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Before we can create a WinPE boot CD you will need to download and install Windows Automated Installation Kit or (WAIK) for those who have not yet used this, WAIK is the DOS replacement for automated deployment from Microsoft. (download it here)

After the installation go to the Windows PE User's Guide in the Programs menu:

You will find the "Introduction to Windows PE" there stating that MS Windows PE 2.0 is a bootable tool that is designed for 3 specific tasks: installation, troubkeshooting, and recovery:

How to do it can be found at Start>Programs>Microsoft Windows AIK>Documentations>Windows PE User's Guide or C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Docs\CHMs\WinPE.chm

Customizaing Windows PE>Windows PE Walkthroughs>Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on a CD-Rom

Step 1:

at the Command Prompy type: copype.cmd <arch> <destination> Where <arch> can be x86, amd64, or ia64. Where <destination> is your local directory path. For example, copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_x86 (see screen shot below)

After that the script created a directory and copies all the necessary files for the particular architecture, as for x86 arch it has created for following: 

\ winpe_x86, \ winpe_x86\ ISO, \ winpe_x86\ mount

Step 2:

To add ImageX (a tool for capturing and applying images during deployment) type: copy "C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\imagex.exe" C:\winpe_x86\iso\

Step 3:

To created an exclusion list follow the instructions in Step 3 of the Walkthrough: Create a Bootable Windows PE RAM Disk on a CD-Rom

Copy this to a notepad:

[ExclusionList]
ntfs.log
hiberfil.sys
pagefile.sys
"System Volume Information"
RECYCLER
Windows\CSC

[CompressionExclusionList]
*.mp3
*.zip
*.cab
\WINDOWS\inf\*.pnf

then save it as Wimscript.ini to the winpe_x86\ ISO directory.

Step 4:

The command to create a bootable CD Rom type: oscdimg -n -bc:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_x86\ISO c:\winpe_x86\winpe_x86.iso

 

then burn the winpe_x86.iso file on a CD-ROM

I've test it in my vitual machine:

There we have it, our WinPE bootable CD-ROM and since we have ImageX added we can capture or apply and image already.

 

 

To those who want to try out Windows Server 2008 but doesn't have the hardware to cater it, you may want to try out the TechNet Virtual Lab. Last month before our event in CDO I've tried out the virtual lab for my topic.

Here are the screen shots of the step by step configuration of Windodws Deployment Services. (This is after you've installed the WDS role)

In the virtual lab it will let you access the Windows Deployment Services from the Administrative Tools.

Launch the Windows Deployment Service Configuration Wizard from the Action menu.

On a live network make sure that the server is a member of the domain, DNS and DCHP server is present on your network.

On an actual configuration choose an NTFS partition where the Remote Install folderwill reside (though it can reside within the system volume, it is recommended to create the RemoteInstall folder in a separate volume)

make sure the check on the Do not listen on Port 67 and Configure DHCP option 60 to 'PXE Client' boxes.

The Do not Listen on port 67 is necessary so that booting clients can find the DCHP server on the network so as Configure DHCP option 60 to 'PXE Client' for the booting PXE client can be notified that there is a listening PXE server on the network.

Select Repond to all (known and unknown) client computers radio button and leave the For unknown clients, notify administrator and respond after approval for obvious reason (as administrator you don't want to be bugged with those kinds of notifications... ) click Finish and the configuration process will start.

But if you want you may create Pending Devices to approve or reject client installations from Windows Deployment Services.

After the wizard has configured your WDS you will be given an option to Add images your images.

on this demo, I choose to add the images on a later time, click on Finish to complete the process.

Your Windows Deployment Service consule will look like this after a successful configuration.

After my TechNet Virtula Lab session I found it beneficial,

• You won't go through the trouble of installing Windows Server 2008 just to explore it.
• No hardware requierments just to run Windows Server 2008.
• You will only require your browser to learn it.
• No room for error because you will be guide through out the session.

Try out this WDS on Windows Server 2008 TechNet Virtual Lab here 

 

I got 2 test machines a Windows XP box (CLIENT01) with Microsoft® Virtual PC 2007 installed and Windows Server 2008 RC0 which is configured as a domain controller (PHIWUGDC01.phiwug.com) and is also my DCHP server which has an address range for distribution from 192.x.x.100 - 200.

PHIWUGDC01 : 192.168.0.1

CLIENT01 : 192.168.0.5

After setting up Windows Deployment Services Role in my Windows Server 2008 and installing the Vista images (WIM files) it’s time to test the deployment on the client machine:

Since I did not create WinPE boot images I am deploying Vista through PXE:

On my Windows XP machine I created a new virtual machine named Vista-Ultimate

Just go through with the Virtual PC Wizard and make sure that the allocated memory is set to 512MB or higher.

Launch your Virtual PC wait until the PXE boot agent screen appears, it will then prompts you to press you the F12 key for the network service boot. (notice that it is contacting IP Address 192.168.0.1 which is PHIWUGDC01)

Shortly after it will load the WIM file in your Virtual PC

Then Windows Deployment Service screen will appear click next

I was prompted for a domain admin credential

Select which version of Windows VISTA you want to install.

Wait until the installation finishes, the process will go through like the normal Windows Vista installation. I would suggest when
implementing this on your live network create an answer file to make the installation more automated (which always has been the best practice).

There you have it. Windows Vista deployed with PXE through Windows Deployment Services.

In an event when a user requests for a desktop/notebook reformat/reimage or file transfers, one crucial phase when copying-over or backing up of large files such as PSTs, image files such as *.WIM, *.GHO with more than 3-4GB of file size on a normal GUI copy-paste there’s a possibility of getting these files corrupted. One tool that I find very handy and reliable is the Robocopy. So far all the PSTs and image that I’ve backup/copy have not encountered any problems after using robocopy to transfer those files:  Running ROBOCOPY help in CMD 

 

 

Robocopy: "it is a 32-bit command-line tool used for file replication. This tool helps maintain identical copies of a directory structure on a single computer or in separate network locations. Robocopy is included in the Microsoft® Windows® Resource Kit.” 

Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools

 

Windows Deployment Services Part 2 of 2:

Now that you've added the role, you need to configure it. This video shows how to configure your WDS and add your WIM files.

Windows Deployment Services

 

 

Just finished uploading my video files: This is part 1 of 2 showing how to add the Windows Deployment Services role in Windows Server 2008

Windows Deployment