Boot Windows PE from a CD (Standard 7 SP1)

7/8/2014

This walkthrough describes how to create a bootable CD or DVD for Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 3.0. In this example, Windows PE boots directly from the CD or DVD rather than from a RAM disk. With this method, you can boot a computer that has less than 512 MB of memory.

Hardware and Software Assumptions

To complete this walkthrough, you must have the following:

• An x86-based or x64-based computer running Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2003.
• A CD or DVD burner and image-burning software to create a bootable CD or DVD.
• A blank CD or DVD.

Step 1: Set up a Windows PE build environment

• Follow the instructions for setting up a build environment in Create a Windows PE Build Environment.

Step 2: Add boot support

1. Expand and apply the image to the mount directory by using the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool. Consider the following example:

   dism /Mount-Wim /Wimfile:c:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim /index:1 /MountDir:C:\winpe_x86\mount
   

2. Add the boot support files and directory. Consider the following example:

   copy c:\winpe_x86\ISO\bootmgr c:\winpe_x86\mount
   mkdir c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot
   xcopy /cherky C:\winpe_x86\ISO\boot C:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\
   

Step 3: Customize the Windows PE image

• Follow the instructions for customizing a Windows PE image in Create a Custom Windows PE Image.

Step 4: Configure the BCD store

1. Create a new boot-configuration file by using BCDEdit. For more information about BCDEdit, see BCDEdit Command-Line Options.

   Consider the following example:

   del c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD
   bcdedit /createstore c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD
   bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -create {bootmgr} /d “Boot Manager”
   bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {bootmgr} device boot
   bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -create /d “WINPE” -application osloader
   

2. In the following examples, replace <GUID> with the GUID returned by the previous command.

   bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set <GUID> osdevice boot
   bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set <GUID> device boot
   bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set <GUID> path \windows\system32\winload.exe
   bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set <GUID> systemroot \windows
   bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set <GUID> winpe yes
   bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -displayorder <GUID> -addlast
   

Step 5: Create a bootable CD

1. On the computer on which you installed Windows Embedded Standard 7, run the following command to create an .iso file:

   oscdimg -n -m -o -bc:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_x86\mount c:\winpe_x86\winpe_x86.iso
   

   To create an AMD64 EFI .iso file, run the following command:

   oscdimg -bc:\winpe-x64-efi\efisys.bin -pEF -u1 -udfver102 c:\winpe-x64-efi\ISO x64-efi-winpe.iso
   

2. Burn the .iso file onto a CD or DVD.

See Also

Tasks

Boot Windows PE from a RAM Disk