Windows 7 / Getting Started

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Creating Bootable Media

Many Windows maintenance and troubleshooting utilities can make use of Windows PE, including utilities created for managing disks and recovering systems. Windows RE is one example of a recovery tool that uses Windows PE. Many other utilities created by third-party manufacturers also use Windows PE.

This section covers the creation of bootable Windows PE media based on CDs, DVDs, UFDs, and hard disks. You can use all of these technologies for Windows 7 deployment, creating an array of possible solutions for corporate deployments.

Staging a Boot Image

The Windows PE boot image needs supporting files to be made bootable. If you copy your Winpe.wim file to the ISO\Sources folder of the build directory and rename it to Boot.wim, you can create your bootable Windows PE by using the entire ISO folder hierarchy. A completed ISO folder hierarchy looks similar to below.

To stage a captured Windows PE boot image, copy Winpe.wim from c:\winpe_x86 to the c:\winpe_x86\ISO\Sources folder of the Windows PE build directory.

xcopy /chery c:\winpe_x86\Winpe.wim c:\winpe_x86\ISO\Sources\boot.wim

Creating Bootable CD/DVD Media

After the boot image is properly staged, you can create a bootable CD or DVD that uses your Windows PE image.

To create a bootable Windows PE CD or DVD, perform the following steps:

1. Use the Oscdimg.exe command to create an .iso image that can be burned onto a CD or DVD.
   oscdimg -n -bc:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_x86\ISO c:\winpe_x86\winpe_x86.iso
2. Using a CD/DVD burning application, burn the .iso image to a CD or DVD.

Creating Bootable UFD Media

UFDs are available that have the capacity to hold an entire custom Windows 7 deployment. The first step, however, is to make your bootable Windows PE media. After you've accomplished this, you can copy any custom images and Unattend.xml files you have made to the UFD for deployment.

To create bootable Windows PE UFD media, perform the following steps:

1. Insert your bootable UFD device into an available USB port on your system.
2. Use the DiskPart utility to prepare the device for loading Windows PE. To run DiskPart, type diskpart at the command prompt and then press Enter.
3. Run the commands shown in Table below to prepare the UFD.
   
   Preparing a UFD for Windows PE

   Command	Description
   list disk	Lists available disks.
   select disk n	n is the UFD you are preparing. Be sure to select the correct disk when using DiskPart. DiskPart will clean your primary hard disk as easily as it will clean your UFD device.
   clean	Removes the current partition structures.
   create partition primary size=size	size is the size of the disk as shown in the list. If you omit size, DiskPart will use all of the available space for the partition.
   select partition 1	Selects the partition you created in the previous command.
   active	Marks the new partition as active.
   format fs=FAT32	Formats the UFD partition with the FAT32 file system.
   assign	Assigns the next available drive letter to your UFD.
   exit	Quits DiskPart.

4. Copy the contents of the ISO folder to your UFD, where e:\ is the drive letter assigned to the UFD device.
   xcopy /chery c:\winpe_x86\ISO\*.* e:\
5. Safely remove your UFD.

Note Some UFD devices do not support this preparation process. If necessary, use the UFD device manufacturer's processes and utilities to make the disk bootable.

Making Your UFD Bootable

Creating a bootable UFD requires careful work. First, the computer's BIOS must support booting from a UFD. Second, many UFDs are not bootable and need to be converted before use. They are shipped with a flag value set to cause Windows to detect them as removable media devices rather than USB disk devices.

To make your UFD bootable, consult with the device manufacturer to obtain directions or utilities that will convert the device. Many manufacturers make these instructions available through their product support systems. Ask specifically how to switch the removable media flag. This action will cause Windows to detect the device as a USB hard disk drive and will allow you to proceed with the preparations for creating a bootable UFD.