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Installing .wim file to new drive


bookie32

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Hi guys!

Been fortunate to have been left a Windows 8 laptop which the customer didn't want...

I have now used it to create a sysprepped version of Windows 8.0 and capture it to a .wim.

My question is this:

I haven't used dism before and am unsure of the commands that will tell me exactly what I want to know...

To prepare the new hard drive I have:

select disk 0
clean                                                    
Convert gpt
create partition primary size=350
format quick fs=ntfs label=System
assign letter=S
active
create partition primary
format quick fs=ntfs label=Windows
assign letter=W
exit

I can then use dism to transfer and apply my .wim to the new drive:

dism /apply-image /imagefile:h\win8\Win8.wim /index:1 /applydir:w:\

h is in this case my usb drive attached...

Now I am unsure of the commands for adding boot drivers to my s partition? Below I am using the Swedish driver...

bcdboot W:\Windows /l sv-SE

Am I missing anything or should that work?

bookie32

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Hi guys!

Well, the "active" parameter obviously doesn't work because of it being gpt...

The other problem is :

bcdboot w:\windows /l sv-SE 

 The above doesn't work? I have the drive as "w" label=Windows but something is wrong...any ideas?

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Why (the heck) are you using GPT?

Is it EFI/UEFI ? (if it is it won't EVER boot unless you make a "boot" - what the MS guys smartly call "System" - FAT32 partition[1])

Is it BIOS? (if it is it won't EVER boot from a GPT disk unlesss a few tricks are used[2])

jaclaz


 

 [1] Ok, I am lying , but you will need a NTFS EFI driver, which is rather uncommon in "standard" EFI implementations.

Luckily, you can get one from the Rufus project :
  https://github.com/pbatard/uefi-ntfs

[2] JFYI, it is entirely possible, though you won't probably like the way it can be done:

http://reboot.pro/topic/19516-hack-bootmgr-to-boot-windows-in-bios-to-gpt/

Of particular interest around these posts (shameless plug):
http://reboot.pro/topic/19516-hack-bootmgr-to-boot-windows-in-bios-to-gpt/page-9#entry193659

http://reboot.pro/topic/19516-hack-bootmgr-to-boot-windows-in-bios-to-gpt/page-9#entry193947

AND:

http://reboot.pro/topic/19516-hack-bootmgr-to-boot-windows-in-bios-to-gpt/?p=197690

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Hi Jaclaz!

I must be missing something here...

This is a laptop with UEFI and I thought that usually they are GPT

The drive died and I have a Win8.0.wim that I can use just wasn't sure of the procedure for creating partitions from winpe with dism..

If you are telling me that I have lost the plot...then fine...please explain how a standard install is created when installing Windows 8.0...doesn't the installation create GPT automatically?

I have not worked much with Windows 8 or 10 fram scratch using a .wim...

Thanks!

Edited by bookie32
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The point is the difference in the booting sequence between a BIOS and (stupid) EFI/UEFI.

The BIOS one (on MBR style disks):
BIOS->MBR->PBR of active partition->*whatever* loader/bootmanager is called by the PBR/bootsector code

The EFI one (on GPT):

EFI->look for suitable EFI loaders (on accessible partitions)->(save them in NVRAM)->allow user to choose->call directly the chosen loader

Since 7  if you install normally (on BIOS) on a brand new disk the Operating System using MS "standard setup", it will create TWO partitions, a "boot" one (that MS calls "system") containing the boot files and a "system" one (that MS calls "boot") containing the operating system file, the former is then hidden and NOT given a drive letter.

Still, it is possible to create manually a single partition (that needs to be primary, active, NTFS) that contains BOTH the "boot" and "system" files (as often previous NT Operating Systems have been installed before ).

The above usage of a multi-partition setup is "normal", "re-known", described a zillion times, were you not around here in the last - say - 7 years? :w00t::ph34r:

With EFI the possibility to have a single, monolithic "boot" and "system" volume has been removed in practice because EFI has usually ONLY support for FAT32 filesystems, on the other hand the Windows OS's (since Vista) cannot be (unless a number of tricks are used) be installed on anything but NTFS, so you CANNOT have a "monolithic" volume containing BOTH the bootloader AND the operating system.

You can't use NTFS as the EFI won't be able to read/access a NTFS volume, you can't use FAT32 because the filesystem has limitations that make the OS install invalid .

So you need - as per MS "standard" install - a "system" (please read as "boot") volume containing just the bootmanager and BCD formatted FAT32 and a "boot" (please read as "system" ) volume containing the Operating System files formatted as NTFS.

To make things simpler , the good MS guys also add a "MSR" volume (that noone will ever need and that has no actual practical use whatever), and (optionally) also a WinRE one (actually useful) and one for Recovery partition (which as well might be useful, particularly on a netbook/tablet)

Please note how the articles date back to 2009):

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd799232(v=ws.10).aspx

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744301(v=ws.10).aspx

Check also this:
http://reboot.pro/topic/20595-what-is-significance-of-msr-sys-efi-partitions-for-win-81-native-boot-vhd-how/

You need to study a bit the whole concept of EFI booting and GPT partitioning and formatting before being able to use diskpart/Dism/bcdboot effectively and as hinted in my previous post workaround if necessary the (stupid) limitations of the EFI/UEFI and those of the  GPT (and the ones of newish Windows OS's connected with those).

Alternatively, wipe the first and last (say) 1000 sectors of the disk, and install normally from an install disk and setup will make the partitions along the "standard" guidelines mentioned above automatically.

jaclaz

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Yes,  lot of what you have written I do know but have worked mostly with mbr...I have tried adding the "System" partition and formatting it with fat32 and then just creating the system drive...

I copied the boot files and no errors but still no boot drive found after rebooting...

I haven't an original dvd at the moment and is why I wanted to use a sysprep image..

bookie32

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Use this Diskpart script:

sel disk 0
clean
convert gpt
create part efi size=100
format quick fs=fat32 label="System"
assign letter=s
create part msr size=128
create part pri
format quick fs=ntfs label="Windows"
assign letter=c
exit



Apply your OS image to C.

BCDboot command:

bcdboot c:\windows /s s: /f uefi

As above, drive letter for OS volume is C, you can make it W if you want, it doesn't matter. Just make sure the bcdboot command matches. The PE you use to do this deployment must be booted in UEFI mode. WinPE should be v5, otherwise you may need to add select part to your diskpart script.

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Hi again!

Could have run into a snag...My customer came with his laptop and it had been upgraded to Windows 10..

Windows 10 has killed the drive, so I have installed a new ssd drive...with my syspreped Win8.0 and it wont activate...I have the key from the bios and it wont accept it...

Question!

Does the upgrade to Windows 10 set a new key in the bios and erase the old one?

The code I have had seems to be more to do with Windows 10 activation problems...

The original system was Windows 8.0 and not Pro...

Just wonder if the upgrade f****s with the bios key?

bookie32

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It shouldn't do anything with the key in the BIOS. Windows edition matters, but also the source. You would only use the Windows 8 OS provided by the OEM to activate with the key in the BIOS. This OS does not ask for a key to be input. When installed, it will read from the BIOS automatically and then activate if an internet connection is present. The key in the BIOS is only designed to activate in this way.

If you run slmgr -ato what does it say?

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Hi again!

OK! Sorry I have been an id***...I thought I could build a syspereped image from a computer that was with an OEM installation...but obviously it still retains information even after running sysprep?

The computer has "activated" with the same ID has the test computer which in theory shouldn't happen especially when Microsoft are saying the bios key is for reduced piracy...

I ran these codes to see if I could get it to work:

I did this to remove the computer ID:(Not the actual ID from this computer)

slmgr /dlv
slmgr /upk 507660dd-3fc4-4df2-81f5b559467ad56b

I actually tried to install the key from the bios - but this is when the error started

slmgr /ipk ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

So I tried to clean everything:

slmgr /upk
slmgr.vbs /cpky
slmgr /ckms
slmgr.vbs /ckms
slmgr /skms localhost

But after installing an update the activation with the test computer's ID installed again...

And Microsoft in their infinite wisdom think this stops piracy...???!!!

I have an activated computer with the test computer's key?!

I have checked the last few digits in the newly installed computer and the key matches the test computer?!

What is the point of Sysprep if this happens?

Obvioulsly I can't give the computer back to the customer like this...even though it is working ....:ph34r:

I have ordered the original OEM from the manufacturer and that will come in a day or two...

Just that this was never a problem building a sysprep version with windows 7...

bookie32

P. S. I have also discovered that the key in the test computer is (from the bios) and it is Win8.1 although the computer was installed with Win8.0 from factory?! I have upgraded the test computer to Win8.1. Does this mean that Win8.1 writes over the original in the bios because, as I have pointed out, it did come with Win8.0...

Of course what really makes this interesting...I haven't even added the Win8.1 upgrade to the newly installed computer - but it has activated with a Win8.1 license?!

I think I will go and eat worms....:w00t:

Edited by bookie32
Going Mad
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On martedì 6 settembre 2016 at 9:07 AM, bookie32 said:

Hi guys!

Been fortunate to have been left a Windows 8 laptop which the customer didn't want...

I have now used it to create a sysprepped version of Windows 8.0 and capture it to a .wim.

2 hours ago, bookie32 said:


 

Obvioulsly I can't give the computer back to the customer like this...even though it is working ....:ph34r:

I have ordered the original OEM from the manufacturer and that will come in a day or two...


 

I don't understand the problem, not the solution, not the whatever you have done, I totally lost you.

Maybe you could take a step back, re-read what you have written and - honestly - check whether it is understandable to anyone but you, and - should you by chance happen to believe that it is unclear and contradictory - possibly attempt to explain it better.

:(

jaclaz


 


 


 

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Hi again!

Am I rambling...sign of my age...sorry!

1. I have a test computer that I have created a syprep version av Win 8.0

2. Have a customer that came with a computer that had crashed....turned out the hard drive was dead..His computer originally came with Win8.0 but he had upgraded to Windows 10 before it crashed.

3. I installed an new drive in the customer computer and used my sypreped version of Win 8.0 to install his computer....In the beginning it was having a problem activating but I left it alone and installed some updates and then saw it had activated - BUT when I looked at the activation ID it was the same as the test computer.

4. I used OEMkey from NeoSmart to retrieve the keys for both computers...from the bios

5. The customer's computer has activated with the key from the test computer? This should not be possible?

6. The key from the customer's computer is for Win 8.1 - but the customer is sure it was 8.0 when he bought it...he could be mistaken...will know as soon as the replacement media comes.

7. I have erased the key from the customer's computer and tried to activate his key and that is when I started getting errors...

Like I said the key from the customer's computer is for Win 8.1 and if Microsoft can't change these settings then my customer is misstaken and had Win 8.1 when he bought it..

Just like to know how the key from the test computer has activated in the customer's ...if as Microsoft point out you can't move OEM keys to new computers...

I have now two computers with the same key being used but are OEM?!

Does that make sense...?

booke32

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You should never use /upk except on an image you make from the ground up or know exactly what you are doing. The install key needs to be in the OS and the Activation key in the BIOS. BUT now you took out the install key from the OS, we can't tell you the key to put back in because it is confidential. If you have 2 computers activated using the same activation key, eventually one will enter notification.

If you want to use the key from the BIOS to activate a system, use slmgr -ipk to input it. Then use -ato to activate online. If -ato gives you an error, you can try phoning in the activation.

When you are doing this work on your own, or under the name of a company, you want to do it the right way. Most of the limitations that are put into place are policy restrictions. For example the fact where no one has the "right to re-image" or modify or make an image using an OEM pre-installed OS or recovery DVD. MS does have auditors and they do catch companies mis-using Windows and they get fined for it. So if you are not an OEM, then you should not be using custom OEM images in a repair situation.

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I understand perfectly what you are saying and it was an exercise in seeing what works more than acutually using it... I usually build the images from scratch - but I confess in this instance I was looking for a quick solution...

As I said, I know better than give a sytem activated with the wrong license and don't intend to...

Thanks for all your help any way...I have learnt a little more about dism and UEFI...every little helps...

bookie32

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