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Errors with large install.wim (>4gb) for W7


xpman

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I am successfully using a merged install.wim containing the x86 and x64 editions of Windows 7. The unattended installation also runs though as intended.

However, when I also add the Server 2008 R2 to the image, setup fails during the WindowsPE pass with one of two errors:

"A requird CD/DVD drive driver is missing ..."
"Windows cannot open the required file E:\Soures\install.wim. ... Error code: 0x8007000D" (I only got this lately after changing my sort order a bit)

My mkisofs settings are as follows (I also tried -udf):

-iso-level 3 -r -allow-multidot -no-iso-translate -relaxed-filenames -allow-leading-dots -N -l -d -D -joliet-long -graft-points -no-emul-boot -b loader.bin -sort iso.sort

My sort file is as follows (probably not self-explanatory, but I'll add it just to be sure):

z:/deploy/root.cdsh/boot.catalog 10000
z:/deploy/root.cdsh/loader.bin 9990
z:/deploy/root.cdsh/cdsh 9980
z:/deploy/root.win5x/win51* 9970
z:/deploy/root.win5x/win52* 9970
z:/deploy/root.win5x/*.htm 9970
z:/deploy/root.win5x/wxp? 9960
z:/deploy/root.win5x/wxp? 9960
z:/deploy/root.win5x/w03? 9960
z:/deploy/root.win5x/*.xml 9950
z:/deploy/root.win5x/bootfont.bin 8000
z:/deploy/root.win5x/wxpcorp??sp3/I386/* 1100
z:/deploy/root.win61/boot 9960
z:/deploy/root.win61/bootmgr 9960
z:/deploy/root.win61/*.xml 9950
z:/deploy/root.win61/setup.exe 9950
z:/deploy/root.win61/autorun.inf 9950
z:/deploy/root.win61/sources/* 9950
z:/deploy/root.win61/sources/setup.exe 9955
z:/deploy/root.win61/sources/boot.wim 9955
z:/deploy/root.win61/sources/install.wim 9000
z:/deploy/root.win61/sources/W*.xml 9951
z:/deploy/root.apps/apps -8000

(cdsh is my boot-loader, win5x and win61 the XP and 7/Server 2008 R2 roots; I basically merge all the different OS root directories into my multi-boot iso.)

There is no immediate problem creating the iso file with the listed settings, despite the fact that install.wim now is larger than 4gb.

All postings regarding iso-creation did not help me - I can create the iso.

All postings regarding search order I tried to take into account - the files are sorted properly as far as I can see.

My understanding from other threads is that if the iso/sorting problems are solved, really large install.wim files should be usable. So where did I make a mistake?

Edited by xpman
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Windows setup does behave strange:

Given a 4.4gb install.wim file:

File system UDF only:

Windows setup.exe does read install.wim.

Installation does complete.

File system ISO9660 only:

Shift F10 command console does dir a 4.4gb d:\sources\install.wim file.

ImageX does successfully read install.wim. And can extract files: imagex.exe /apply d:\sources\install.wim 9 C: /verify

However Windows setup.exe does NOT read install.wim: "A requird CD/DVD drive driver is missing ..."

Bridge file system ISO9660 and UDF:

Shift F10 command console does dir a 4.4gb install.wim file.

Windows setup.exe does not read install.wim

Conclusion:

Windows setup.exe does prefer ISO9660 before UDF, but dosn't read a big ISO9660 file.

Finally:

I've no solution to a multiboot Windows XP with a big Windows Vista/7 install.wim file.

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First of all, thank you (once again) for your great help!

Conclusion:

Windows setup.exe does prefer ISO9660 before UDF, but dosn't read a big ISO9660 file.

This is an interesting conclusion, thanks.

Finally:

I've no solution to a multiboot Windows XP with a big Windows Vista/7 install.wim file.

I was afraid this might be the case; this means that I will check out splitting the wim file or simply having multiple small wim files and pass their names to setup.exe, i.e.

imagex.exe /split Install.wim Install.SWM 4096 /check

or

setup.exe /installfrom: install.w08.wim

The latter might actually be less work since there is no need to merge the install.wim files.

By the way: did you use mkisofs for these tests? I am using the most current version you recently pointed me to (2.01.01a75), and using

-allow-multidot -no-iso-translate -relaxed-filenames -allow-leading-dots -U -udf -N -l -d -D -graft-points -no-emul-boot -b loader.bin -sort iso.sort

I only get

Value too large for defined data type.

Same even when just using "-udf".

When using

-r -udf -iso-level 3 -graft-points -no-emul-boot -b loader.bin -sort iso.sort

, creating the iso works - but then I have an iso part again.

Edited by xpman
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setup.exe /installfrom: install.w08.wim

The latter might actually be less work since there is no need to merge the install.wim files.

That's a nice idea.
By the way: did you use mkisofs for these tests?
I used mkisfos and oscdimg.

Oscdimg -u2 create UDF file system only and add big files.

Oscdimg dosn't support big ISO9660 files. Maybe hence the missing setup support.

And mkisofs -iso-level 3 at big ISO9660 files. Big files are possible within ISO9660:1988.

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setup.exe /installfrom: install.w08.wim

The latter might actually be less work since there is no need to merge the install.wim files.

That's a nice idea.

Thanks, I haven't gotten around to trying it, though.

What I did try is splitting the install.wim, and that worked almost perfectly.

imagex.exe /split Install.wim Install.SWM 4096 /check

The only issue is that I think the copying progress is measured only on the first file: After a suspiciously short period of time, I had 100% there for quite a while (I actually thought the method did not work properly); then, after waiting the usual amount it takes setup to copy the files, the expansion started. Not a real problem, but something that could throw off a user of the DVD who doesn't know about the details.

I still think I will give the first method a try, too, since I do not need to modify the install.wim files (just copy the clg files); I also hope this could be nicely combined with the selection of an answer file from WindowsPE (at least I have not found another way to make one DVD for multiple computers like it's possible for XP).

By the way: did you use mkisofs for these tests?
I used mkisfos and oscdimg.

Oscdimg -u2 create UDF file system only and add big files.

Oscdimg dosn't support big ISO9660 files. Maybe hence the missing setup support.

And mkisofs -iso-level 3 at big ISO9660 files. Big files are possible within ISO9660:1988.

Thanks, so if I understand you right:

- You can make udf-only with mkisofs, but then you do not get large file support (which I thought udf always has).

- To get large file support with udf and mkisofs, you need to add iso with at least level 3.

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  • 2 years later...
did you use mkisofs for these tests?

Try a current version again http://www.student.tugraz.at/thomas.plank/

ISO9660 Level 3 and UDF

mkisofs.exe -iso-level 3 -N -D -d -relaxed-filenames -allow-multidot -udf -hide boot.catalog -hide-udf boot.catalog -no-emul-boot -b boot/etfsboot.com -o G:\Win7BIG.iso \W7x64

Setup finds a file install.wim greater 4gb, installation does finish.

Or add UEFI boot at Windows 7 SP1 x64 files

mkisofs.exe -iso-level 3 -N -D -d -relaxed-filenames -allow-multidot -udf -hide boot.catalog -hide-udf boot.catalog -no-emul-boot -b boot/etfsboot.com -eltorito-alt-boot -eltorito-platform efi -b efi/microsoft/boot/efisys.bin -no-emul-boot -o G:\Win7BIG.iso \W7x64

In adddition you may add rock ridge, if another apllication requires this.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi,

after some years of absence, I just stumbled across your posting. I is awfully nice for you to post onto such an "old" topic!

I had perfect results now with just splitting the install.wim.

(by the way, not that it matters but also Windows 8 setup counts the % of copied files just using the first install.swm as a reference. I thought they would have fixed this as it does of course only give a correct percentage if you have a single install.wim ;) )

Thanks!

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(by the way, not that it matters but also Windows 8 setup counts the % of copied files just using the first install.swm as a reference. I thought they would have fixed this as it does of course only give a correct percentage if you have a single install.wim ;) )

I thought that split setup was not supported on 8 :unsure:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh825096.aspx

Important

In Windows® 8, Windows® Setup does not support installing a split .wim file.

For earlier versions of Windows®, if you want to use Windows Setup to install a split .wim file by using the /installfrom command line parameter, you must name the split .wim file "install.swm", "install2.swm", and so on. Windows Setup specifically searches for split wim files named install*.swm. If you use a different file name, Windows Setup will not install the split Windows image.

jaclaz

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First of all, thanks to all of your for the helpful replies! I successfully managed to convert my iso and usb making to support large files (new mkisofs and NTFS usb stick). My contained Linux distributions are also still booting nicely.

Unfortunately, this has not solved of my original problems so far related to Windows 8 / WinPE 4.0. And I have issues now with things that previously worked (sorry).

With regarding to splitting the wim, I think I had used VMWare Player's easy install mode *with* a split wim file.

I thought that split setup was not supported on 8 :unsure:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh825096.aspx

Thanks for pointing this out though, my problem-related searches did not turn this up!

From

In Windows® 8, Windows® Setup does not support installing a split .wim file.

I would fully concur with your conclusion.

I just find it strange that the page is from 2012, describing "How to Split a Windows Image (.swm) File to Span Across Multiple DVDs" and states:

Applies To: Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

Maybe they just mean you cannot rename the split files anymore or something like that? I am of course quite sure you tried splitting and are speaking from your own experience. I just tried each option once so far.

I am mostly asking because to use a large install.wim from USB, I needed to move from isolinux 4.05 to isolinux 5.01 to use exFAT or NTFS (used the latter, actually). This is now giving me additional trouble with

- vmware tests (some "MBR magic" missing problem inside vmware whenever I use chain.32 to boot bootmgr or SETUPLDR.BIN)

- similar problems from the real usb stick; sometimes leaving "fs" out of the chain.32 line helped, but then I get the next problem:

- booting my existing modified XP boot disk folders (NTDETECT fails)

I would hope there is a single thing that I am missing at the root of all of this. Naturally, I might not have been the best idea to change isolinux, winpe, iso/usb formats at the same time (altough the NTFS seems to work very nicely - unless this is what breaks NTDETECT).

Edited by xpman
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I am mostly asking because to use a large install.wim from USB, I needed to move from isolinux 4.05 to isolinux 5.01 to use exFAT or NTFS (used the latter, actually). This is now giving me additional trouble with

- vmware tests (some "MBR magic" missing problem inside vmware whenever I use chain.32 to boot bootmgr or SETUPLDR.BIN)

- similar problems from the real usb stick; sometimes leaving "fs" out of the chain.32 line helped, but then I get the next problem:

- booting my existing modified XP boot disk folders (NTDETECT fails)

I would hope there is a single thing that I am missing at the root of all of this. Naturally, I might not have been the best idea to change isolinux, winpe, iso/usb formats at the same time (altough the NTFS seems to work very nicely - unless this is what breaks NTDETECT).

The NTFS support in Isolinux/syslinux is still experimental.

You can try with grub4dos, (re: the NTFS problem)

The (as usual MS generated) confusion is that you CAN span a .wim to multiple DVD's, BUT (for no apparent reason if not to expressly bother you :w00t: ) the Windows 8 Setup does NOT support .wim's spanned into .swm's .

Like, you see:

NOT ALL .wim's are necessarily related to Windows 8 Setup, those that are not can be divided in .swm's, the ones that are cannot.

(almost as confusing as the original MS reference :w00t:)

If you prefer the SETUP supporting split .wim's is a nice added feature of Windows 7 that was removed in Windows 8.

The good MS guys would normally then add:

This is by design.

jaclaz

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The good MS guys would normally then add:

This is by design.

jaclaz

Already a good thing to know I am not alone with these kinds of problems :-)

Since I still have these issues with isolinux 5.01 (and 5.00) in vmware (iso) and on a real machine (usb), I am continuing my "experiments".

So far, Windows 8 setup seems at least to list all windows editions in my install.swm (I renamed the install.wim to _install.wim_ so I hope it is not somehow taking in from there).

I will update my posting, of course.

Do you also have these issues with isolinux 5.0x and SETUPLDR.BIN?

I searched for the "MBR Magic" problem, but the typical root causes don't match (chain.32 has a different version than isolinux.bin - I fell into that trap already and found it; the bootloaders are not the right ones for the chain method - well, I didn not change them at all from my previous project).

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The good MS guys would normally then add:

This is by design.

jaclaz

Already a good thing to know I am not alone with these kinds of problems :-)

Since I still have these issues with isolinux 5.01 (and 5.00) in vmware (iso) and on a real machine (usb), I am continuing my "experiments".

So far, Windows 8 setup seems at least to list all windows editions in my install.swm (I renamed the install.wim to _install.wim_ so I hope it is not somehow taking in from there).

EDIT: I just went through a complete installation with a split wim file! The first time, I had an "offline locale" error, after formating the partition again it worked.

Do you also have these issues with isolinux 5.0x and SETUPLDR.BIN?

I searched for the "MBR Magic" problem, but the typical root causes don't match (chain.32 has a different version than isolinux.bin - I fell into that trap already and found it; the bootloaders are not the right ones for the chain method - well, I didn not change them at all from my previous project).

Edited by xpman
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