Windows Pre-installation Environment (WinPE) is a lightweight version of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 or Windows Vista that is used for the deployment of workstations and servers. It is intended as a 32-bit or 64-bit replacement for MS-DOS during the installation phase of Windows, and can be booted via PXE, CD-ROM, USB flash drive or hard disk.
WinPE contains limited Windows API library that is enough for the installation of Windows operating system using familiar Windows GUI interface.
Windows Automated Installation Kit
Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) is a free tool that may prepare a WinPE image. It has a GUI tool – Windows System Image Manager that allow user create an answer for unattended installation. Most usage of WAIK tools is via command line. Installation of WAIK is easy and straight forward.
Prepare a plain WinPE image
WinPE image is a file with extension .wim. In this example, we use a WAIK command line tools to create WinPE image. There is a special console shell available in WAIK tools: “Deployment Tools Command Prompt”
To create a plain WinPE x86 image, simply run:
C:\>copype x86 c:\winpe_x86A new WinPE image is created in the folder:
C:\>winpe_x86>dir Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 1848-9FE0 Directory of C:\winpe_x86 11/04/2011 11:17 AM <DIR> . 11/04/2011 11:17 AM <DIR> .. 06/10/2009 02:14 PM 4,096 etfsboot.com 11/04/2011 11:17 AM <DIR> ISO 11/04/2011 11:17 AM <DIR> mount 07/13/2009 07:51 PM 114,088,185 winpe.wim 2 File(s) 114,092,281 bytes 4 Dir(s) 22,600,298,496 bytes free
The copype command support create x86, amd64 and ia64 WinPE image:
c:\>winpe_x86>copype Usage: copype [x86 | amd64 | ia64] destination Example: copype x86 c:\windowspe-x86
Mount and Un-mount a WinPE image
An administrator privilege access is required to mount a WinPE image. Run “Deployment Tools Command Prompt” as administrator, and use imagex to mount the WinPE image:
C:\winpe_x86>imagex /mount winpe.wim 1 mount ImageX Tool for Windows Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved. Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Mounting: [C:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim, 1] -> [C:\winpe_x86\mount]... [ 100% ] Mounting progress Successfully mounted image. Total elapsed time: 8 sec
The contents in WinPE image looks like normal Windows installation:
C:\winpe_x86>dir mount Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 1848-9FE0 Directory of C:\winpe_x86\mount 11/04/2011 12:44 PM <DIR> . 11/04/2011 12:44 PM <DIR> .. 07/14/2009 10:04 AM <DIR> Program Files 07/14/2009 10:03 AM <DIR> Users 07/14/2009 10:51 AM <DIR> Windows 0 File(s) 0 bytes 5 Dir(s) 22,594,248,704 bytes free
To unmount the WinPE image, run
C:\winpe_x86>imagex /unmount mount ImageX Tool for Windows Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved. Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Unmounting: [C:\winpe_x86\mount]... [ 100% ] Mount cleanup progress Successfully unmounted image. Total elapsed time: 7 sec
Make changes to WinPE image
Follow the steps to make changes to WinPE image:
- Mount WinPE image using “/mountrw” switch
- Make necessary changes
- Unmount and commit changes using “/commit” switch
Prepare a WinPE image with Windows Recovery Environment
The plain WinPE image doesn’t contain Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). The WinPE with WinRE allows us to recover damage or corrupt Windows installation. It is a handy environment for system administrator.
The windows installation DVD or ISO image file include Windows Recovery Environment WinPE image. We may grep a ready WinPE image from it.
Locate a file install.wim under DVD:\\sources folder of installation tree:
C:\winpe_x86>dir d:\sources\install.wim Volume in drive D is GSP1RMCULFRER_EN_DVD Volume Serial Number is FE46-C76E Directory of d:\sources 04/12/2011 11:47 AM 2,249,015,826 install.wim 1 File(s) 2,249,015,826 bytes 0 Dir(s) 0 bytes free
Mount the install.wim in a new created folder os_install:
C:\winpe_x86>mkdir os_install C:\winpe_x86>imagex /mount d:\sources\install.wim 1 os_install ImageX Tool for Windows Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved. Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Mounting: [d:\sources\install.wim, 1] -> [C:\winpe_x86\os_install]... [ 100% ] Mounting progress Successfully mounted image. Total elapsed time: 45 sec
Locate WinPE image of Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE.wim):
C:\winpe_x86>dir os_install\Windows\System32\Recovery Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 1848-9FE0 Directory of C:\winpe_x86\os_install\Windows\System32\Recovery 04/12/2011 10:17 AM <DIR> . 04/12/2011 10:17 AM <DIR> .. 06/11/2009 05:33 AM 660 ReAgent.xml 11/20/2010 11:09 PM 145,287,084 winRE.wim 2 File(s) 145,287,744 bytes 2 Dir(s) 22,371,160,064 bytes free
Copy WinRE.wim to serve as base WinPE image:
C:\winpe_x86>copy os_install\Windows\System32\Recovery\winRE.wim 1 file(s) copied. C:\winpe_x86>dir Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 1848-9FE0 Directory of C:\winpe_x86 11/04/2011 02:28 PM <DIR> . 11/04/2011 02:28 PM <DIR> .. 06/10/2009 02:14 PM 4,096 etfsboot.com 11/04/2011 12:27 PM <DIR> ISO 11/04/2011 12:48 PM <DIR> mount 11/04/2011 02:22 PM <DIR> os_install 07/13/2009 07:51 PM 114,088,185 winpe.wim 11/20/2010 11:09 PM 145,287,084 winRE.wim 3 File(s) 259,379,365 bytes 5 Dir(s) 22,225,870,848 bytes free
Unmount os_install:
C:\winpe_x86>imagex /unmount os_install ImageX Tool for Windows Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved. Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Unmounting: [C:\winpe_x86\os_install]... [ 100% ] Mount cleanup progress Successfully unmounted image. Total elapsed time: 4 sec
Disable Windows Recovery Environment on start-up
WinRE.wim starts Windows Recovery Environment by default. To disable it, make changes to “\windows\system32\winpeshl.ini” in WinRE.wim:
C:\winpe_x86>type mount\windows\System32\winpeshl.ini [LaunchApp] AppPath=X:\sources\recovery\recenv.exe
Make it start command prompt by default:
[LaunchApps] %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\wpeinit.exe %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\cmd.exe
You may manually execute
X:\>%SYSTEMDRIVE%\sources\recovery\recenv.exe
to run Windows Recovery Environment via command prompt:
Add drivers into WinPE image
Both the plain or WinRE WinPE image contain basic drivers that is just enough to boot up machine. In network deployment environment, the network adapters is an important devices that should be configured once boot up with WinPE or else the subsequent network operation will fail.
Assume we have some drivers ready in folder c:\winpe_x86\drivers:
C:\winpe_x86>dir drivers Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 1848-9FE0 Directory of C:\winpe_x86\drivers 11/04/2011 02:45 PM <DIR> . 11/04/2011 02:45 PM <DIR> .. 11/04/2011 02:45 PM <DIR> Driver_Win7_7027_10202010 0 File(s) 0 bytes 3 Dir(s) 22,304,944,128 bytes free
Mount WinPE image as Read-Write mode:
C:\winpe_x86>imagex /mountrw winre.wim 1 mount ImageX Tool for Windows Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved. Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Mounting: [C:\winpe_x86\winre.wim, 1] -> [C:\winpe_x86\mount]... [ 100% ] Mounting progress Successfully mounted image. Total elapsed time: 8 sec
Use dism command to add a driver:
C:\winpe_x86>dism /image:c:\winpe_x86\mount /add-driver:C:\winpe_x86\drivers\Dri ver_Win7_7027_10202010\Driver_Win7_7027_10202010\WIN7\32\rt86win7.inf Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Image Version: 6.1.7601.17514 Found 1 driver package(s) to install. Installing 1 of 1 - C:\winpe_x86\drivers\Driver_Win7_7027_10202010\Driver_Win7_7 027_10202010\WIN7\32\rt86win7.inf: The driver package was successfully installed . The operation completed successfully.
Use “/recurse” switch to add all drivers at once:
C:\winpe_x86>dism /image:c:\winpe_x86\mount /add-driver:C:\winpe_x86\drivers /recurse
Unmount and commit WinPE image:
C:\winpe_x86>imagex /unmount /commit mount ImageX Tool for Windows Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved. Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Committing: [C:\winpe_x86\mount]... [ 100% ] Committing Image progress Successfully committed image. Unmounting: [C:\winpe_x86\mount]... [ 100% ] Mount cleanup progress Successfully unmounted image. Total elapsed time: 13 sec
List available drivers in WinPE
C:\winpe_x86>dism /image:c:\winpe_x86\mount /get-drivers Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Image Version: 6.1.7601.17514 Obtaining list of 3rd party drivers from the driver store... Driver packages listing: Published Name : oem0.inf Original File Name : rt86win7.inf Inbox : No Class Name : Net Provider Name : Realtek Date : 9/20/2010 Version : 7.27.920.2010 Published Name : oem1.inf Original File Name : rt64win7.inf Inbox : No Class Name : Net Provider Name : Realtek Date : 9/20/2010 Version : 7.27.920.2010 Published Name : oem10.inf Original File Name : ioatdma.inf Inbox : No Class Name : System Provider Name : Intel Date : 11/16/2009 Version : 1.3.22.0
Remove a driver in WinPE image
C:\winpe_x86\mount>dism /image:c:\winpe_x86\mount /Remove-Driver /Driver:C:\winp e_x86\drivers\Driver_Win7_7027_10202010\Driver_Win7_7027_10202010\WIN7\32\rt86wi n7.inf Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Image Version: 6.1.7601.17514 Found 1 driver package(s) to remove. Removing 1 of 1 - oem0.inf: The driver package was successfully removed. The operation completed successfully.
Create a WinPE Bootable CD-ROM
- CopyPE will create a folder ISO:
c:\winpe_x64>dir Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 1848-9FE0 Directory of c:\winpe_x64 12/02/2011 09:23 AM <DIR> . 12/02/2011 09:23 AM <DIR> .. 07/13/2009 04:20 PM 1,474,560 efisys.bin 07/13/2009 04:20 PM 1,474,560 efisys_noprompt.bin 06/10/2009 02:14 PM 4,096 etfsboot.com 12/02/2011 09:23 AM <DIR> ISO 12/02/2011 09:23 AM <DIR> mount 07/13/2009 08:13 PM 135,115,506 winpe.wim 4 File(s) 138,068,722 bytes 4 Dir(s) 26,488,061,952 bytes free
- Copy WinPE image file into ISO\sources. Name the WinPE image file as boot.wim:
c:\winpe_x64>copy c:\win7_x64.wim iso\sources\boot.wim 1 file(s) copied. c:\winpe_x64>dir iso\sources Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 1848-9FE0 Directory of c:\winpe_x64\iso\sources 12/02/2011 09:50 AM <DIR> . 12/02/2011 09:50 AM <DIR> .. 11/29/2011 05:11 PM 185,913,458 boot.wim 1 File(s) 185,913,458 bytes 2 Dir(s) 26,302,144,512 bytes free
- Create ISO image:
c:\winpe_x64>oscdimg -n –bc:\winpe_x64\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_x64\ISO winpe_x64.iso OSCDIMG 2.55 CD-ROM and DVD-ROM Premastering Utility Copyright (C) Microsoft, 1993-2007. All rights reserved. Licensed only for producing Microsoft authorized content. Scanning source tree Scanning source tree complete (21 files in 9 directories) Computing directory information complete Image file is 218308608 bytes Writing 21 files in 9 directories to winpe_x64.iso 100% complete Final image file is 218308608 bytes Done. c:\winpe_x64>dir Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 1848-9FE0 Directory of c:\winpe_x64 12/02/2011 09:52 AM <DIR> . 12/02/2011 09:52 AM <DIR> .. 07/13/2009 04:20 PM 1,474,560 efisys.bin 07/13/2009 04:20 PM 1,474,560 efisys_noprompt.bin 06/10/2009 02:14 PM 4,096 etfsboot.com 12/02/2011 09:23 AM <DIR> ISO 12/02/2011 09:23 AM <DIR> mount 07/13/2009 08:13 PM 135,115,506 winpe.wim 12/02/2011 09:52 AM 218,308,608 winpe_x64.iso 5 File(s) 356,377,330 bytes 4 Dir(s) 26,083,835,904 bytes free
- The ISO file may burn into CD-ROM for booting.
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