Enable Debugging in WinPE3.0 when booting from a Windows Deployment Services (WDS) Server

Steps to enable debugging in WinPE 3.0 when booted from WDS.

You will need access to the folder structure on the WDS server.

If you need to enable boot debugging, modify RemoteInstall\boot\{arch}\default.bcd.  Here is an example:

“bcdedit /store c:\RemoteInstall\boot\x64\default.bcd /set {bootmgr} bootdebug on”

If you need to enable kernel debugging, modify RemoteInstall\boot\{arch}\Images\{WIM}.bcd.  Here is an example:

REM to get the {GUID} look at “bcdedit /store c:\remoteinstall\boot\x64\images\boot.wim.bcd /enum all”

“bcdedit /store c:\remoteinstall\boot\x64\images\boot.wim.bcd /set {GUID} debug on”

You will need to set up inheritance of  {dbgsettings}:

“ bcdedit /store c:\remoteinstall\boot\x64\images\boot.wim.bcd /set {GUID}  inherit {dbgsettings}”

After modifying the BCD files, tell the WDS server to refresh the generated BCD files in the RemoteInstall\Tmp directory:

[from CMD prompt] “sc control wdsserver 129”

Optional:

WDS defaults to debug settings of: Serial Com1 115200, if you’re planning on using 1394 or need to modify settings you would use something like the following:

“bcdedit /store c:\RemoteInstall\boot\x64\default.bcd /set {dbgsettings} debugtype 1394”
“bcdedit /store c:\RemoteInstall\boot\x64\default.bcd /set {dbgsettings} Channel 1342”  (1342 is an arbitrary number and can be replaced with a number of your choice)  

Then I usually clean up the no longer needed values by using:

“bcdedit /store c:\RemoteInstall\boot\x64\default.bcd /deletvalue {dbgsettings} baudrate”
“bcdedit /store c:\RemoteInstall\boot\x64\default.bcd /deletvalue {dbgsettings} debugport”