I used ImageX to create a new WIM, but setup is quite sluggish

[waqqas31]

Hi everyone,

I used this tutorial:

http://www.windowsvalley.com/create-windows-7-aio-all-in-one-dvd-or-merge-all-editions-of-windows-7-in-single-dvd/

Though what I did differently is that I extracted only the install.wim files from the MSDN Vista disks, exported the images as required from the x64 install.wim to the x86 install.wim, then used UltraISO to save the x86 ISO with an updated install.wim file.

I used this method with both Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2, and both resulting discs work just fine, but the initial steps in Windows setup have a significant amount of lag compared with the original MSDN discs and other peoples' AIO creations.

Any idea on how to fix the sluggishness? It's particularly sluggish from the license key screen until it finally starts installing.

I tested the install speed on both a virtual machine and a Dell Latitude D630 notebook.

TIA,

Waqqas

Edited March 1, 2011 by waqqas31

[grabben]

Does the other disks work fine on that laptop?

Why etract the x86 to a new and the 64 to a new and then combine?

[waqqas31]

Yes, the other disks work fine.

I'm going to clarify what I did, since I'm not sure if you meant to ask "Why not extract...." or "Why did you extract...."

I took the MSDN Vista x86 disk, and copied the install.wim file to my hard drive.

I did the same with the x64 disk.

Now, the x86 install.wim had 7 images, including two "N" versions that I don't need.

So, I created a new install.wim file and exported images to it until I had collected all the ones I wanted. This is the command I used:

imagex /export x86\install.wim 1 install.wim "Windows Vista Business x86 SP2"

imagex /export x86\install.wim 2 install.wim "Windows Vista Home Basic x86 SP2"

...

imagex /export x64\install.wim 3 install.wim "Windows Vista Home Premium x64 SP2"

imagex /export x64\install.wim 4 install.wim "Windows Vista Ultimate x64 SP2"

My install.wim had a total of 9 images in it (5 x86 images, 4 x64 images).

I then edited an ISO of the MSDN x86 disk in UltraISO, by replacing its install.wim with my new 9-in-1 install.wim that I just created. Everything else in the ISO remained unchanged.

Now, are you suggesting that instead of exporting all 9 images to 1 newly-created install.wim file, I should export them to 2 new separate install.wim files and then combine the two? If so, how would that explain the issue I've been experiencing?

Thanks!

Waqqas

Edited March 1, 2011 by waqqas31

[waqqas31]

Well, folks, I seem to have found a solution.

It seems like the new install.wim file might have been too big to handle (quickly, at least).

I split the install.wim file into smaller install.swm files using ImageX and the response time was back to what I experienced on the MSDN discs.

To summarize:

ImageX /split install.wim install.swm 1024

(This will split the WIM file into 1GB chunks)

Delete install.wim from the sources folder and replace with these install*.swm files.

I tried first with files named splitinstall.swm but it did not work!

Edited March 1, 2011 by waqqas31

[grabben]

I have a 6 GB Install.wim and that works with no problem.

[waqqas31]

Did you use a different method to create it?

[grabben]

I exported x86 to a newinstall.wim and did the same with 64bit..