WinPE is short for Windows Preinstallation Environment. It is a trimmed down version of Windows that is designed to be used to install Windows onto computers. It can be done to make unattended setup disks, or network aware scripted environments. It is also used as a troubleshooting or testing tool. It is the current equivalent to the Live CD idea of Linux. It isn't a full blown operating system. This guide will help you understand what it is all about.

How to get the Win PE

Version history

System Requirements and Licensing
Win PE availability

Creating the media
Commands for working with Windows PE 3.0 and the new WAIK
WinPE 2 Made Easy

Boot Methods
1.6: How-TO? Ramdisk on WinPE
Problems booting HP DC7800 SFF with UFD
3.0: Boot WinPE 3.0 VHD from HDD
Dual boot between Winpe and WinXP
WinPE v2.1 From USB HDD

Windows Deployment Services
Deploy Linux from within WinPE/WDS
Installing Winxp via winnt32 under Win PE

Applications within the PE
WinPE 2.0 Refresh Rate
Windows PE as a recovery partition

Drivers and Hardware
HP NC373i Multifunction Gigabit Adapter
Wireless & WinPE 2

Vista's Install and Boot.wim

Boot Errors

Third Party Implementations
WINPE Builder 1.0
WinPE 2.0 simple Ghost Menu HTA
Imagex GUI Open Source
List of WinPE builders for WinPE 3

Modifying the PE
2.x PE 2.0 Boot Screen
LDAP in Win PE 2.0

Unattend Setups
How to install Windows x64 from x86 PE