XP to Wim

[wimb]

You can Restore a Universal XP Image file in 5 minutes.

But to create such file takes more time .....

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=23553

http://reboot.pro/13618/page__view__findpost__p__120249

Edited January 26, 2011 by wimb

[Tripredacus]

One MAJOR drawback!!

XP images are proccesor dependant...

Any XP SP2 or SP3 images created on a single core (UP HAL) and sysprepped will automatically redetect a system using a multi-proc (MP HAL). SP1 and older could not do this. Also it doesn't work backwards, so an image created on an MP will not install the UP HAL if deployed. Best way to handle this is to totally lock down your configs so you use your images appropriately.

[LieboOSBA]

BUMP

Easy WinXP CD Install to WIM Conversion

This basically encapsulates the standard windows xp install method inside a wim file.

Because it will install completely from the hard drive the installation time is decreased significantly.

Step 1

- Boot to WinPE 2 or higher

Step 2

- Setup a regular drive or partition using diskpart

Step 3

- Use Standard Windows XP CD

- Run winnt32.exe /syspart:c: /makelocalsource

(where c is the letter of the drive)

- enter product key etc

Step 4

- use imagex to capture the drive

Step 5 - DEPLOYMENT

- boot to WinPE 2 or higher

- set up partition or drive using diskpart (be sure to assign a drive letter and make it active.. etc)

- bootsect /nt52 /force /mbr

- imagex /apply xpinst.wim 1 c:

Step 6

- reboot and run though text mode and gui setup as normal

Brought to you by Binary Outcast

- http://binaryoutcast.com/

Having trouble following this guide, anyone else used it?

[jaclaz]

Having trouble following this guide, anyone else used it?

No.

http://homepages.tesco.net/J.deBoynePollard/FGA/questions-with-yes-or-no-answers.html

How would knowing if anyone else used it help you in following it?

However, basically that post is about a way to deploy a XP initiated-from-hard-disk install.

The imagex and wim usage are just means to replace *any* disk/drive imaging software.

Just as an example, you could use DRIVEIMAGEXML to the same effect. (and you would note need a PE 2 or higher).

jaclaz

[LieboOSBA]

Thanks for replying.

If anyone else has tried to use it (responding with a "yes"), they could have reported as to the success of following the instructions.

The issue with following the instructions is that the WIM is captured what I believe to be successfully, the hard drive doesn't boot and you get "Disc read error, press control + alt + delete to restart" or something to that affect. I believe the problem is the formatting/partitioning/MBR creation part of the process that isn't working.

The ultimate goal would be to have a WIM image that can be deployed via WDS of the setup files for Windows XP (the hard drive install as you put) with an unattended script including drivers and post-SP3 hotfixes slipstreamed. This is because as we all know, Windows XP images are HAL dependant and having a few different types of PC, making separate "sysprepped" images and maintaining them is unfeasible.

I know Windows FLP is basically XP with "WIM" deployment (using a version of WIM from a Longhorn build IIRC) so it must be possible to deploy HAL "independent" Windows XP via the method I quoted or similar.

[Tripredacus]

It is potentially more work to try to make one universal XP WIM instead of separate ones for each config. Have you looked into the other options like installation via Distribution Share, or using RIS or MDT/SCCM to deploy XP?

[jaclaz]

The issue with following the instructions is that the WIM is captured what I believe to be successfully, the hard drive doesn't boot and you get "Disc read error, press control + alt + delete to restart" or something to that affect. I believe the problem is the formatting/partitioning/MBR creation part of the process that isn't working.

If you followed the instructions "to the T", the problematic step(s) should be this one(s):

Step 4

- use imagex to capture the drive

Step 5 - DEPLOYMENT

- boot to WinPE 2 or higher

- set up partition or drive using diskpart (be sure to assign a drive letter and make it active.. etc)

- bootsect /nt52 /force /mbr

- imagex /apply xpinst.wim 1 c:

Given for assured that Step 4 is OK, i.e. that image capture is successful, the problem might be Step 5.

Can you try describing in your own words and EXACTLY, down to the minutiae, what you did with regards to this step?

(it seems to me clear enough, but maybe I am overlooking something or the instructions can be interpreted differently from what I do)

WINFLP is an entirely different thing/approach from the one referenced to.

And yes, it is possible to create a hardware independent XP image, a good way is to use Offline Sysprep:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showforum=43

If you want, once solved the issue you are currently having, we may talk about it .

jaclaz

Edited December 21, 2011 by jaclaz

[LieboOSBA]

I created a WinPE disc and booted it in VMWare.

I formatted the disc and partition exactly as described.

I performed the "make local source" install of Windows XP as described.

I took an image to WIM via ImageX as described

New VMWare session, with WinPE, formatted the hard drive and run the bootsect command however had to add "C:" as one of the switches to make the command work.

i.e. "bootsect /nt52 c: /force /mbr" instead of "bootsect /nt52 /force /mbr"

Restored the WIM to the hard drive as instructed

Rebooted without WinPE mounted and it should have started the XP setup... Instead, there is a disc read error and to press control + alt + delete

There is a KB article about this but it seems to have no affect when you try the solutions: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931760

Thanks in advanced.

[Tripredacus]

I see what you are trying to do! I've tried this and was unsuccessful at it. Correct me if I am wrong, but it sounds like you are trying to capture the phase after Text Mode and redeploy that. While I had made mention of it here, I didn't go into too much detail...

[jaclaz]

New VMWare session, with WinPE, formatted the hard drive

No.

I am pretty sure that you think you did that , but I asked the EXACT, detailed, down to the minutiae steps you executed, just like you did for this:

and run the bootsect command however had to add "C:" as one of the switches to make the command work.

i.e. "bootsect /nt52 c: /force /mbr" instead of "bootsect /nt52 /force /mbr"

namely I suspect that you did not set the partition as Active.

Since this is delicate matter, where each single word has a definite meaning, and I am particularly "picky" you cannot "format a hard drive".

You are actually:

1. initializing a (hard) disk (drive)
   
2. partitioning the disk into one or more partition(s) of which one is a primary, i.e. creating one or more drive(s) or volume(s)
   
3. formatting the drive (or volume) by creating a filesystem on it
   

Rebooted without WinPE mounted and it should have started the XP setup... Instead, there is a disc read error and to press control + alt + delete

There is a KB article about this but it seems to have no affect when you try the solutions: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931760

Yes, it is a possibility , but the solution (changing the partition alignment settings in the Registry) has always been working.

Try again, after having applied the Registry changes to the PE.

You can use any MBR editor/disk editor/partition table viewer to check the actual alignment that was used and to check the Active status of the partition.

A standard XP will make partition start at CHS 0/1/1 LBA 63.

A standard PE2/3 will make partition start at CHS 0/32/33 LBA 2048

A PE 2/3 with the proposed mods to the Registry will behave as XP does.

How big is the partition you create?

Try doing it smaller than 128/137 Gb limit, just in case:

http://www.48bitlba.com/

jaclaz

[LieboOSBA]

The WinPE disc with the following modifications:

imagex.exe (Add - from WAIK)

startnet.cmd (Amend)
	wpeinit
	formatbat.cmd

formatbat.cmd (Add)
	regedit /s vdsalign.reg
	diskpart /s delpart.txt
	echo Y | format c: /fs:ntfs /v: /q
	bootsect /nt52 c: /force /mbr
	net use p: \\QNAP\XPInstall
	imagex /apply P:\XPProWIM\XPINST.wim 1 c:
	exit

vdsalign.reg (Add)
	[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\vds\Alignment]
	@="Alignment Settings in Bytes"
	"Between4_8GB"=dword:00000000
	"Between8_32GB"=dword:00000000
	"GreaterThan32GB"=dword:00000000
	"LessThan4GB"=dword:00000000

delpart.txt (Add)
	select disk 0
	clean
	create partition primary
	assign letter=c
	active
	exit

Using reference http://support.microsoft.com/kb/303906 for assistance.

Interestingly, if we run the normal XP setup by booting the CD after formatting etc with diskpart, it will install correctly (the unattend is set to leave the file system alone).

The "disc read error" message only seems to appear AFTER the WIM is applied.

[jaclaz]

....

Interestingly, if we run the normal XP setup by booting the CD after formatting etc with diskpart, it will install correctly (the unattend is set to leave the file system alone).

The "disc read error" message only seems to appear AFTER the WIM is applied.

Good , but you didn't answer my questions.

How many sectors before has the partition when you run that WinPE?

It is possible that the Registry settings does not have effect.

How big is the partition you create?

Can you state the EXACT words of the error message you get?

Are they among the ones listed here?:

jaclaz

[LieboOSBA]

To conclude this issue, we ended up using WDS to launch a PE environment based on 7/2008 R2 (cannot remember which). This then runs the script I've already posted to format the partition etc but instead launches the winnt32.exe to start the setup, pointing to an unattend file rather than uncompressing a WIM.

So, we boot a computer, press F12 to PXE boot, select Windows XP setup, this loads PE, formats and partitions and sets active the drives, maps a network share, triggers the setup to copy files thought the GUI mode from the network share (I assume its making a local source) and then reboots. Windows XP setup starts again at text mode setup as though we've booted off of a CD.

The drivers for all types of desktops and some laptops are integrated. I've even merged two textmode driver packs for Intel and AMD chipsets so that both types of SATA and SCSI controllers are supported (we have some Dells have a SATA mode whose default is a "SCSI-Emulation" instead of AHCI in the BIOS).

Some "prerequisite" hot fixes are slipstreamed to the network copy of the XP setup files to save a number of Windows Update related reboots. A "first run" script installs .NET Frameworks 3.5 and 4 because there are some other prerequisite fixes needed before these appear via WSUS.

The first run scripts also re-names the computer based on the asset tag in the BIOS, deletes the entry from AD based on the XP given name and re-creates itself with the new name in AD before auto-rebooted.

All in all a very successful process if I dont mind saying so myself.