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Is it possible to update wimboot recovery image?


alexmocanu

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Hello,

 

I own a Windows 8.1 tablet with 16 GB of internal storage that uses wim boot.

 

Every time Windows updates itself available disk space shrinks (updated files are being copied to the system partition and are used instead of the ones in the recovery drive, that's how wimboot works anyway). If things keep going like this, as upated files keep piling up I will end up running out of space on the system partition (started with 5 GB of free space and now I'm down to 3). The Disk cleanup tool and similar ways of cleaning up aren't of big help...they remove backup files but the updated files need to be present to be used.

 

I was wondering if there is a way to inject the updates into the recovery partition used for wim boot, thus freeing up space on the system drive and having an up to date wimboot image.

 

 

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I am not sure to understand the whole question, it is possible to update the WinRE.wim, but I am not sure to understand what would be the usefulness of this.

However check this whole thread:

http://reboot.pro/topic/19874-windows-81-uefi-boot-issues/

particularly starting from here:

http://reboot.pro/topic/19874-windows-81-uefi-boot-issues/?p=186461

but cannot say if it is what you want/need.

 

jaclaz

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I suggest using this command, to remove unnecessary updates:

dism /Online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup /resetbase

 

If You want to update things to WIMBoot file,

1- Boot to Windows 8.1 Recovery Environment (RE), reach to command prompt.

Get Windows 8.1 drive letter by running:

diskpartlis volexit

2- format Windows 8.1 drive letter partition (this will remove any updates happened from the creation date of the WIMBoot file):

format %letter% /Q /y /v:Windows8

3- Apply the WIMBoot file (as not WIMBoot file):

DISM /Apply-Image /ApplyDir:%letter% /ImageFile:%Fullpath%\Install.wim /Index:1 /ScratchDir:%Fullpath%\Scratch%letter%\Windows\System32\bcdboot %letter%\Windows

4- Update your Windows and make sure its good, then again go to Win RE to capture Windows (as WIMBoot file):

DISM /Capture-Image /WIMBoot /CaptureDir:%letter% /ImageFile:%Fullpath%\Install.wim /Name:"WIMBoot 8.1" /ScratchDir:%Fullpath%\Scratch

You'll have to repeat all the steps to update the WIMBoot file again.

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Sorry for the late reply. After trying these solutions and more, I reached the conclusion that Wimboot is a PITA, In the end I solved the issues by wiping out all partitions and doing a regular installation.

 

Wimboot is all well and good as long as you turn off windows updates, otherwise it will eat up precious disk space fast. Rebuilding the WIM image every time new updates show up is more hassle than it's worth.

 

To quote something I read on the internet (can't find the link atm):

 

On a WIMBoot installation, existing data on disk cannot be deleted or updated. Since all data now resides inside a compressed file, deleting a file simply marks it ‘deleted’ and does not recover space from the WIM. It’s even worse when you modify a file that already exists in the WIM image: A duplicate, uncompressed copy is extracted to disk, so your modifications can be saved.This is why, on a tablet loaded with a modest number of Windows Updates, you rapidly run out of space. Updated files consume almost twice the storage on disk – the original files remain compressed, inside the ‘backing’ WIM file, and the new updated ones are stored on disk, fully uncompressed.

 

I wonder what were they thinking when they came up with this wimboot thing.I should be more careful before buying a wimboot based device like this again :no:

Edited by alexmocanu
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