[WInPE 2.0 API subset]

WinPE supports *subset* of Windows API. I could not locate the documentation/list of APIs that are being supported by WinPE 2.0.

Is it available?

[WInPE 2.0 API subset]

WinPE supports *subset* of Windows API. I could not locate the list of APIs that are supported by WinPE 2.0.

Is it available?

[detecting hardware type from 32-bit WinPE?]

I havent tried this on WinPE.

I tried browsing Win32_Processor:AddressWidth on:

32 bit Win2k3 OS installed on 64-bit hardware. (AddressWidth is 32 here)

64-bit Win2K3 OS installed on 64-bit hardware. (AddressWidth is 64 here)

So I dont think I can retrieve actual arch of processor if 32bit WinPE is running on 64bit processor using WMI technique.

I dont really get that.... unless you are running on ia64 (itanium = pure 64) which is not very common, the x86/x64 compatible processors are determined by the actual operating system runnin ontop of it, it is the same processor, just depending on the OS, then bit width will be either 32 or 64.... then should not WMI work? It seems to do the trick for me. I also read the Win32_Processor AddressWidth property to resolve WMI filters and stuff...

I've installed 32 bit windows OS (w2k3) on 64 bit processor.

WMI browser shows me 32 bit address width for processor. (WMI browser is a WMI Server Repository tool)

I could not find a single technique to know actual processor type (32/64) when running 32 bit OS on 64 bit processor.

[detecting hardware type from 32-bit WinPE?]

I havent tried this on WinPE.

I tried browsing Win32_Processor:AddressWidth on:

32 bit Win2k3 OS installed on 64-bit hardware. (AddressWidth is 32 here)

64-bit Win2K3 OS installed on 64-bit hardware. (AddressWidth is 64 here)

So I dont think I can retrieve actual arch of processor if 32bit WinPE is running on 64bit processor using WMI technique.

[detecting hardware type from 32-bit WinPE?]

Have you tried looking at a devcon output?

devcon find *

On my 32 bit machine - devcon reports

ACPI\GENUINEINTEL_-_X86_FAMILY_15_MODEL_4

& On 64 bit, it reports -

ACPI\GENUINEINTEL_-_X86_FAMILY_15_MODEL_6

I dont think model number can be used to differentiate between 32 & 64 bit arch.

[detecting hardware type from 32-bit WinPE?]

which version of WinPE? v1.6 or 2.0?

2.0

[detecting hardware type from 32-bit WinPE?]

How to detect whether 32bit WinPE is running on 32-bit or 64-bit processor?

I tried GetSystemInfo, but it returns me INTEL_PENTIUM_PROCESSOR for both cases (32/64 bit h/w)

[linux preinstallation environment similar to WinPE?]

Anyone knows linux preinstallation environment similar to WinPE?

Kickstart is not the one, i want similar command prompt as i get in WinPE.

I tried customizing initrd image - i get prompt, but facing some issues regarding networking.

[PXE boot 32 bit WinPE.wim on 64 bit machine]

Im using WINPE from BDD.

In the .chm guide, it mentions flags -store to specify BCD. "-store" doesnt work for me, i hve to use "/store".

same for other flags too.

[PXE boot 32 bit WinPE.wim on 64 bit machine]

Thanks both of you.

[PXE boot 32 bit WinPE.wim on 64 bit machine]

Can I PXE boot 32 bit WinPE.wim on 64 bit machine?

I know I can not run 64 bit installer from the 32-bit WinPE environment. But still - is booting possible?

[unattend installation: SETUP COULD NOT LOCATE WINNT32.HLP]

I have winnt32.hlp file under I386 folder

Hmmm, problem solved. switch for winxp+sp2 winnt32.exe is "/unattend1" and not /u. Replacing /u by /unattend1 solved the problem

[unattend installation: SETUP COULD NOT LOCATE WINNT32.HLP]

Try adding the /tempdrive:<drive> option to your launch command.... works for me! Not on x64 though...

Nope its not working too for me.

[unattend installation: SETUP COULD NOT LOCATE WINNT32.HLP]

Im trying to install WinXP SP2 unattend installation from WinPE 2.0

I followed following steps:

-N/w boot WinPE 2.0

-create parttion, format partition using diskpart

-net use p: \\RemoteBox\windist passwd /user:RemoteBox\usernm

p:

p:\i386\winnt32.exe /syspart:C /s:p:\i386\ /u:p:\i386\unattend.txt

I get this error:

"Setup could not locate winnt32.hlp. Help is not available"

if i remove /u:.... section, setup starts fine in attended mode.

Pl advice

[PXELinux Boot WinPE 2.0]

thanks for all your help, I got it working now. It involved adding re-write rules to the tftp server but finally it works. I had to use rewriting cause I like to sort the files in my tftp-root the way I think it's right. This way I could stuff everything belonging to PE 2.0 in its own folder in the tftp path.

did you replace initrd by pxeboot.0 or kernel?

can you elaborate your configuration bit? Im trying to boot winpe 2.0 from pxelinux.

Here is my understanding about pxelinux:

- it is proxy dhcp server, so it must be telling PXEClient boot file name (i.e. pxelinux.0)

-once pxelinux.0 starts running at client side, it reads pxelinux.cfg/AppropriateConfigClientFile

- then pxelinux.0 loads image (say initrd.img) with the help of memdisk (memdisk is just used as a RAM disk driver)

Is it correct?

I want to boot Windows PE 2.0 from pxelinux.

I was trying to boot pxeboot.0 (renamed pxeboot.n12 - windows pe network boot program) using pxelinux.

i tried following configurations but failed:

1. kernel boot/pxeboot.0

initrd=somegarbage kepxe

2. kernel memdisk

initrd=boot\pxeboot.0 kepxe

Can someone please advice?

I could do it. I was placing files at wring location under tftproot.

One should specify following configuration:

kernel \boot\pxeboot.0

initrd=somegarbage kepxe

boot folder must be located under tftp-root

[PXELinux Boot WinPE 2.0]

thanks for all your help, I got it working now. It involved adding re-write rules to the tftp server but finally it works. I had to use rewriting cause I like to sort the files in my tftp-root the way I think it's right. This way I could stuff everything belonging to PE 2.0 in its own folder in the tftp path.

did you replace initrd by pxeboot.0 or kernel?

can you elaborate your configuration bit? Im trying to boot winpe 2.0 from pxelinux.

Here is my understanding about pxelinux:

- it is proxy dhcp server, so it must be telling PXEClient boot file name (i.e. pxelinux.0)

-once pxelinux.0 starts running at client side, it reads pxelinux.cfg/AppropriateConfigClientFile

- then pxelinux.0 loads image (say initrd.img) with the help of memdisk (memdisk is just used as a RAM disk driver)

Is it correct?

I want to boot Windows PE 2.0 from pxelinux.

I was trying to boot pxeboot.0 (renamed pxeboot.n12 - windows pe network boot program) using pxelinux.

i tried following configurations but failed:

1. kernel boot/pxeboot.0

initrd=somegarbage kepxe

2. kernel memdisk

initrd=boot\pxeboot.0 kepxe

Can someone please advice?

[unattend.xml only for Vista?]

Method described in WAIK help file, to Build an Answer file (unattend.xml) using SIM, is only useful for deploying VISTA, right?

To install windows 2000, xp , i hve to use unattend.txt (i.e. winnt.exe /s:k:\source /u:k:\unattend.txt) technique.

Please correct if im wrong.

[PXELinux Boot WinPE 2.0]

thanks for all your help, I got it working now. It involved adding re-write rules to the tftp server but finally it works. I had to use rewriting cause I like to sort the files in my tftp-root the way I think it's right. This way I could stuff everything belonging to PE 2.0 in its own folder in the tftp path.

did you replace initrd by pxeboot.0 or kernel?

can you elaborate your configuration bit? Im trying to boot winpe 2.0 from pxelinux.

[net use failed under winpe 2.0]

Have installed the vmware drivers into WinPE2?

I have WinPE2 networking working in VMWare Workstation using the default nic devices.

here is the list of vmware drivers I preload into winpe2:

vmware-nic.inf

vmxnet.inf

vmx_svga.inf

vmmouse.inf

vmmemctl.inf

Thanx Guru it works

I am facing networking issues while n/w booting DOS image.

i can net use and map network drive.

but "dir" doesnt show any files in n/w drive

it shows "File Not Found".

After googling, I found this link:

http://www.computing.net/dos/wwwboard/forum/10680.html

But i could not locate pcnet.cab.

P.S. I know this forum might not be a right place to post this question, but context is pretty similar so I posted

[net use failed under winpe 2.0]

Have installed the vmware drivers into WinPE2?

I have WinPE2 networking working in VMWare Workstation using the default nic devices.

here is the list of vmware drivers I preload into winpe2:

vmware-nic.inf

vmxnet.inf

vmx_svga.inf

vmmouse.inf

vmmemctl.inf

Thanx Guru it works

[PXELinux Boot WinPE 2.0]

Hi Metezen,

can you post microsoftTechnet url for the ppt (ur attachement). or any other link which describes winpe 2.0 booting internals.

[net use failed under winpe 2.0]

wpeutil.exe DisableFirewall

I am not able to ping other machine from winPE 2.0.

It says "ping transmit failed error code 1231"

I also tried diabling firewall with above settings.

(I have n/w booted vmware bare metal instance using PXE method)

[Winpe 2.0 Networking in vmware]

I'm using vmware server console.

winpe2005 works fine. Winpe 2.0 is the vista version, I haven't had luck using drivers from vmtools or from AMD.

n/wing not working? do u mean N/w booting is not working or other n/w fascilities not working after booting winpe 2.0?

[Boot selection failed]

I tried pxe booting windows PE 2.0 , it was successful.

Then i created new lan, & tried pxe booting. I get following error.

I have configured DHCP & TFTP server on same box (Boot file name is wdsnbp.com)

PXEClient can download wdsnbp.com, but when loading/downloading (dont know) pxeboot.com I get following error:

Windows Boot Manager (Server IP: 192.168.025.001)

Status: 0xc000000f Info: Boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible.

Has anyone faced it before?

How to debug interaction between PXEClient & boot server and dhcp server? any utilities?

[PXELinux Boot WinPE 2.0]

Any idea if you can start the PE 2.0 loader from a PXElinux menu?

All of my tests, booting PXELinux from TFTPd32 and calling \Boot\pxeboot.com (the one that was .n12 before) led to nothing. No errors, maybe a reboot if i pressed F12.

i never tried this. but memdisk is a RAMDisk based dos boot image.

Give it a try - replace memdisk by pxeboot.com