WinPE 2.0 to install Windows XP / 2003?

[Thona]

Yeah, I know... Point is, I need a way to roll out some server images and some workstation images. Nothing TOO large. I have virtual servers on both locations, and I was thinking of:

* Installing a deploy server image there, which runs WDS.

This would allow me to use WinPE 2.0 for automatic installation. As the server is preinstalled, my alternatives are using Ghost. Given that I run relatively standard hardware (NForce 4 chipset all along), my will to get a Ghpost 9 license (for the imaging) and work with some boot setup is limited. If I can get WinPE 2.0 to work, I would rather prefer to use this (new) way to do things. Gives me early help on setting things up, and it is a nice imaging technology.

Is there any guidelines out yet on how to use BDD 3.0 Beta / WinPE 2.0 to install an image that contains a sysprepped Windows 2003 (as well as how to actually take a 2003 image - I mean, is there any catch for that?). How to fully automate that? BDD 3.0 B2 does not cover that topic too well in documentation (not supported at the moment).

I have a WinPE 2.0 boot cd already and to my delight the network drivers just worked. So, I would really prefer to use ImageX for any imaging.

[fizban2]

you can capture a WIm image of your XP standard image for those machines you need to do and copy the image into the PE 2.0, i just complete the same thing this morning it works well

[Thona]

And the whole partition/format/bootsector setup can be scripted then, from WinPE?

[fizban2]

correct, i use a diskpart script that i wrote to format and partition the HD, then the image is laid down on the HD, the machine reboots and moves into the minisetup

[Thona]

Very nice. That is the idea I have, too. I seems that all the tools are available, from bootsect to diskpart to imagex, to acutally do imaging. And frankly, I sort of like the way ImageX works.

My main problem now is getting the **** winpe image to support my NForce 4 RAID drivers. No luck setting that up so far.

[JuMz]

correct, i use a diskpart script that i wrote to format and partition the HD, then the image is laid down on the HD, the machine reboots and moves into the minisetup

Why is it that everyone uses Diskpart to format/partion etc when WinPE has the built in capability already? This is what I use in my WinPE 1.5 winbom.ini file...

[DiskConfig]

Disk1 = Disk1.Config

[Disk1.Config]

WipeDisk = Yes

Size1 = *

PartitionType1 = Primary

FileSystem1 = NTFS

QuickFormat1 = Yes

SetActive1 = Yes

All of this and MORE are documented in the winpe.chm file found on the WinPE disk...

[ChrisBaksa]

correct, i use a diskpart script that i wrote to format and partition the HD, then the image is laid down on the HD, the machine reboots and moves into the minisetup

Why is it that everyone uses Diskpart to format/partion etc when WinPE has the built in capability already? This is what I use in my WinPE 1.5 winbom.ini file...

[DiskConfig]

Disk1 = Disk1.Config

[Disk1.Config]

WipeDisk = Yes

Size1 = *

PartitionType1 = Primary

FileSystem1 = NTFS

QuickFormat1 = Yes

SetActive1 = Yes

All of this and MORE are documented in the winpe.chm file found on the WinPE disk...

You are 100% correct in your statement. However... this is only feasable if this is your ONLY config.

Many of us require custom created partitions based on different criteria (machine model, Application profile...etc). DiskPart is one way to do it.

Personally... I find diskpart very user un-friendly and tedious which is why we have opted to write our own command line driven tool which is 100% more effecient/powerful than diskpart. I simply can't be bothered with creating input scripts. Command line parameters are so much easier to deal with and require much less code to manage.

Each to his own I guess...

Chris

Edited June 30, 2006 by ChrisBaksa

[fizban2]

Jumz,

chris is correct, the reason i use diskpart is because i have several ways that computers can be partitioned, and a different script for each, desktops get wiped and load, servers get HDs spilt based on how big they are, same with workstations, it all matters how complex the environment is that you are working in. Oh only if i could just hard code it in...

[JuMz]

Jumz,

chris is correct, the reason i use diskpart is because i have several ways that computers can be partitioned, and a different script for each, desktops get wiped and load, servers get HDs spilt based on how big they are, same with workstations, it all matters how complex the environment is that you are working in. Oh only if i could just hard code it in...

But you can also do this in WinPE winbom.ini, you would just need a different winbom.ini for each case...

The following example configures two physical hard disks, creating a full-size partition on the first disk and three partitions on the second disk.

[DiskConfig]
Disk1 = Disk1.Config
Disk2 = Disk2.Config

[Disk1.Config]
WipeDisk = Yes
Size1 = *
PartitionType1 = Primary
FileSystem1 = NTFS
QuickFormat1 = Yes

[Disk2.Config]
Size1 = 4000
Size2 = 4000
Size3 = *
PartitionType1 = Primary
FileSystem1 = NTFS
FileSystem2 = FAT32
QuickFormat2 = Yes

[brainstane]

you can capture a WIm image of your XP standard image for those machines you need to do and copy the image into the PE 2.0, i just complete the same thing this morning it works well

Is there any way you could write up a small walk through to accomplish this task? I have winpe 2.0 but am unclear on how the imagex process works (if this is indeed what you're using to perform this task)

I would never ask for step by step but if you could provide a brief overview of the procecure from within PE 2.0 it would be hugely beneficial for us PE 2.0 newbies.

Thanks so much in advance.

[Thona]

That would be great.

I had to give up. I managed (!) to get the image installed.... that worked flawless. And VERY fast.

I am now stuck with setting up a 2003 compatibel boot sector. That did not work out. Anyone a tip on that? My boot just went through to CD.

[brainstane]

That would be great.

I had to give up. I managed (!) to get the image installed.... that worked flawless. And VERY fast.

I am now stuck with setting up a 2003 compatibel boot sector. That did not work out. Anyone a tip on that? My boot just went through to CD.

You could try this plugin for bart (dont know how well it would work in WinPE but it writes a xp/2000/2003 compatible boot sector from a preinstall environment)

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=30378 plugin is called fixmbr