Creating A WinPE 2.0 Bootable USB Key

Discussion in 'Reviews & Articles' started by Dashken, Aug 21, 2007.

  1. Dashken

    Dashken Administrator!

    Ever wonder how vendors like Dell create pre-installations of Windows Vista in all their PCs? Pre-installing saves them time configuring each operating system for different hardware.

    If you are a reseller, even someone who sells PCs on a part-time basis, you will want to learn this neat little trick because it can save you time setting up different systems, partitioning and formatting hard drive with Diskpart, backing up hard drive using ImageX, connecting to network, troubleshooting using Windows-based programs, system recovery and many more.

    Here's a quote from the article :-
    [​IMG]

    Link : Creating A WinPE 2.0 Bootable USB Key
     
  2. Stealthmatt

    Stealthmatt Newbie

    Hi there great artical - yet to try it out because of one thing...im using a vista machine and really dont want to do a dual boot.


    So my question is how do you do it on vista? do u need to do all the steps such as downloading the AIK?
     
  3. belikethat

    belikethat Just Started

    i can`t get my com to boot up from USB :(

    is it not support or i did somewhere wrong?

    i tried every available option in the BIOS to put that location to boot first..
     
  4. Dashken

    Dashken Administrator!

    Thanks and I have to ask this, do you possibly have access to a XP system? How about at work? Well, that's because we just need it once to download the Windows AIK, install it and then get the c:\winpe_x86 folder.

    I wouldn't recommend installing the Windows AIK on a Vista system. Why? Because Microsoft has recommended to install both Windows AIK and Windows OPK in Windows XP system. But if you are running out of option, then by all means, try it on a Windows Vista system although I wouldn't be responsible if anything untoward happens. :mrgreen:

    My advice is still to download and install Windows AIK on a XP system even for just once. Then create your bootable USB key. For future usage, just copy the c:\winpe_x86 folder in the XP system into your USB key. And copy it into your Vista system. Use the same command xcopy c:\winpe_x86\iso\*.* /s /e /f e:\ on your Vista system and it should work as well. The thing is you need to get your hands on that folder.

    All the best! :thumb:
     
  5. Dashken

    Dashken Administrator!

    I have a few questions.

    1) Have you boot any USB devices successfully with your PC before?
    2) Have you enable Boot USB/Removable Devices in your BIOS?

    If there's an option to boot your HDD and listed are both your USB key and your HDD, change your USB key to be the 1st and reboot.

    Or you can try the part in the 1st page of the guide on how to make a bootable Windows 98/ME USB key to make sure your PC can boot a USB key, this is the easiest way. :D

    If all fails, take pics of your BIOS pages and post them here. :mrgreen:
     
  6. Dashken

    Dashken Administrator!

    Creating A WinPE 2.0 Bootable USB Key Rev. 1.1

    Ever wonder how vendors like Dell create pre-installations of Windows Vista in all their PCs? Pre-installing saves them time configuring each operating system for different hardware.

    If you are a reseller, even someone who sells PCs on a part-time basis, you will want to learn this neat little trick because it can save you time setting up different systems, partitioning and formatting hard drive with Diskpart, backing up hard drive using ImageX, connecting to network, troubleshooting using Windows-based programs, system recovery and many more.

    Here's a quote from the article :-
    [​IMG]

    Link : Creating A WinPE 2.0 Bootable USB Key Rev. 1.1
     
  7. Allan

    Allan Newbie

    Hi there,

    Thanks for the great article. I have a question listed below:

    The step 5 in section "Installing WinPE 2.0" stated:

    Insert the USB key into the PC and run the following command.

    xcopy c:\winpe_x86\iso\*.* /s /e /f e:\


    My question is that why the directory is c:\winpe_x86\iso\, not c:\winpe_x86\ since at step 3 the command "Copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_x86" copied all the necessary files for WinPE 2.0 into the folder "c:\winpe_x86\", not "c:\winpe_x86\iso".

    Thanks a lot,

    Allan
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2007
  8. Dashken

    Dashken Administrator!

    You are welcome. :D

    For your question, for a Windows PE RAM disk to work, it will require the following directory structure:-

    \boot
    \sources

    And that, you can only find in the ISO folder. For the other files/folders outside the ISO folder, they have other functions too like:-

    C:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com (is used to create a bootable CDROM ISO file with oscdimg, I think I'll do this guide soon but since nowadays, UFD is the way to go and easily updated :D )

    C:\winpe_x86\mount (this is just an empty folder if you require to customize a WINPE image, you can do so using the winpe.wim in C:\winpe_x86\ and that will be quite long to explain which has something to do with imagex /mountrw and imagex /unmount /commit)

    C:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim (is a WINPE plain image, that's probably same as the file in C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim as you can customize the winpe.wim (as in adding new drivers, tools, startup, etc.), rename it to boot.wim and replace the old boot.wim with your customized version.

    Hope that about clear things up. I have more to write but if I write everything, I'd just be copy/paste everything from the help file to the guide. :mrgreen:

    Btw, if you are using WAIK, try looking for the Windows PE User's Guide at the Start menu>Microsoft Windows AIK>Documentation. It's available in the Windows OPK though and I think should be in WAIK as well.

    That documentation has all the tips and tricks of WINPE. :beer:
     
  9. ZuePhok

    ZuePhok Just Started

    very useful! thanks dasky! :thumb:
     
  10. Dashken

    Dashken Administrator!

    You are welcome! :beer:
     
  11. Sharkbait

    Sharkbait Newbie

    I just created a WinPE boot key (loading it up as I type this) and I am curious about the x86 folder though as I type this I might of just answered my own question:

    I have a Dual Core AMD Athlon (I think it is 64bit) but I run it for 32bit. Would I need to set up the WinPE to use the AMD64 still?

    Thanks

    SharkBait
     
  12. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    No, I don't think the processor matters.
     
  13. drharper

    drharper Newbie

    Thanks for the instructions - I'd like a little more info

    It is great that you have instructions that do work. I have been trying to make my imaging process more efficient by having a BartPe-like bootable USB key with Ghost on it. Using your steps this just boots to a blank screen and then a command prompt? Where do I add more functionality? I know this is a stupid question but can you help? I was hoping to have more of a UI so that I can use the tools that I put in the ISO folder.
    Thanks in advance!
     
  14. Dashken

    Dashken Administrator!

    drharper, normally I use WinPE and run everything from command prompt. But if you are proficient in HTML, then I think running a HTA (HTML Application) off WinPE is the best way to go to create the GUI. Off the shell, there's no GUI available for WinPE.

    If you want to go on with HTA, then I'd suggest customizing your boot.wim with additional packages (I normally just install all the packages). :mrgreen: Then you can run the HTA at WinPE startup too. :D

    Walkthrough: Create a Custom Windows PE Image
     
  15. sluice

    sluice Newbie

    Can't run rdeploy

    I have created a WinPE boot USB stick (16Gb) and have successfully booted from it to a DOS shell on a Dell server. I copied a number of files into c:\winpe_x86\iso as instructed, including Altiris rdeploy and a number of 2Gb image files created wirh rdeploy. I want to restore the image to the server. I can access and dir the E: drive and see all the files I want to restore but although I can dir it, I cannot run redploy.exe. I get the message "The system cannot find the file rdeploy.exe". I get the same message for any other executables. Further info: I created the winpe boot usb stick with Vista and have 2Gb RAM on the server.
    Can anyone suggest a solution?
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2008

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