windows AIK, and click Windows PE Tools Command Prompt.

Important If you are running Windows Vista, you must select run as Administrator.

2. The menu shortcut opens a command prompt window and automatically sets environment variables to point to all the necessary tools. By default, all tools are installed at C:\Program Files\<version>\Tools, where <version> can be Windows OPK or Windows AIK.

3. At the command prompt, run the Copype.cmd script. The script requires two arguments: hardware architecture and destination location. For example,copype.cmd <arch> <destination>

where <arch> can be x86, amd64, or ia64 and <destination> is a path to a local directory. For example,copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_x86

The script creates the following directory structure and copies all the necessary files for that architecture. For example,\winpe_x86\winpe_x86\ISO\winpe_x86\mount

Step 2: Add boot support

In this step, you will add boot files to your Windows PE image. Before you can add files to the image, you must expand the image by using the imagex /apply command.

1. At the command prompt, apply the image to the \mount directory by using the ImageX tool. For example,imagex /apply c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim 1 C:\winpe_x86\mount

2. Add the appropriate boot support files and directory. For example,copy c:\winpe_x86\ISO\bootmgr c:\winpe_x86\mountmkdir c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot

Step 3: (Optional) Add additional customizations

This step is optional but recommended. You can add applications and scripts to your Windows PE image that you might need while working in Windows PE. The following is a list of common tools to include in your Windows PE image.

ImageX - A tool for capturing and applying images during deployment scenarios. For example, at a command prompt, type:copy “c:\program files\<version>\Tools\x86\imagex.exe” c:\winpe_x86\mount

Package Manager (Pkgmgr.exe) - A tool for servicing Windows images (.wim files) offline. You must copy the entire \Servicing folder. Offline servicing requires ImageX. For example,xcopy “c:\program files\<version>\Tools\<architecture>\Servicing” c:\winpe_x86\mount\Servicing /scopy %WINDIR%\system32\msxml6*.dll c:\winpe_x86\mount\Servicing

where <version> can be Windows OPK or Windows AIK and <architecture> can be x86, amd64, or ia64. In both previous examples, the tools are not loaded into memory during a Windows PE RAM boot. The media must be available to access the tools.

Step 4: (Optional) Create an exclusion list

This step is optional, but recommended if you include ImageX as part of your Windows PE image. During an ImageX capture operation, some files might be locked, which will cause ImageX to fail. You can exclude specific files from being captured by creating a configuration file called Wimscript.ini. A configuration file is a text file; the following is a sample configuration file that includes common files that you must exclude during a capture operation.

1. Create a configuration file called Wimscript.ini by using any text editor, such as Notepad.

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[ExclusionList]ntfs.loghiberfil.syspagefile.sys"System Volume Information"RECYCLERWindows\CSC


You can add additional files or directories that you intend to exclude during a capture operation. For more information about configuration files, see Create an ImageX Configuration File.

2. Save the configuration file to the same location of ImageX as specified in step 3. For example,

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c:\winpe_x86\mount\

ImageX will automatically detect Wimscript.ini only if it is saved to the same location.

Step 5: Configure BCD Store

In this step, you create a new boot configuration file called BCD by using BCDEdit. BCD replaces Boot.ini. BCDEdit is a command-line tool designed to manage BCD stores. BCDEdit is available in Windows PE and in Windows Vista. For example,

Bcdedit /createstore c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD

Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD –create {bootmgr} /d “Boot Manager”

Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD –set {bootmgr} device boot

Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD –create /d “WINPE” –application osloader

The last command returns a GUID value. Substitute <GUID> with this value in the following examples.

Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD –set <GUID> osdevice boot

Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD –set <GUID> device boot

Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD –set <GUID> path \windows\system32\winload.exe

Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD –set <GUID> systemroot \windows

Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD –set <GUID> winpe yes

Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD –set <GUID> detecthal yes

Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD –displayorder <GUID> -addlast

Step 6: Create a bootable CD-ROM

In this step, you put a Windows PE RAM disk onto a CD-ROM. This option requires that you create an .iso file by using the Oscdimg tool.

1. On your technician computer, create an .iso file with Oscdimg. At a command prompt, type:

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oscdimg -n -m -o -bc:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_x86\mount c:\winpe_x86\winpe_x86.iso


2. Burn the image (Winpe_x86.iso) onto a CD-ROM.

Walkthrough: Boot Windows PE from Hard Disk

This walkthrough describes how to boot Windows PE directly from a hard disk but not into a RAM disk. This enables you to start a computer for the purposes of deployment and recovery.

Prerequisites


A technician computer that provides all the tools and the source files. For more information, see Building a Technician Computer.

Step 1: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Media

Select one of these options and follow the instructions for building a bootable Windows PE RAM media. Ensure that you include ImageX with your image. After you create your bootable media, continue to the next step.

Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on CD-ROM Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on UFD

Step 2: Prepare the Hard Drive

In this step, you boot the new computer with your Windows PE media and format the hard drive.

1. On the new computer, insert your Windows PE media and restart the computer.Windows PE starts and launches a Command Prompt window.

Note If the hard drive contains an active partition, you must override the boot order to boot from the CD/DVD drive. During initial boot, select the appropriate function key to override the boot order. If this is a new computer, the hard drive will be unformatted, so you can skip this step.

2. At a command prompt, format the hard drive by using DiskPart. Windows PE requires an active partition with a size equal to or greater than the size of your Windows PE image. For example,

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diskpartselect disk 0cleancreate partition primary size=<insert size>select partition 1activeformat fs=ntfsexit

Step 3: Copy Windows PE Files to the Hard Disk

In this step, you copy Windows PE resource files to the hard drive from your bootable media. You need ImageX to apply the Boot.wim to the hard drive. This example assumes the hard drive is blank.

1. At a command prompt, use ImageX to apply the Windows PE image (Boot.wim) from your bootable media to the hard drive. For example,

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d:\imagex /apply d:\sources\boot.wim 1 c:

where d is the letter of your bootable Windows PE media that contains ImageX and a Windows PE image.

2. Copy the \Boot folder from your bootable media to the root of your hard drive. For example,

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xcopy d:\boot\*.* /e /f c:\boot\

3. Copy the Bootmgr file (no file name extension) from your bootable media to the root of your hard drive. For example,

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copy d:\bootmgr c:

4. Delete the boot configuration data (BCD) file that you copied from your bootable media. (You will create a new one in the next step.) For example,

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del c:\boot\bcd

Step 4: Configure BCD Store

In this step, you will create a new boot configuration file called BCD by using BCDEdit. BCD replaces Boot.ini. BCDEdit is a command-line tool that is designed to manage BCD stores. BCDEdit is available in Windows PE and Windows Vista. For example,

Copy CodeBcdedit –createstore c:\temp\BCDBcdedit –store c:\temp\BCD –create {bootmgr} /d “Boot Manager”Bcdedit –store c:\temp\BCD –set {bootmgr} device bootBcdedit –store c:\temp\BCD –create /d “WINPE” –application osloaderBcdedit –import c:\temp\BCD

The last command returns a GUID value. Substitute <GUID> with this value in the following examples.

Copy CodeBcdedit –store c:\boot\BCD –set <GUID> osdevice partition=bootBcdedit –store c:\boot\BCD –set <GUID> device partition=bootBcdedit –store c:\boot\BCD –set <GUID> path \windows\system32\boot\winload.exe

Bcdedit –store c:\boot\BCD –set <GUID> systemroot \windows

Bcdedit –store c:\boot\BCD –set <GUID> winpe yesBcdedit –store c:\boot\BCD –set <GUID> detecthal yes

Bcdedit –store c:\boot\BCD –displayorder <GUID> -addlast

Your computer is now ready to boot Windows PE directly from the hard disk.

Walkthrough: Create a Custom Windows PE Image

This walkthrough describes how to create a customized Windows PE image. The primary tool for customizing Windows PE 2.0 is PEImg, a Windows PE command-line tool. After creating a customized image, you can deploy the image to a hard disk or create a bootable Windows PE RAM disk on a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive (UFD) or a hard disk.

Note

A Windows PE RAM disk boots directly into memory and is assigned the drive letter X, which does not correspond to the media (for example, a UFD or a CD-ROM) from which you booted. Ensure that you have sufficient memory to support the size of your Windows PE image plus any additional memory requirements, for example, if you plan on running any customized applications that need additional working memory.

Prerequisites



Step 1: Set up a Windows PE Build Environment


1. On your technician computer, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Windows OPK or Windows AIK, and then click Windows PE Tools Command Prompt.The menu shortcut opens a Command Prompt window and automatically sets environment variables to point to all the necessary tools. By default, all tools are installed at C:\Program Files\version\Tools, where version can be Windows OPK or Windows AIK.

2. At the command prompt, run the Copype.cmd script. The script requires two arguments: hardware architecture and destination location. For example,

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copype.cmd <architecture> <destination>

where <architecture> can be x86, amd64, or ia64 and <destination> is a path to the local directory. For example,

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/50f7d01b-1355-4f44-9df0-cb1a758af3a3


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copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_x86

The script creates the following directory structure and copies all the necessary files for that architecture. For example,

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\winpe_x86\winpe_x86\ISO\winpe_x86\mount

Step 2: Mount the Base Windows PE Image

In this step, you mount the base image to a local directory so that you can add or remove packages.

At the command prompt, mount the base Windows PE image (Winpe.wim) to the \Mount directory by using ImageX. For example,

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imagex /mountrw c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim 1 c:\winpe_x86\mount

Step 3: Add Additional Packages

By using the Peimg tool, you install Windows features by using the /install option. Windows features are included with the base image (Winpe.wim) but are not installed. You can also import packages and add drivers and language packs. For more information, see Windows PE Customization How-To Topics.

1. Add a Windows feature to the base image by using the peimg /install command. For example,

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peimg /install=<pkg> c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

where <pkg> denotes the package name. A list of available packages and their names can be obtained by using the /list command. You can use wildcards to specify a package name. Any packages with matching names will be installed. For example,

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peimg /install=WinPE-HTA-Package c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

-or-

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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/8bcf3469-0fb3-4b6b-8115-ad2a48c83644

peimg /install=*HTA* c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

where wildcards denote any package with HTA in the package name.Windows PE 2.0 provides the following Windows features referred to as packages.


WinPE-FONTSupport-<region>-Packages

Additional font support for ja-jp, ko-kr, zh-cn, zh-hk, and zh-tw.

WinPE-HTA-Package HTML application supportWinPE-MDAC-Package Microsoft Data Access Component supportWinPE-Scripting-Package Windows Script Host support

WinPE-SRT-PackageWindows Recovery Environment component (available only on the Windows OPK)

WinPE-WMI-Packages Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) supportWinPE-XML-Package Microsoft XML (MSXML) parser support

2. Repeat Step 1 for each package.3. Verify that the packages were installed by using the peimg /list command to view all packages in the

current image. For example,

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peimg /list c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

In the INS column, (+) denotes installed packages and (-) denotes not installed.

Step 4: (Optional) Add Additional Customizations

This step is optional but recommended. You can add applications and scripts to your Windows PE image that you might need while working in Windows PE. The following is a list of common tools to include in your Windows PE image.

ImageXA command-line tool for capturing and applying images during deployment scenarios. For example, at a command prompt,

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copy “c:\program files\<version>\Tools\x86\imagex.exe” c:\winpe_x86\iso\

Package Manager (Pkgmgr.exe)A tool for servicing Windows image (.wim) files offline. You must copy the entire \Servicing folder and MSXML6 binaries. Offline servicing requires ImageX. For example,

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xcopy “c:\program files\<version>\Tools\<architecture>\Servicing” c:\winpe_x86\iso\Servicing /s

copy %windir%\system32\msxml6*.dll c:\winpe_x86\iso\Servicing

where <version> can be Windows OPK or Windows AIK and <architecture> can be x86, amd64 or ia64. In both previous examples, the tools are not loaded into memory during a Windows PE RAM boot. The media must be available to access the tools.To load the tools into memory along with Windows PE, copy the source files into the mounted \Windows directory. For example,

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c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

Important

Adding files to the \Windows directory will increase the size of your Windows PE RAM image. Ensure that your computer has sufficient memory to boot Windows PE and to run various applications.

Step 5: Prepare the Image

In this step, you prepare the image by using the peimg /prep command. This operation removes any non-installed packages from the final image. This operation reduces the overall image size. For example,

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peimg /prep c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

The /prep option cannot be reverted, and after the /prep option is run, the /install, /uninstall, /import, and /list options will not function, while the /lang and /inf options will continue to function. The Peimg tool prompts you to confirm the command. To suppress this prompt for scripting, add the /f option.

Step 6: Commit Changes to the Image

In this step, you commit the changes to the original image file (Winpe.wim) by using the ImageX /unmount option with the /commit option. For example,

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imagex /unmount c:\winpe_x86\mount /commit

Step 7: Replace the Default Boot.wim File

In this step, you replace the default Boot.wim in the \ISO directory with your new customized image. The image must be called Boot.wim. For example,

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copy c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim c:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim

Next Step

You now have a customized Windows PE RAM disk image that you can place on bootable media, like a CD-ROM or a UFD.

To create a bootable CD-ROM

1. On your technician computer, at a command prompt, create an .iso file by using Oscdimg. For example,

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oscdimg -n -bc:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_x86\ISO c:\winpe_x86\winpe_x86.iso


2. Burn the image (Winpe_x86.iso) to a CD-ROM.

To create a bootable UFD

1. During a running Windows Vista operation system or a Windows PE session, insert your UFD device.2. At a command prompt, use Diskpart to format the device as FAT32 spanning the entire device, setting the

partition to active. For example,

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diskpartselect disk 1cleancreate partition primary size=<size of device>select partition 1activeformat fs=fat32assignexit

where the value of disk 1 is equal to UFD.

3. On your technician computer, copy all the content in the \ISO directory to your UFD device. You can manually create the directory structure or use the xcopy command to automatically build and copy the appropriate files from your technician computer to your UFD device. For example,

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xcopy c:\winpe_x86\iso\*.* /s /e /f f:\

where c is the letter of your technician computer hard disk and f is the letter of your UFD device.

You can further customize your Windows PE image by adding language packs, customized scripts, and drivers. For more information, see Windows PE Customization How-To Topics.


Walkthrough: Create a Windows RE Image

This walkthrough describes how to build a Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) image. Windows RE is a solution based on Windows PE 2.0. In this example, you create a customized Windows RE image on your technician computer.

Important

This walkthrough outlines how to build the Windows RE solution, not a complete Windows Vista image. You must still create a separate Windows Vista installation.

This walkthrough illustrates a hidden (type 0x27) Windows RE disk configuration. In the following illustration, the Windows RE partition is located in front of the Windows Vista partition.

Windows RE-only (hidden)

Windows RE

Type 0x27

1GB

Windows Vista

Type 0x7

(active)

There are other Windows RE disk configurations that coexist with Bitlocker Drive Encryption. For more information on disk configurations, see Preinstallation Design.

Prerequisites

To complete this walkthrough, you will need the following:


An authorized copy of a Windows Vista product DVD.


In this step, you create a directory structure that supports building a Windows PE image. You apply a Windows PE image to the \Mount directory so that you can add Windows RE customizations.

1. On your technician computer, click Start, point to AllPrograms, then Windows OPK or Windows AIK, and then click Windows PE Tools Command Prompt.The menu shortcut opens a Command Prompt window and automatically sets environment variables to point to all the necessary tools.

2. At the command prompt, run the Copype.cmd script. The script requires two arguments, hardware architecture and destination location.



http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/514b17d0-04b6-47d0-a983-83011f806044

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copype.cmd <architecture> <destination>

where <architecture> can be x86, amd64, or ia64 and <destination> is a path to the local directory. For example,

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copype.cmd x86 c:\winre_x86

The script creates the directory structure and copies all the necessary files for that architecture. For example,

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\winre_x86\winre_x86\ISO\winre_x86\mount

3. In this step, you mount a Windows PE image. For Windows OPK customers, you modify the base Windows PE image (Winpe.wim). For Windows AIK customers, you modify the default Windows RE image available from your Windows Vista product DVD.

Important

Windows AIK does not support the creation of a Windows RE solution by using the base Windows PE image (Winpe.wim).

4. For Windows OPK, use the ImageX /apply option (or mountrw command) to mount the base Windows PE image. For example,

5. Copy Code6. imagex /apply c:\winre_x86\winpe.wim 1 c:\winre_x86\mount7. For Windows AIK, copy and mount the Windows PE image from the Windows Vista product DVD by using

ImageX and skip Step 2. For example,8. Copy Code9. imagex.exe /export /boot <DVD_Drive>\sources\boot.wim 2 c:\winre_x86\winre.wim

“Windows Recovery Environment”10. imagex.exe /mountrw c:\winre_x86\winre.wim 1 c:\winre_x86\mount

Step 2: Add Windows PE packages (Windows OPK only)

This step is required only for Windows OPK. In this step, you use the Peimg tool to add all the required Windows PE packages to your customized image. Windows PE packages are included with the base image (Winpe.wim) but are not installed. You must explicitly install the packages by using the peimg /install command. You can also import packages and add language packs. For more information, see Windows PE Customization How-To Topics.

1. In a Windows PE Tools Command Prompt window, type the following,



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peimg.exe /install=WinPE-SRT* C:\winre_x86\mount\Windows peimg.exe /install=WinPE-Scripting* C:\winre_x86\mount\Windowspeimg.exe /install=WinPE-WMI* C:\winre_x86\mount\Windows

2. Verify that the components were installed by using the peimg /list command to view all packages in the current image. For example,

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peimg /list c:\winre_x86\mount\Windows

In the INS column, (+) denotes installed packages and (-) denotes not installed.

Step 3: Add custom Windows RE scripts

In this step, you add a customized Windows RE scripts to your image. You create a script called Winpeshl.ini that will launch the Windows RE shell during a failover.

1. By using a text editor, create a file called Winpeshl.ini. For example,

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[LaunchApp]AppPath=X:\sources\recovery\recenv.exe

2. Copy the file to the \Windows\System32 directory in your working Windows PE directory. For example,

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copy winpeshl.ini C:\winre_x86\mount\Windows\System32

Step 4: (Optional) Add mass-storage drivers

If necessary, you can include third-party drivers (.inf files) in your Windows RE image by using the peimg.exe /inf command. For example,

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peimg.exe /inf=<path> C:\winre_x86\mount\Windows

where <path> is the location of the. inf file.

Step 5: Add custom tools to Windows RE

This step is optional for Windows Vista, but required for Windows Server 2008. Specifically, you must enable the server mode for Windows RE. For more information, see Customizing the Windows RE Experience.



You can customize Windows RE shell by creating an .xml file called WinREConfig.xml. WinREConfig.xml enables you to define customized support and diagnostic tools within Windows RE. For example, you can provide an option to reinstall the factory image if Windows RE is unable to recover the system.

Step 6: Capture the image

In this step, you capture all the customization back into a Windows image (.wim) file.

For Windows OPK, in a Windows PE Tools Command Prompt window, capture your customizations by using ImageX. For example,

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imagex.exe /capture c:\winre_x86\mount C:\winre_x86\winre.wim "Windows RE Image" /boot /compress max

For Windows AIK, in a Windows PE Tools Command Prompt window, commit your customizations and unmount the image by using ImageX. For example,

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imagex.exe /unmount /commit c:\winre_x86\mount

Walkthrough: Deploy a Windows RE Image on Hard Drive

This walkthrough describes how to deploy a Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) image onto a hard drive. Windows RE is a solution that is based on Windows PE 2.0. In this example, you build a master computer that contains two partitions, one for Windows Vista and one for Windows RE. Once installed, you configure Windows Vista Boot Manager to automatically failover to Windows RE when Windows Vista is unable to boot.

Important

This walkthrough outlines how to build the Windows RE solution, not a complete Windows Vista image. You must still create a separate Windows Vista installation.

This walkthrough illustrates a hidden (type 0x27) Windows RE disk configuration. In the following illustration, the Windows RE partition is located in front of the Windows Vista partition.

Windows RE-only (hidden)

Windows RE Windows Vista

Type 0x27

1 gigabyte (GB)

Type 0x7

(active)

There are other Windows RE disk configurations that coexist with Bitlocker Drive Encryption. For more information about disk configurations, see Preinstallation Design.

Prerequisites


A Windows RE image as described in Walkthrough: Create a Windows RE Image. A technician computer that provides all the tools and the source files. For more information, see Building a

Technician Computer. An authorized copy of Windows Vista. A USB flash drive (UFD). In this example, the storage size must be 256 megabytes (MB) or bigger, depending

on how many additional applications that you include in your Windows RE image. A master computer on which you will deploy Windows Vista and Windows RE.

Step 1: Create an answer file

In this step, you build a catalog file (.clg) and a new blank answer file. A .clg file is a binary file that contains the state of all the settings and the packages in a Windows image.

1. On your technician computer, insert the Windows Vista product DVD into the local DVD drive.2. Navigate to the \Sources directory on the Windows Vista DVD. Copy the Install.wim file to your technician

computer.3. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Windows OPK (or Windows AIK), and then click

Windows System Image Manager.4. On the File menu, click Select Windows Image.5. In the Select a Windows Image dialog box, navigate to the location where you saved the Install.wim file,

and then click Open.

Note

A warning will appear that a catalog does not exist. Click OK to create a catalog. A catalog file (.clg) is a local file that contains all the available settings.

6. On the File menu, click New Answer File.

Step 2: Define Windows RE settings

In this step, you define Windows RE partition requirements in your answer file. In addition, you will set a synchronous command to run a SetAutofailover.cmd script.

1. In Windows SIM, in the Windows Image pane, expand the Components node to display available settings.



http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/61e08b15-82d8-46bd-a5f1-7947193e6ed8

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/514b17d0-04b6-47d0-a983-83011f806044

2. In the expanded list of components, add the following components to your answer file by right-clicking the component and then by selecting the appropriate configuration pass.

Component Configuration

Pass

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk\CreatePartitions\CreatePartition

1 windowsPE

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk\ModifyPartitions\ModifyPartition

1 windowsPE

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\DataImage\InstallFrom 1 windowsPEMicrosoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\DataImage\InstallTo 1 windowsPE

Note

Expand the component list until you see the lowest setting that is listed above, and then add that setting to your answer file. This shortcut will add the setting and all parent settings to your answer file in one step.

3. All the settings that you added must appear in the Answer File window. Select and configure each setting as specified below.

Component Value

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration WillShowUI = OnError

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\DiskDiskID = 0WillWipeDisk = true


Extend = falseOrder = 1Size = 1500

Note

You can adjust size accordingly; this example uses 1.5 gigabytes (GB).

Type = Primary

Microsoft-Windows-Setup \DiskConfiguration\Disk\ModifyPartitions\ModifyPartition

Active = falseExtend = falseFormat = NTFSLabel = WinREOrder = 1PartitionID = 1

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\DataImage Order = 1

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\DataImage\InstallFrom

Path = <location of your custom Windows RE image>

For example, C:\winre_x86\winre.wim

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\DataImage\InstallTo DiskID = 0PartitionID = 1

Note

The Credentials settings are not required for this walkthrough. You must delete the Credentials entry from your answer file to validate your answer file.

4. Validate the answer file, click Tools, and then click Validate Answer File.If an error occurs, correct the error and revalidate the answer file.

5. Save the answer file.

Step 3: Define Windows settings

By using the same answer file from Step 2, you define Windows Vista settings. The settings in this example will configure a single partition, will set the locale, and will boot the computer into Audit mode.

1. In Windows SIM, in the Windows Image pane, expand the Components node to display available settings.2. In the expanded list of components, add the following components to your answer file.

Component Configuration Pass

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk\CreatePartitions\ CreatePartition

1 windowsPE

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk\ModifyPartitions\ ModifyPartition

1 windowsPE

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\OSImage\InstallTo 1 windowsPEMicrosoft-Windows-Setup\UserData 1 windowsPEMicrosoft-Windows-Shell-Setup \OEMInformation 4 specializeMicrosoft-Windows-Shell-Setup \AutoLogon 7 auditSystemMicrosoft-Windows-Shell-Setup\OOBE 7 oobeSystemMicrosoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE\SetupUILanguage 1 windowsPEMicrosoft-Windows-Deployment\Reseal 7 oobeSystemMicrosoft-Windows-PnpSysprep 3 generalize

3. All the settings that you added must appear in the Answer File pane. Select and configure each setting as specified below.

Component Value



Note

You can adjust the Size accordingly; this example uses 15 GB.

Type = Primary


Active = trueExtend = falseFormat = NTFSLabel = OS_InstallLetter = COrder = 2PartitionID = 2

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\OSImage\ WillShowUI = OnError

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\OSImage\InstallToDiskID = 0PartitionID = 2

Microsoft-Windows-Setup \UserData AcceptEula = true

Microsoft-Windows-Setup \UserData\ProductKeyKey = <product key>WillShowUI = OnError

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup \OEMInformation

HelpCustomized = falseManufacturer = <company name>SupportHours = <support hours>SupportPhone = <support number>SupportURL = <support URL>

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup \AutoLogonEnabled = trueLogonCount = 5Username = Administrator

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup \OOBEProtectYourPC = 3NetworkLocation = Work

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE

InputLocale = <Input Locale>SystemLocale = <System Locale>UILanguage = <UI Language>UserLocale = <User Locale>

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE\SetupUILanguage UILanguage = <UI Language>

Microsoft-Windows-Deployment\ResealForceShutdown = trueMode = Audit

Microsoft-Windows-PnpSysprepPersistAllDeviceInstalls = True

These settings outline a basic unattended installation; no user input is required during Windows Setup. When the installation is complete, the computer will reboot to Audit mode. Windows Welcome does not run in Audit mode. For more information about Audit mode, see Customize Windows in Audit Mode.In Audit mode, you can perform additional customizations and configurations. When complete, OEMs and system builders must run sysprep /oobe to enable Windows Welcome the next time the computer restarts. Windows Welcome prompts the end user to read the Microsoft Software License Terms and to configure the computer.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/e1ed6a83-a5b5-41e6-a088-2eb9d64a4b7e

4. Validate your answer. To do this, click Tools, and then click Validate Answer File.If an error occurs, correct the error and revalidate.

5. Save your answer file.

Step 4: Create a configuration set

In this step, you create a configuration set. The benefit of this method is that all the files that are necessary for the installation are contained in one location. In this example, you save the configuration set to a USB flash drive (UFD).

1. In Windows SIM, on the Tools menu, select Create Configuration Set.The Create Configuration Set window opens.

2. Specify a destination location where you intend to publish the configuration set (for example, directly to your UFD), and then click OK.

Important

This feature creates an answer file (Autounattend.xml) and a resource folder (\AutoUnattend_Files). In this example, both the file and the folder must be located at the root of your UFD.

Step 5: Add partition repair script

In this step, you create a partition repair script called WinREPartitionInfo.xml. The script helps repair hidden and customized partitions if disk corruption occurs.

1. Create an .xml file called WinREPartitionInfo.xml with the following content.

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<WinREPartitionInfo> <NotActive/> <WinREHiddenPartition/></WinREPartitionInfo>

<NotActive> instructs Windows RE not to set the first partition to active in the event you have multiple boot partitions. <WinREHiddenPartition> instructs Windows RE to set the Windows RE partition as type 0x27 with no drive letter assigned. This method does not support other hidden partition types.

2. By using your removable media, place a copy of the file at the root of each hidden or customized partition.

Step 6: Copy script to USB flash drive

In this step, you include the provided Setautofailover.cmd script, which configures Windows Vista to start Windows RE during a failover. You copy the script to your UFD.

Copy Setautofailover.cmd to the root of your UFD. For example,

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copy c:\Program Files\<version>\recovery\setautofailover.cmd e:

where <version> can be Windows OPK or Windows AIK and e is the letter of the root of your UFD.

Step 7: Build your master installation

In this step, you build your master installation by using a Windows Vista product DVD and your configuration set. After setup completes, you manually run the Setautofailover.cmd script.

1. Turn on the master computer.2. Insert both the removable media containing your configuration set and the Windows Vista product DVD

into the new computer.3. Restart the computer (CTRL+ALT+DEL).

Windows Setup (Setup.exe) begins automatically. By default, Windows Setup searches all removable media for an answer file called Autounattend.xml.

4. After Setup completes, the computer starts in Audit mode. Verify that all your customizations were applied.5. At a command prompt, run Setautofailover.cmd with the following parameters.

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e:\Windows\setautofailover.cmd /target d: /mainos {default} /disk 0 /partition 1

where e is the letter of the root of your UFD device. When you are finished, reseal and shut down the computer. In the System Preparation Tool dialog box, select the appropriate options.For Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) systems, you must configure use for GUID Partition Table (GPT) disk. To configure for GPT, add the /gpt option. Here is an example of this command.

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e:\Windows\setautofailover.cmd /target d: /mainos {default} /disk 0 /partition 1 /gpt

Important

If you select the sysprep generalize option, the failover settings will be removed. To generalize the image for build-to-plan (BTO) environments, run Setautofailover.cmd during the oobeSystem pass. For example, copy the script to the root of the hard drive and specify a RunsynchronousCommand during oobeSystem pass in your answer file. To do this, select Insert, then Synchronous Command, and then Pass 7 oobesystem.

Alternate Configuration: Windows RE as a .wim File

Windows RE can also be installed directly as a .wim file instead of an expanded image on the hard disk partition. When you use this configuration:

The Windows RE .wim image file must be named Winre.wim.

The Windows RE .wim image file must be located at the root directory of the target partition. When defining the Windows RE settings in the answer file, the following components should be used.

Component Configuration

Pass


1 windowsPE

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk\ModifyPartitions\ModifyPartition

1 windowsPE

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\RunSynchronous\RunsynchronousCommand 1 windowsPE

The settings should be configured as follows:

Component Value

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration WillShowUI = OnError

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\DiskDiskID = 0WillWipeDisk = true



Note

You can adjust Size accordingly. This example uses 1.5 GB.

Type = Primary


Active = falseExtend = falseFormat = NTFSLabel = WinREOrder = 1PartitionID = 1

Microsoft-Windows-Setup\RunSynchronous\RunsynchronousCommand

(windowsPE Configuration Pass)

Copies Windows RE image file.

Order = 1Path = "d:CopyWinRE.cmd"

Note

You must create the CopyWinRE.cmd script to copy both your Windows RE image and the boot.sdi file to the destination partition. Boot.sdi can be found in your Windows PE build environment under the \ISO\Boot directory (for example, C:\

Winre_x86\ISO\Boot).

To set the automatic failover mechanism by using the /wim option, run the following command:

setautofailover.cmd /wim /target d: /mainos {default} /disk 0 /partition 1

The /wim option in Setautofailover.cmd configures the computer to use Winre.wim from the root directory of the destination partition as the Windows RE image.

For Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) systems, you must configure use for GUID Partition Table (GPT) disk. To configure for GPT, add the /gpt option. For example,

setautofailover.cmd /wim /target d: /mainos {default} /disk 0 /partition 1 /gpt

Walkthrough: Create a Windows RE Recovery Media

This walkthrough describes how to create a recovery media using Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and Windows PE. In the event of a system failure, you can boot the computer with this recovery media and attempt to fix the system.

Prerequisites


A Windows RE image. A technician computer that provides all the tools and source files. For more information, see

Building a Technician Computer. Blank media, for example, a USB flash drive (UFD) or CD-ROM. In this example, the storage size

must be 256 megabytes (MB) or bigger, depending on how many additional applications you include in your Windows RE image.

Step 1: Create a Windows RE Image

If you have a Windows RE image, skip to Step 2, otherwise, create a Windows RE image as described in Walkthrough: Create a Windows RE Image.

Step 2: Create a bootable media

In this step, you create a bootable Windows PE media and replace the default boot image with your custom Windows RE image.

1. Select one of the methods for creating a bootable media. o Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on CD-ROM o Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on UFD

2. Following the walkthrough instructions with one addition: Prior to copying or burning the image to media, replace the Windows PE boot image (ISO\Boot.wim) with your Windows RE image. For example,

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copy c:\winre_x86\winre.wim c:\ISO\sources\boot.wim

Important You must rename your Windows RE image to Boot.wim, otherwise the image will not boot.

Add a Device Driver to an Offline Windows PE Image

The following procedure demonstrates how to use the PEImg tool to add a device driver (.inf) to an offline Windows PE image. Before you can run any PEImg command, you must first apply or mount the Windows PE image by using ImageX. Windows PE provides a base image (Winpe.wim) that you can customize. For an example of how to build custom Windows PE images, see Windows PE Walkthroughs.

To add a device driver to an offline Windows PE image

1. Apply the base image (Winpe.wim) by using ImageX to a local Windows PE directory. For example:

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imagex /apply WinPE.wim 1 c:\winpe_x86\mount\

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imagex /mountrw WinPE.wim 1 c:\winpe_x86\mount\

2. Add the .inf file to the base image by using the peimg /inf command. For example:

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peimg /inf=<path> c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

where <path> is the location of the .inf file.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each additional device driver.When you finish customizing the image, prepare the image for deployment by using the peimg /prep command.

After you prepare the image, you can burn the image to the designated media. First, recapture or commit the local Windows PE directory into a .wim file by using ImageX, create an .iso file by using one of the provided tools, and then burn the .iso file to the appropriate media.

Add a Device Driver to an Online Windows PE Image

You can add out-of-box drivers to a running Windows PE environment by using the Drvload tool. Drvload uses one or more driver .inf files as inputs. To add a driver to an offline Windows PE image, use the PEimg tool.

If the driver .inf file requires a reboot, Windows PE will ignore the request. If the driver .sys file requires a reboot, then the driver cannot be added with Drvload.

To add a device driver to an online Windows PE image

At a command prompt, typedrvload.exe inf_path

where inf_path is the path to a device driver. You can specify multiple paths by separating each inf_path entry with a comma.

Include a Custom Script in a Windows PE Image

The following procedure demonstrates how to add a customized script to a Windows PE image offline. Windows PE provides three methods for launching custom scripts: Winpeshl.ini, Startnet.cmd, and Unattend.xml. The Windows PE default interface is a Command Prompt window. However, you can create a customized Winpeshl.ini file to run your own shell application. You can also create your own version of Startnet.cmd to run a specific set of commands, batch files, or scripts. Unattend.xml is a new answer file format for Windows PE 2.0, which replaces Winbom.ini and Winpeoem.sif.

Before you can add any customized scripts, you must first apply or mount the base Windows PE image (Winpe.wim) by using ImageX.

Add a Customized Script with Winpeshl.ini

You can launch a customized shell application by using a file called Winpeshl.ini. Winpeshl.exe will process the settings in Winpeshl.ini during boot. If you create a customized Winpeshl.ini and require Plug and Play or network support, you must include a call to Wipeinit.exe. Wpeinit.exe specifically installs Plug and Play devices, processes Unattend.xml settings, and loads network resources.

1. Create a customized Windows PE image as shown in Walkthrough: Create a Custom Windows PE Image. During Step 4 of that process ("Add additional customizations"), use the following steps.

2. Create a text file called Winpeshl.ini by using a text editor (such as Notepad) with the following structure. For example,

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[LaunchApp]

AppPath = %SYSTEMDRIVE%\myshell.exe[LaunchApps]%SYSTEMDRIVE%\mydir\application1.exe, -option1 -option2application2.exe, -option1 -option2

Set the AppPath entry to the path to your shell application. The path can either be fully qualified or use environment variables, such as %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\Myshell.exe. The AppPath entry does not support command-line options.

3. Save the file to %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 of your customized Windows PE image.4. Recapture your Windows PE image as described in Walkthrough: Create a Custom Windows PE

Image.

Add a Customized Script with Startnet.cmd

You can add customized command-line scripts in Windows PE by using Startnet.cmd. By default, Windows PE includes a Startnet.cmd script located at %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 of your customized Windows PE image. Startnet.cmd currently starts Wpeinit.exe. Wpeinit.exe specifically installs Plug and Play devices, processes Unattend.xml settings, and loads network resources.

1. Create a customized Windows PE image as described in Walkthrough: Create a Custom Windows PE Image. During Step 4 of that process ("Add additional customizations"), use the following steps.

2. Edit Startnet.cmd to include your customized commands.

Note For Plug and Play or networking support, ensure that you include a call to wpeinit in your customized Startnet.cmd script.

3. Save your changes and recapture your Windows PE image as described in Walkthrough: Create a Custom Windows PE Image.

Add Customizations with Unattend.xml

You can use an answer file with Windows PE to specify various settings and actions. When Windows PE starts, it implicitly looks for a file called Unattend.xml at the root of any bootable device (for example, a USB flash drive or a floppy disk). You can also specify an Unattend.xml file by using Startnet.cmd and Wpeinit.exe.

To learn more about creating an answer file, see Building an Answer File.

To learn more about Wpeinit, see Wpeinit Command-Line Options and the previous section on using Startnet.cmd.

Add an Application to a Windows PE Image

The following procedure demonstrates how to add a custom application to a Windows PE image offline. For example, if you have diagnostic software or custom tools that are a core part of your validation process,

you can include these tools in your custom Windows PE installation before preinstalling the operating system.

To add an application to a customized Windows PE image, create a folder for the application in the Windows PE image (such as \Tools) or copy the application to the \System32 folder of the Windows PE image. If your application requires temporary storage, you can specify a custom scratch space as part of your image.

Before you can add any applications, you must first use ImageX to apply or mount the Windows PE image. Windows PE provides a base image (Winpe.wim) that you can customize.

For an example of how to build custom Windows PE images, see Windows PE Walkthroughs.

To add an application to a Windows PE image offline

1. Apply the base image (Winpe.wim) by using ImageX to a local Windows PE directory. For example,

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2. Copy the necessary application files to your local Windows PE directory. For example, C:\Winpe_x86\Tools to include the application on the bootable media or C:\Winpe_x86\Mount\Windows\MyApp\.

3. Repeat the first two steps for each additional custom application.4. To start the application automatically when Windows PE boots, you can create a startup script by

using a Winpeshl.ini file. For an example, see Include a Custom Script in a Windows PE Image.5. If your application requires temporary storage, you can allocate additional memory using the peimg

/scratchspace command. Valid sizes include 32, 64, 128, 256, or 512 megabytes (MB). This feature is only available offline. You cannot adjust this setting while a Windows PE session is running.

Important Make sure you have sufficient memory to load and run your custom Windows PE image. In addition to the image size, you should have at least 256 MB of available working memory. If you have limited memory, define a page file (Pagefile.sys) to improve memory management. For more information on implementing a page file, see Wpeutil Command-Line Options.

6. When you finish customizing the image, prepare the image for deployment by using the peimg /prep command.

After preparing the image, you can burn the image to media. First, recapture or commit the local Windows PE directory to a .wim file by using ImageX, create an .iso file by using one of the provided tools, and then burn the .iso file to the appropriate media.

Add a Package to a Windows PE Image

The following procedure demonstrates how to use PEImg to add packages to a Windows PE image offline. Before you can run any PEImg command, you must first apply or mount the base Windows PE image (Winpe.wim) by using ImageX.

Windows PE 2.0 includes the following packages. These packages are contained in the base Windows PE image (Winpe.wim) but are not installed by default. You must add them to your image by using the peimg /install command.


WinPE-HTA-Package HTML Application supportWinPE-MDAC-Package Microsoft Data Access Component supportWinPE-Scripting-Package Windows Script Host supportWinPE-SRT-Package Windows Recovery Environment componentWinPE-XML-Package Microsoft XML (MSMXL) Parser support


To add a package to a Windows PE image offline


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When using imagex /apply to a base image, you cannot delete the working directory directly after adding a package. Peimg.exe applies ACLs on certain Windows PE source files. This limitation does not exist if you use the imagex /mount command. To work around this limitation, you must manually take ownership of the files. For example, at a command prompt,

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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/1804dbae-9c34-4790-b2b0-4aca2e7bda79

Takeown /F c:\winpe_x86\* /RCacls c:\winpe_x86\* /T /G <user>:FRd /s /q c:\winpe_x86\

Where <user> is the name of your user account.

2. Add a package to the base image by using the peimg /install command. For example,

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where <pkg> denotes the package name. A list of available packages and their names can be obtained by using the /list option. You can use wildcards to specify a package name. Any packages with matching names will be installed. For example,

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peimg /install=WinPE-HTA-Package c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows.

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peimg /install=*HTA* c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

where wildcards denote any package with HTA in the package name.

3. Repeat for each additional package.When you finish customizing the image, prepare the image for deployment by using the peimg /prep command.

After the image is prepared, you can burn the image to media. First, recapture or commit the local Windows PE directory to a .wim by using ImageX, create an .iso file by using one of the provided tools, and then burn the .iso file to the appropriate media.

Add a Language Pack to a Windows PE Image

The following procedure demonstrates how to use PEImg to add a Windows PE language pack to a Windows PE image offline. Before you can run any PEImg command, you must first apply or mount the Windows PE image by using ImageX. Windows PE provides a base image (Winpe.wim) that you can customize.

The /lang option sets the locale and the user interface (UI) language of a Windows PE image. You must first import and install a language pack before using the /lang option. You can perform this on a Windows PE image prepared with the /prep option.

To add a language pack to a Windows PE image offline


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2. Import the Windows PE language pack into your working directory. For example,

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peimg /import=<path> c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

Where <path> is location of the language pack.

3. Once imported, install the language pack. For example,

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Where <pkg> denotes the package name. A list of available packages and their names can be obtained by using the /list option. If you add the /verbose option, the output will display the full package name. Wildcards can be used when specifying a package name. Any packages with matching names will be installed. For example,

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peimg /install=*JA-JP* c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

Where wildcards denote any package with JA-JP in the package name.

4. Set the language by using the /lang option with the following syntax.

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peimg /lang=<culture> <image path>

Where <culture> is the culture name property of the specified language. For example,

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peimg /lang=JA-JP c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

When you finish customizing the image, prepare the image for deployment by using peimg /prep command.

After preparing the image, you can burn the image to media. First, recapture or commit the local Windows PE directory to a .wim file by using ImageX, create an .iso file by using one of the provided tools, and then burn the .iso file to the appropriate media. Your Windows PE image will now boot into the language that you specified.

Add an Update to a Windows PE Image

The following procedure demonstrates how to use PEImg to add a Windows PE update to a Windows PE image offline. Most hotfixes from Windows Update do not apply to Windows PE because of the following reasons:

Windows PE is a small subset of the Windows operating system. Windows PE runs very few services. Windows PE usually runs on a read-only file system.

Before you can run any PEImg command, you must first apply or mount the Windows PE image by using ImageX. Windows PE provides a base image (Winpe.wim) that you can customize.


To add a Windows PE update to a Windows PE image offline


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2. Add an update to the base image by using the peimg /import command. For example,

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peimg /import=<path> c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

Where <path> is location of the update.

3. Determine the name of the update by using the peimg /list command. For example,

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peimg /list

4. Add the update to the base image by using the peimg /install command. For example,

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peimg /install=<updatename> c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

5. Repeat for each additional update.When you finish customizing the image, prepare the image for deployment by using the peimg /prep command.

After the image is prepared, you can burn the image to media. First, recapture or commit the local Windows PE directory to a .wim by using ImageX, create an .iso file by using one of the provided tools, and then burn the .iso file to the appropriate media.

Prepare a Windows PE Image

The following procedure demonstrates how to use the PEImg tool to prepare a Windows PE image for deployment. After you customize your image, the peimg /prep command will optimize the image for size by removing non-installed packages from the base image. This operation cannot be reverted, and, after the /prep option is run, the /install, /uninstall, /import, and /list commands will not function.

You can still add drivers and language packs by using the /inf and /lang commands, respectively. The tool will prompt you before executing the command. You can suppress the prompt using the /f option.

Note It is recommended that you recapture and save a copy of the image before running the /prep option. This ensures that you have a custom base image that you can later modify. You can then reapply your custom base image, run the /prep option to optimize for size, and then recapture the image to a new file.

For an example on how to build custom Windows PE images, see Windows PE Walkthroughs.

To prepare a Windows PE image for deployment

1. At a command prompt, run peimg /prep on your local Windows PE build directory. For example:

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peimg /prep c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

2. After you prepare the image, you can burn the image to media. First, recapture or commit the local Windows PE directory to a .wim file by using ImageX, create an .iso file by using one of the provided tools, and then burn the .iso file to the appropriate media.

View Current Packages in a Windows PE Image

The following procedure demonstrates how to use the PEImg tool to view what packages are currently available and installed on the current Windows PE image. Before you can run any PEImg command, you must first apply or mount the Windows PE image by using ImageX. Windows PE provides a base image (Winpe.wim) that contains all available packages. By default, these packages are not installed. You must explicitly install them by using the peimg /install command.

Note This command will not work if you already prepared the image by using the peimg /prep command.

To view available packages in the current Windows PE image

1. Apply the base image (Winpe.wim) by using ImageX to a local Windows PE directory. For example:

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2. Run the peimg /list command to view all packages in the current image. For example:

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peimg /list c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows

Important Mounting an image in Windows PE is not supported.

If you add the /verbose option, the output will display the full package name. In the INS column, (+) denotes installed packages and (-) denotes not installed.

Configure IPSec support for Windows PE Client

This topic describes how to configure an IP Security (IPsec) network for Windows PE Clients. Windows PE supports IPsec protocol by default, but in some cases the computer you want to connect to will not allow a connection. You must configure the security policy to allow the Windows PE client to connect.

By default, Windows PE IPsec policy uses the following security and authentication methods:

MM Security Offer: AES128-SHA1-ECP256;

MM Authentication Method: Anonymous QM Policy: 3DES-SHA1; AES128-SHA1 QM Authentication Method: NTLMv2

To configure an IPsec policy

1. On the networked computer you are trying to access, configure the following:2. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Firewall with Advanced

Security.3. In the left pane, right-click Windows Firewall with Advanced Security and then select

Properties.4. On the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security on Local Computer Properties window,

select the IPsec Settings Tab, under the IPsec defaults section, click the Customize button.The Customize IPsec Settings window opens.

5. In Customize IPsec Settings, in Key exchange (Main Mode), select Customize. The Customize Advanced Key Exchange Settings window opens.

6. In the Key Exchange Algorithm section, select Elliptical Curve Diffie-Hellman P-256.7. In the Security Methods section, verify that the SHA1 (Integrity) AES-128 (Encryption) method

is included in the list of security methods, and then click OK.8. In the left pane, right-click the Connection Security Rule Node, and then select New Rule.9. In the New Connection Security Rule Wizard, select Custom, and then click Next.10. In the Endpoints section, add the IP addresses of the Windows PE machines (Endpoint 1) and the

local machine (Endpoint 2), and then click Next.11. In the Requirements section, select Require Authentication for inbound and outbound

connections option, and then click Next.12. In the Authentication Method section, select the Advanced option, and then click the Customize

button.13. In Customize Advanced Authentication Methods, in the First authentication area, select the

First Authentication Method is optional check box.14. In Customize Advanced Authentication Methods, in the Second authentication area, click

Add., and then, in Second Authentication Method, select User (NTLMv2) option, click OK, and then click OK again.The New Connection Security Rule Wizard window opens.

15. In the Profile window, select the profile to which this rule applies, and then click Next.16. In the Name window, enter a name and description for the rule, and then click Finish.

Customizing the Windows RE Experience

You can customize the user experience of Windows RE by creating an .xml file called WinREConfig.xml, which enables you to define custom support and diagnostic tools within Windows RE.

To customize the Windows RE experience

1. Create a tools subdirectory in your working Windows RE directory. For example,

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\Sources\Recovery\Tools

2. Create an .xml file called WinREConfig.xml, with the following syntax.

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<Recovery><Server/><RecoveryTools><RelativeFilePath> Tools.exe</RelativeFilePath></RecoveryTools><SupportTool AutoLaunch=”Yes”/”No”><RelativeFilePath> Tools.exe</RelativeFilePath></SupportTool><CustomFrontEnd><RelativeFilePath> Tools.exe</RelativeFilePath></CustomFrontEnd><AlwaysAuthenticate/><NonAdminToolsOnly/><StartupRepair><NoNetworking/><NoAutoLaunchFromCD/></StartupRepair></Recovery>

Choose the customizations that you intend to enable and include the corresponding elements in your WinREConfig.xml file. The following table describes these XML elements.

Element Description

ServerSets Windows RE to run in server mode. When specified, client-specific Windows RE options are not displayed. This setting is required when installing Windows RE on a server system.

RecoveryTools

Link to the customized recovery application to be included in the System Recovery Options menu. Only one application can be specified. The icon shown is extracted from the first available icon in the application executable. The title and the description of the link are extracted from the "Product name" and "File description" attributes of the application executable file.

SupportToolDenotes customized support or the diagnostic tool that can be launched from a link when Startup Repair is unable to repair the operating system. Only one tool can be specified.

AutoLaunchAutomatically launches the tool specified in SupportTool when the value is set equal to Yes. This setting does not apply to cases when no startup failure is detected or a hardware error is detected.

CustomFrontEnd Specifies an application to be launched instead of the Windows RE default user interface (UI) unless one of the following is true. Windows RE is launched:

o From CD/DVD.o Automatically.o From the F8 menu.

This application must set the registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\RecoveryEnvironment\TargetOS to the path of the Windows directory of Windows Vista.

This XML element is optional.

RelativeFilePathThe relative path from the \Tools subfolder of the folder in which Recenv.exe resides. For example, if Recenv.exe is located in X:\WinRE\, the path designated in this field is relative to X:\WinRE\tools.

AlwaysAuthenticate

Authentication is enforced, regardless of the start location of Windows RE, including media. If the username/password database on the offline Windows operating system is corrupt or otherwise inaccessible, users will not be able to access the recovery tools in Windows RE.

NonAdminToolsOnly

Only Startup Repair and the application specified in <RecoveryTools> (if present) is accessible through the Recovery menu. All other options are hidden.

StartupRepair Contains a list of Startup Repair-specific settings.

NoNetworking Disables the sending of diagnostic and repair data to Microsoft. Startup Repair will not turn on networking after a failed repair attempt.

NoAutoLaunchFromCD

Prevents Windows RE from launching Startup Repair automatically when it is booted from optical media and a boot failure in the offline operating system has been detected.

3. Save the file in your working Windows RE directory under \Sources\Recovery\Tools.

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