Availability of DISM.EXE and WUSA.EXE

[Glenn9999]

I'm working on a new version of my old patching program since the requirements changed enough for Windows 8.1 (of course now that I have it) and was wondering something.  I figured out that you can use DISM.EXE against .CAB files and WUSA.EXE against .MSU files on Windows 8.1 okay.  But I'm not sure of the availability of these things on Vista and 7 (and the other Windows Server type products).  Could anyone fill me in on whether they're there, and more importantly where to find them on the system?  Thanks.

[submix8c]

x:\Windows\System32

x:\Windows\SysWOW64

 

HTH

Edited June 11, 2014 by submix8c

[Glenn9999]

And that's consistent on all things Vista and higher version wise?

[submix8c]

Not sure about Vista RTM, but it's valid for VistaSP1 and up (incl Win7).

 

It -appears- to be there, though (WUSA).

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934307

It -also- appears that (older?) DISM doesn't work with Vista SP1.

Here's a reference to the Win7 DISM

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/153926-is-dism-win-7-only/

 

I can only speak (definitely) for the ones found on my Win7ProSP1.

 

HTH (and still looking)

 

edits (for info, re DISM) -

http://www.msigeek.com/343/introduction-to-dism-deployment-image-servicing-and-management

PKGMGR for Vista.

(sigh...) More info.

http://www.networksteve.com/forum/topic.php/Does_no_one_else_want_to_use_dism_to_install_SP2_to_an_offline_s/?TopicId=9706&Posts=0

Please witness the problems of Integration on Vista re: vLite and how vLite has heartburn with Win7. Hence, the Vista "DeIntegration" methods for VistaSP1 (pre-integrated) WIM's.

Hmmm.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Imaging_Format

Also - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744256%28v=WS.10%29.aspx

So, it -appears- that DISM is an additional install (?) for Vista (any release)?

Ref also WAIK Wiki -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Automated_Installation_Kit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageX

Win7-and-up, apparently, but works w/Vista SP1 (MS pre-integrated?) with limitations, as told in the links.

Edited June 11, 2014 by submix8c

[Glenn9999]

Okay thanks.  Like I said, I figured out how to do online installs with both and tested both under 8.1 to work, but need to be reasonably sure they will be there for other OSes if the program is presented with .MSU or .CAB.  I figured out WUSA is probably in Vista and above (your first link confirms), but wasn't sure about DISM.  Thanks for the links.

Edited June 11, 2014 by Glenn9999

[Glenn9999]

Okay, so DISM.EXE starts in Windows 7 and can be downloaded in the WAIK for Vista or below...documentation suggests pkgmgr for CABS in vista...

 

This is the command-line I'm finding...

 

Pkgmgr.exe /ip /m:c:\temp\Windows6.0-KB929761-x86.cab  /quiet /norestart

 

Is this reasonable?

 

Edit: Nevermind, I see it here on my system, can test it :-)  Thanks.

Edited June 11, 2014 by Glenn9999

[submix8c]

No/Yes -

It appears that DISM is only in the WAIK for Win7/Win8r2(?) RTM and SP1 -and- the Win7/Win8r2(?) OS Install (and works -only- on Vista w/SP1 (and Server 2k8?) and above. Please note the foldernames I gave above (for OS installed).

 

PKGMGR is "called" for Vista from DISM (if I read that correctly). PKGMGR is for -any- Vista/Srv2k8 (r2 is the exception as it's x64 released along with Win7). If you go to the vLite website you''' see that it -only- integrates stuff into RTM (the SP1 and pre-SP2 fixes?) and uses WIMGAPI and WIMFLTR(? not sure about this one). See this - http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/127712-faq-why-does-vlite-asks-for-waik-installation/

 

And... a reference to a "tool" to "clean" the WinSXS folder after "install of SP1" -

http://sreekarun.livejournal.com/8015.html

 

HTH (I -am- trying)

 

Side note - I don't have time right now to take a look at the Vista SP1 DVD's I have ATM to check on that. Gotta go yell at grand-kids.

[jaclaz]

Wouldn't EXPAND.EXE do nicely for both CAB and MSU?

Recent (today) thread:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/172046-solved-how-to-get-to-the-actual-files/

 

For DISM, a comfortable way is to get it without downloading the whole WAIK:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/156869-get-waik-tools-wo-downloading-the-huge-isos/

 

 

jaclaz

[Glenn9999]

Wouldn't EXPAND.EXE do nicely for both CAB and MSU?

Recent (today) thread:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/172046-solved-how-to-get-to-the-actual-files/

 

 

Actually no.  All expand.exe will do is get you the files, it does nothing to actually INSTALL the files, since they're "diff" files and not the actual files themselves.  I refrained from responding to that thread simply because the OP was wanting "the actual files installed by the update" and I found about three ways to get to the files within.   Evidently the OP did not want that, given the response.   Expand.exe is easy enough, the problem is actually doing something useful with those files after you got them.

 

Anyhow, I think I got the problem in hand as long as I can determine whether pkgmgr and DISM is present on the system or not.  The only real outstanding issue seems to be how to handle the sandboxing issue that seems present with pkgmgr.

[MagicAndre1981]

wusa was added in Vista and DISM came first with Windows 7

[Glenn9999]

wusa was added in Vista and DISM came first with Windows 7

 

Good to know.

 

Anyway, I think I got it all resolved.  Found references that say you can just blow out the sandbox directory after you run pkgmgr and all will be well.  Thanks for everyone's help!

[bphlpt]

wusa was added in Vista and DISM came first with Windows 7

 

But I believe that some versions of DISM can be installed on Vista, and I think even on XP.

 

Cheers and Regards

[Glenn9999]

 

wusa was added in Vista and DISM came first with Windows 7

 

But I believe that some versions of DISM can be installed on Vista, and I think even on XP.

 

 

I think so too from what I see (especially since CAB files can be downloaded on Windows XP - I get the feeling CAB is what Windows Update itself uses)...so that's why I just decided to search for the files in (WinSysDir).  Anyhow I got the update done and the whole thing seems to work well.

 

Of course, I have a different idea.  I'm half-tempted to try for an end-to-end (offline) solution driven by Windows Update that you can put on a flash drive or CD/DVD, so you basically will always be up to date and don't need manually created update lists.  I already got two different programs posted that will do it, so it wouldn't be technically impossible.  Just whether it would be worth doing or not would be the question.