PXE boot 32 bit WinPE.wim on 64 bit machine

[pankajtakawale]

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?

[Jazkal]

If you mean boot x86 on a x64 machine, then yes you can.

[Deman]

Yeap you can, 64bit CPUs are good like that they slip into 32bit mode.

Even though WDS requires separate configurations for x86, x64 etc CPUs they can both link back to the same 32bit PE image

[pankajtakawale]

Thanks both of you.

[JSmith]

If you don't mind, what did you do to get PE2 to PXE boot? I've got 1.5 working like a champ from PXE, but I get a "cannot load txtsetup.sif" error with PE2. I assume its because there are different boot files necessary, but I haven't found any documentation as to which files these are. Presumably they are different...

[Jazkal]

In the docs that come with PE2, look at "Walkthrough: Deploy an Image by using PXE".

You have to use the new boot loader, BCD.

[JSmith]

If you don't mind, what did you do to get PE2 to PXE boot? I've got 1.5 working like a champ from PXE, but I get a "cannot load txtsetup.sif" error with PE2. I assume its because there are different boot files necessary, but I haven't found any documentation as to which files these are. Presumably they are different...

Ahh Strange, My version of the CHM doesn't have that section. I'll download it again here, maybe I just got an older version.

Thanks for clearing that up for me!

[Jazkal]

it's in the file named: "Windows Automated Installation Kit User's Guide.chm"

[JSmith]

Yep, you are right. I was looking for it in the WinPE.CHM.

Did you have any issues creating the BCD? Even when using the example script lines I get errors on about half of the script lines. Most of them don't like the label, so I took the spaces out and fixed them. but the bootmgr lines don't seem happy no matter what I do.

What is the reason for having to create these files with unique GUID's anyhow? Seems like it wouldn't be necessary... but then again I obviously don't fully understand this new version of PE yet.

Thanks for your time!

[pankajtakawale]

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.

Edited December 21, 2006 by pankajtakawale

[JSmith]

Ahh, that is strange. I'll give it a shot. Thanks for replying!