I wrote up this tutorial for my coworkers but my boss is reluctant to let me give it out. He's afraid i will create too much additional support work for me.

So rather than let it collect dust on my hard drive I thought I would at least post it here for everyone else's reading pleasure.

If you have additions, changes, find errors, etc. let me know and I'll update as appropriate and give credit where due.

Also, this does not have anything to do with WDS directly; though I'm sure that some of the processes described in the document may apply.

Click to view attachment
1/14 - added export command to build_all.cmd script and removed erroneous spaces. Updated information on adding Mass storage drivers for current Mass Storage Driverpack version - Thanks DigeratiPrime. 1439 prior downloads
8/25 - updated added method for adding drivers to running PE and shrinking image using export command. Thanks to p4ntb0y for the suggestions. 896 prior downloads
7/26 - Updated PDF to reflect comments from JuMz and chiners_68. Thanks guys. 140 prior downloads

what this mean i could make the installation if xp like vista ?

faster ?

No, this is not an install method but an imaging method.

Nice guide. In the appendix, you mention the use of BTS Driver packs in WinPE but in the guide, you did not mention how to use them...How did you get them to work? I thought the DriverPacks were not compatible in WinPE installations....Did you just end up extracting the packs and then using a script to drill down to each folder and inject them?

You didn't mention Sysprep in the manual; that might be important to note, since you also mention the fact that the destination system may be a compatible system, and doesn't have to be the exact same machine. Also, is there a way to install WinPE 2.0 to the hard drive?

@jumz - I only used the network and Massstorage packs for the drivers and installed them using the install_drivers.cmd on page 17. I'll try and clarify that in the guide.

@tap52384 - I didn't mention Sysprep because I didn't want to go into how to create your base image. There are many different methods to create the base image, some will use sysprep some will not it all depends upon what you want to do. that is why in the requirements we have "system configured as desired and ready for image capture"

I was following your guide which is very good but cannot get any of your scripts with PEIMG to work.
Where are you running this exe from..? I presume c:\program files\Windows AIK\tools\petools as its not copied down to c:\WinPE_x86 or subdirectories with the mount script.

all I keep getting is " The Image directory sp[ecified is not valid windows PE image"


Also is your build all another script to run or all of the above scripts in one..?
in this all build.cmd you have msd & network.cmd install scripts of which you do not mention in your document. these are obviously adding drivers from the bts packs but what do these scripts contain..?

Yes build_all.cmd is all of the scripts combined together.

install_msd.cmd and install_network.cmd are the install_drivers.cmd which was modified to point to those directory folders. I will edit the document to clarify this.

I also noticed that the paths at the beginning of build_all.cmd are what I use on my machine and not the defaults that other people might use.

PDF edited and replaced (7/26)

@chiners_68 - it sounds like your PE image is not mounting correctly to c:\winpe_x86\mount

Could I make one suggestion?

Page 7, item A:
Note: WinPE-SRT-Package currently does not work, Microsoft to fix at a later date.

This looks really cool. I will look at it on Monday to see if we can implement it into the Deployment Server I am working on.

@jazkal - I will add it to the next published version. Thanks

Thanks for the nice guide

tanks a lot for this

tried it and wurks like a charm

Iceman very nice would you mind if I used parts of your doc for my documentation? I don't beleive in recreating the wheel :-)

By the way do you have any info on the Multicast option in Windows 2008?
I heard that the new version of SMS will do wim deltas which also ties into 2008 intresting times ahead.

Regards

No, I've only read that there will be multicast ability as part of Server 2008 and whatever they are calling WDS in that version.

Thanks nice guide, im getting an error when PE boots on my reference machine "imagex is not a recogised internal or external command" I'm thinking it has not made it onto my disk but I got no errors before this so some words of wisdom would be great, any ideas where i have gone wrong?

P.S. Longhorn indeed has multicast ability but unless you have gigabit your not goging to make full use of it I think and its still called wds .

That would be Page 6 step 6, the second xcopy command copies imagex to the mounted image, then you have to commit the changes when you unmount it (step 10).

This worked out very well for me. We got an order in for a machine that we could not get Ghost to recognise the drivers in DOS. So I imaged the machine using the PE. All said and done, I was able to load a 1.5GB XP Pro image on a computer in 100 seconds (it was about 1% per second). Now if I could only get it so my WDS doesn't take down the network I would be using it for everything.

Mannn you don't know how much time and money you saved me with tutorial. Thanks a bunch

Cool tutorial!

I've got a question: Can I use this tutorial to deploy an image to several pcs at a time? Which programs let me deploy this image? Can I use it with BDD or later on SCCM (newest SMS2003)?

@ kingspawn - Yes, in theory, though as of right now I know of no application that allows multicasting of WIM images. It is in the works as mentioned in the document for server 2008 and WDS (still in beta).

Hi Iceman,
Followed your guide all the awy and created the boot CD. But when i boot to it, I get the DOS screen with things like 'USB support successfully initialized', ' No FAT32 volumes found, exiting'; 'Caldera DR-DOS 7.03', but then it presents me with the A:\> dos prompt and my keyboard just doesn't work anymore. Could it be becase I am using USB keyboard?
I have tried a couple of machines (Dell Optiplex GX620 andoptiplex 745) .
Please help.

I have never had a problem with PS2 or USB keyboards.

What all have you added to the CD? You might try starting with the base cd I describe in the guide, add you applications you want and then run them manually rather than automatically, it might be something you are loading that could be causing the issue.

I am now wondering if there is a way to create a standardised XP image that does not capture the drivers for the motherboard and HDDC for example. Because I can't use an image captured from a Shuttle onto a different motherboard, or else Windows will just reboot constantly.

@ joe blog

>Caldera DR-DOS 7.03
Perhaps you have a floppy in your floppy drive. Make sure you boot from your created Boot cd.

If you have Problems under Dos to use your USB Keyboard, you have to enable USB Legacy Support in your Bios.
But you don't need it for WinPE. The USB driver is loaded during the WinPE Start.

I have started with a base install, no applications at all. I have also noticed that when it boots to the Cd-rom, just after the writing 'Starting Caldera Dr Dos', it says
Device name: MSCD001
No Drives Found Aborting Installation. Then it carries on with the rest of what I reported in my previous post.
Any chance I could get a working boot disk from some website to get me cracking or if someone can upload some boot CD to yousendit.com for me to pickup. My e-mail address is: ndiosha@yahoo.co.uk

Thanks

Iceman has done a very nice guide very precise and complete

It is unfair to bombard this thread with issues that are semi connected. I would start a new thread if you have a problem so the maxium people will see it.

USB keyboards have never been a problem with winpe 2.0

with the caldera dr-dos where is this in the guide? I think maybe your trying to load a 16bit app?

I don't know

On the uploading of boot cd's Your not allowed to distro winpe sources.

To be honest iceman is a brave man posting his guide as a you get a flood of mails on how do you do this etc and it puts people off posting guides. He has a job to do not be the support point for everything that is related to this guide.

This guide has everything you reguire.

A good start would be to RTFM winpe.chm


@A1Dan

the speed of the switch will help but the data only gets sent once so that all clients respond so Multicast will help on whatever speed the hardware is it will just take a bit longer

That's exactly the problem. I appreciate his guide and followed it word for word. Burnt the cd without any probs, but when I boot to it it halts. If Iceman is happy to help who do you think you are to stop him? Not everyone is as selfish as you.

look I am not flaming you and iceman can indeed do what he wants to I just telling you what it can be like.

I can't be selfish can I if I am trying to help you?

PS don't make this into a flaming session there is no need beleive me

@Joe Blog

What hardware you booting on?

Ok, guys, cool it.

@JoeBlog - where did caldera come from???

If you follow the guide the first thing you would see would be the normal "press any key to boot from cd/dvd...." prompt, then the progress bar will appear as it loads. You should not have anything from caldera if you followed the guide and are writing the created ISO to a CD and booting from the cd. The last thing you should end up with is the default Vista background, looks like green and blue rays going up the screen, with a dos window open that rean winpeint and then dumps you to an X:\windows\system32 prompt.

You don't need any boot disk. All you need to do is download the WAIK, link in the Guide. Everything you need to follow the guide is included in it.


@Tripredacus - do a search for "hardware independent image" or "universal image" via google or here in the forums, it has been disused in multiple threads here different approaches to do what you are after. If you can't git it worked out start another thread over in the windows xp forum.

Sorry P4ntBoy and Thankyou P4antboy and Iceman.
I guess we may be singing from different hymbooks. I was doing this on an XP machine (not vista). Hardware is Dell Optiplex GX620 and optiplex 745). I have set my PC to boot from Cd-rom in bios, but it does not give me that 'press any key to boot from CD...' prompt;it just boots straight into caldera DOS. Where this came from I do not know. I have also followed a Microsoft Walkthrough, which is in the help section of WAIK, but it gives me the same effect.

Even where you say in your guide we should not close the window as this will cause the machine to reboot. There is no way I could close mine as I do not really have a modal window. Myabe I should start a new thread as suggested.
Thanks for your help.

that new thread suggestion wasn't for your problem it was for Tripredacus.

when you are walking through the guide are you using the cmd scripts in it or are you typing in all the commands manually?

On page 7 step 13, where the winpe_x86.iso file is created, how are you burning this CD image to your CD? Its default location in my guide is c:\winpe_x86\

If you have virtual machine software, create a virtual machine with at least 384MB of memory, then set this CD ISO image file for the cd. and then boot the VM and boot form the cd and see what you get. You can get Virtual PC from Microsoft or VMWare Server from VMWare for free.

Hi Iceman,
Iam not using the batch files you you provided. I am typing them in. Everything goes smoothly, but I may have gotten something wrong when creating the CD. I use Nero to burn the CD, I select make data disk, then bootable disk, then I browse tothe C:\winpe_x86 and select the .iso file. What could I be doing wrong here?The .iso file is about 202MB. It is obvious I am either not creating the right image or not burning the CD correctly. I have tried burning the .iso file as a normal data file, but the boot process does not read the CD at all, and as a bootable file, it starts referring to caldera DOS. Is there another option of creating the CD??
Please help.
Thanks

I have not used nero in a long time, but I believe there should be an option to burn an image to disc or something similar. That is what you want to use to burn the cd. Select that option browse to the ISO and then click burn.

God Bless you Iceman!

I misunderstood the 'burn image to CD'. I was just burning a bootable CD. Should have gone for the nero option which says "Burn image to CD". If this helps you may want to update the guide for idiots like me whodonot knowthere is a difference betweemburning a CD and burning an image.
Cheers and Thanks for sticking with me through this task.
joe b

Not a problem Joe Blog. Glad to help the i d 10 t's out whenever I can. Don't feel too bad about it I had a manager that did the same thing, more than once.

Hello

Very good tutorial.
Having some problems... if someone could help me, i thank you very much.
So... I am creating the CD, I am booting the source system from the CD, I type the command imagex /capture c:\ d:\C_Image.wim “Drive C” “My image description” /compress maximum
(page 9 step 5)... and it starts scanning files. The problem is that after 8500 files scanned it stops with an error (related to a file - c:\windows\system32\camocx.dll) - Error:0. I also tried imaging other systems - I receive errors in the same step - but not on the same file. Sometimes it steps scaning at boot.ini - Error 8, sometimes at other dll.
Can anyone, please, help me with correcting this ?
Thanx very much in advance.

So let me get this straight...

I can no longer (with wds) walk up to a workstation, hit F12, select my image and walk away as I did with RIS...

This seems like alot of work to make an image now.. and even more to deploy it...

The process described here has nothing to do with WDS. As I have not had but maybe 20 minutes to play with WDS and could not use RIS I can't say what you can and can't do with it.

@foxbymariuss

I take it d: is your external drive?

I would do a chkdsk on your vol first before you do a capture I have had this happen to me once before.

I think the cmd line is chkdsk /r

Correct me if am wrong.


@reddog64
You can so many things with this...

SMS OSD FP Deploy by SMS.
you can have a lite touch deployment based on serial number or mac address subnet anything really.
or maybe a fully zero touch deployment will be better but your need a "Provisiong Server"

You can have just a straight F12 Ris to boot your winpe or os or use WDS.

This is all extra stuff thats not covered in the guide.

The BDD2007 Workbench is very good as well as the BDD2.5 wait till you read thru the whitepapers took me ages to read.

This is a guide to produce a reference image and guide you thru the steps required so that you can understand and not just follow the steps without understanding.

Iceman please dont get put off posting further guides :-)

I'm still working on the other guides I have planned, it is just slow going since my workload has increased recently.

Hello

Thanks ! Very useful guide !

Updated PDF.

Added Online driver installation information. And how to remove unused packages from PE image to shrink final size using export command.

In by case it didnt worked. Followed ur guide to create an image inside VM.
And applied it to the Fresh Pc it shows up BSOD?

Where am i wrong. Tried partitioning both with Diskpart and Acronis Disk Director.

PS: Does WinPE disk contains Bootsect.exe by default or i have to add it?

What was your BSOD? Did you sysprep your image and have sysprep add the Mass storage controllers? What are you using for your VM (VPC, VMWare, etc.)? What HAL is installed in your image and what HAL is required for your destination PC?

Let me make it very clear. I had tried 2 make a working WIM twice.

1. Installed Virtual Box in Pentium D 805 based PC, Created VM, Installed XP PRO SP2 with Autopatcher and apps. Sysprepped and Restarted with Win PE 2 disk and created Wim image of it. I used this Image in two Scenarios-

a. I used this image in Virtual Server 2005 R2 (Same machine) and applied it to dynamically expanding VDD and had shown BSOD and immediately restarted.

b. Booted a fresh Dual Core Machine with it and applied the image. It showed BSOD and immediately restarted so dont know the error details.

2. Installed XP PRo sp2 in Compaq C702TU Celeron D Laptop (Disabled the SATA as the lappy didnt had Floppy Drive) and autopatcher etc. Sysprepped it and restarted and booted it with PE2 and created WIM.

I tested this WIM in Virtual Server 2005 R2 and this time it shown Black screen after booting. (I formatted the VDD via Acronis Disk Director)

Where am i Wrong?

Iceman is there any (Working) way to create the XP Wim in VM and use it for Real Machines. As my attempt to create an image in VirtualBox was successful but it after deploying it failed in real machines and Microsft's Virtual Server.

What do you do in your sysprep process? Are you adding drivers for the real machines before you sysprep? Are you using the BuildMassStorage section in your sysprep.inf? Are you using bootsect.exe to create your boot sector after you format the drive and before you apply the WIM? Your problem lies somewhere in your implementation.

What you need to do is create your image to be a Universal or Hardware independent image. The guide I provide does not do this it only provides you with instructions for a free method of capturing and deploying an image. In a way that is more easily readable and understandable to the general masses than the manuals and instructions provided with the WAIK.


Do a search of the forums or google for 'universal image' or 'hardware independent image' and check that out. There is a lot of information about it here and elsewhere. If you have further questions about a hardware independent image please start a new topic.

@zorphnog
Created Sysprep answer file in setupmgr, copied the sysprep tools in c\sysprep with sysprep answer file. and run the sysprep reseal and restarted, captured the image in Win pe2. Didnt added any device drivers. Didnt used bootsect.exe before before appyying thw WIM.


@IcemanND
Thanks for the info i will check that up. Do u have any good link in mind.