Windows 7 / Getting Started

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Creating Windows re recovery Media

After you create a custom Windows RE image, you can create bootable Windows RE images on CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or USB flash drives. Then, if a computer fails to start, you can start the computer by using this recovery media and attempt to fix the computer. The procedures to create recovery media are the same as those for creating Windows PE images. The key difference is that you create your ISO image from a Windows RE image rather than a Window PE image.

To set up a build environment for Windows RE on 32-bit computers, complete the following steps:

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click either Microsoft Windows OPK, Microsoft Windows AIK, or Microsoft Windows PE Kit as appropriate.
2. Right-click Deployment Tools Command Prompt, and then click Run As Administrator.
3. At the command prompt, enter copype x86 c:\winrec_x86.

You now have a build environment for Windows RE on 32-bit computers. You can create build environments for x64 and Itanium-based computers as well if you need to.

After you set up the build environment, create a customized Windows RE environment as discussed in the previous section, "Creating a Customized Windows RE Image." Next, copy the Windows RE image to the build environment by entering the following command:

copy c:\win7\winre.wim c:\winrec_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim

You must name the Windows RE image file Boot.wim. This ensures that you can boot computers using the image.

Use the Oscdimg utility to create an ISO image that can be burned to a DVD. The following command creates an ISO image for the Windows RE image created previously:

oscdimg -n -bc:\winrec_x86\etfsboot.com c:\winrec_x86\iso
c:\winrec_x86\winrec.iso

Here, C:\Winrec_x86\Etfsboot.com is the path to the Etfsboot.com script required to create the ISO image, C:\Winrec_x86\ISO is the path to the folders for the ISO image, and C:\Winrec_x86\Winrec.iso is the path and file name of the ISO image that will be created. After you create the ISO image, you can burn the ISO image to a DVD by using a CD/DVD burning application such as Roxio Media Creator or Nero Media Burner.

To build a Windows RE x64 ISO image that supports both EFI and BIOS firmware, enter the following command:

oscdimg "-bootdata:2#p0,e,betfsboot.com#pEF,e,befisys.bin -u2 -udfver102
-o c:\winrec_x64\ISO c:\winrec_x86\winrec_2X.iso"

Here, -bootdata sets the boot information for EFI and BIOS, and -UDFVer sets the required UDF version. You set C:\Winrec_x64\ISO as the path to the folders for the ISO image, and C:\Winrec_x64\Winrec_2X.iso is the path and file name of the ISO image that will be created. After you create the ISO image, you can burn the ISO image to a DVD using a CD/DVD burning application.

You can create bootable Windows RE images on USB flash drives as well. The procedure is the same as described in "Creating a Bootable USB Flash Drive" earlier in the tutorial. Instead of copying a Windows PE image, copy your Windows RE image.