Advice needed on winpe2.0 and xp.wim creation

[pauluk83]

Hi all!

I have been thinking of using winpe and ximage tocreate a wim file for my current xp install.

i have the WAIK kit and BDD, i am asuming i can just take the winpe.wim file from waik kit

but how do i capture the current xp install and combine the 2 to boot off the dvd and uninteneedly install win xp wim file?

paul

Edited May 7, 2007 by pauluk83

[FrankE9999]

I'm just getting started on this so I can't give you all the answers. Most of the information here came from the following reference.

Windows Vista Deployment Step by Step Guide

The link for AIK incase anyone needs it. Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK)

Note don't forget to install sysprep on the system before you create the image.

From a command prompt run

pushd "C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools"
Copype.cmd x86 D:\WinPE_x86

Copy imagex to the WinPE_x86 folder. You can change the output folder if you like but I use D:\WinPE_x86.

md D:\WinPE_x86\ISO\imagex_x86
copy "C:\Program files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\imagex.exe" D:\WinPE_x86\ISO\imagex

Create a file D:\WinPE_x86\ISO\imagex\wimscript.ini and add the following to it.

[ExclusionList]

ntfs.log

hiberfil.sys

pagefile.sys

"System Volume Information"

RECYCLER

Windows\CSC

[CompressionExclusionList]

*.mp3

*.zip

*.cab

\WINDOWS\inf\*.pnf

Use Oscdimg to create the winpe_x86.iso and burn it to CD.

Oscdimg -n -bD:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com D:\winpe_x86\ISO D:\winpe_x86\winpe_x86.iso

Boot your source image system using the PE disk created above and map a drive from the command line.

net use z: \\server\share /user:domain\user_name

Run Imagex.exe to create the image (On my system the CD ROM shows up as D:).

D:\Imagex\Imagex.exe /compress fast /capture C: Z:\Temp\WXPTest.wim "Windows XP Text" /verify

I use the same method to restore so I would map the drive and use the following.

D:\Imagex\Imagex.exe /apply Z:\Temp\WXPTest.wim "Windows XP Text" C:

Note if the drive isn't already partitioned you will need to use diskpart to create the partitions and format to format the drive.

DiskPart Command-Line Options

In your case you should be able to copy the WXPTest.wim to the D:\WinPE_x86\ISO and rebuild the WinPE disk using

Oscdimg -n -bD:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com D:\winpe_x86\ISO D:\winpe_x86\winpe_x86.iso

Now your WinPE disk should include the wim image.

[pauluk83]

hey thanks for that. I will try it out tonight, as just about to leve to goto Bath ( the town). lol

[jbusato]

Boot from Win PE and capture your XP installation (with imagex /capture command, you readed before)

Once you have a WIM file

1-install Windows AIK

2-run Windows PE Tools Command Prompt

3-type :

copype.cmd <arch> <destination>

(where arch is x86 or amd64 and destination is a path to a work folder (i.e. c:\winpe))

imagex /mountrw <destination>\winpe.wim 1 <destination>\mount

4- create your own folders (and files) under <destination>\mount\ or <destination>\ISO\

(copy imagex.exe too!)

Remember that what you put into mount dir will increase your boot.wim image and RAM usage; if you can use ISO instead (that will be store only on CDROM/DVD - you must put here your .WIM image)

5- add custom command-line scripts (like launch imagex and diskpart to put image onto destination) in Windows PE by using Startnet.cmd. By default, Windows PE includes a Startnet.cmd script located at %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 of your custom Windows PE image. Startnet.cmd currently starts Wpeinit.exe (don’t delete it, you need it for eth and pnp support! )

Remember that you can use %SYSTEMROOT% environment variable to windows folder path; to get cdrom path you should use a 3rd party tool like getcd (http://www.willowhayes.co.uk/); this you should put into MOUNT folder!

6- type:

imagex /unmount /commit <destination>\mount

(this will write changes)

copy <destination>\winpe.wim <destination>\ISO\sources\boot.wim

(this will replace original boot file)

oscdimg -n -b<destination>\etfsboot.com <destination>\ISO <destination>\winpe_x86.iso

(this will create a bootable iso image under your <destination> dir)

copy c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim c:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim

7- Burn ISO image

I made an unattended hardware indipendent Windows XP installation using this:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista...3.mspx?mfr=true