Help with Imagex / WinPE / bcdboot

drew2000 · March 2010

Ok - I've been working with these tools all morning and have hit a road block. I successfully captured an image that I want to deploy to a client. So far, I've followed this process:

1. Booted from a WinPE CD
2. Created a C: partition and made it active using Diskpart
3. Applied the image using Imagex

At this point I THOUGHT I would be done, until I rebooted and I got "Operating System Not Found." Assuming I needed to establish a BCD store, I did so using BCDedit and the boot store from the WinPE CD.

Now Windows attempts to boot, but basically boot loops. I did sysprep the image with /generalize before I did the capture.

My question is: are there really supposed to be THIS many steps? I can't imagine having to train techs to follow this procedure in a prod environment for each system they deploy. I can live with WinPE and ImageX, but after that it really gets nuts from a "real world" perspective. I realize there are much better tools (WDS/MDT, etc.), but I am trying to master the basic process.

Is my process close to right? or did I miss a crucial step?

Thanks,
Drew

drew2000 · March 2010

Hmmm my image isn't working when deployed through WDS either, so I may have an image problem. I don't see how though, using imagex to capture it via WinPE is pretty straightforward.

I'd still appreciate any tips re: missing steps in my process. If I were to use this process in a prod environment, I'd have to type up about 20 steps for the techs to use. Doesn't seem that great unless I am missing something that is causing more work for me.

I'd also like to know if the 100 MB system partition is created automatically by imagex or if I need to also create that partition with Diskpart.

I have been using the MS PRESS book as a loose guide for this, knowing that their deployment chapter has issues.

Thanks,
Drew

Hyper-Me · March 2010

If you use imagex by itself you need to do the bootsect manually.

After you have applied the image successfully, run the following command

bootsect /nt60 C:

(use /nt52 for XP, /nt60 for Vista or 7)

You dont have to do this if using WDS, though.

drew2000 · March 2010

So no need for BCDboot if you use bootsect?

I'll try it again after a break...Andrew

Hyper-Me · March 2010

Shoudlnt need anything but bootsect.

As far as "real world" and that many steps goes...

I was the only one at my previous job that knew anything about imagex/winpe/WDS. Before we had WDS up we have to deploy 650 new machines at a new site. I scripted the entire WinPE/ImageX process so that the only thing the tech had to do was insert a flash drive, boot to the flash drive, press the enter key twice when prompted (and I could have removed this), and wait for the machine to reboot. Done.

drew2000 · March 2010

Hmmmm now I'm getting "Operating System Not Found." Need to keep digging.

Drew

drew2000 · March 2010

Ok - finally got it to work, had to:

bcdboot c:\windows

then

bootsect /nt60 c:

Then everything worked. From what I have read, the bcdboot is only needed if you don't have the boot information on the hard drive. I don't know why that info isn't there, but I guess it is fixed now.

I'll do this a few more times to verify.

Thanks,
Drew

earweed · March 2010

A lot of people at WGU taking this course (70-680) have had problems using the MS Press training kit book due to errors in the book. If that's the book you're using, here's a link to corrections in the book.

http://www.amazon.com/70-680-Errata-Thread/forum/Fx1YPQTLINOD6NN/TxAV8WUXY6AURU/1/ref=cm_cd_et_up_redir?_encoding=UTF8&asin=0735627088&newContentNum=10&cdSort=oldest&newContentID=Mx2RS7RQFBPBB81#Mx2CCL69ZXPC9IU
Hope this helps

Hyper-Me · March 2010

drew2000 wrote: »

Ok - finally got it to work, had to:

bcdboot c:\windows

then

bootsect /nt60 c:

Then everything worked. From what I have read, the bcdboot is only needed if you don't have the boot information on the hard drive. I don't know why that info isn't there, but I guess it is fixed now.

I'll do this a few more times to verify.

Thanks,
Drew

Strange, ive never had to run that BCDboot command.

NextClick · March 2010

Before you run into this broblem.
www.
youtube.com/watch?v=8Ljk7WKTb8c

Hyper-Me · March 2010

Im not understand your "no boot information" on the drive comment.

I have regularly done the following when imaging

Capture image.
Clean drive
create new partition
active
assign
apply image
bootsect /nt60 C:
reboot into minisetup

dabve3 · March 2010

There is a very detailed document on the Microsoft technet site explaining how to make a Windows 7 image. I followed this procedure and didn't have any major issues. I'll post the link below.

Building a Standard Image of Windows 7: Step-by-Step Guide

drew2000 · March 2010

By "no boot information on the drive" I mean that something could have happened to the BCDStore. I'll have to give this another try and see what happens. Maybe something is wrong with my reference image. It is a pretty straightforward Win7 Ent Image, Sysprepped, etc.

The only thing weird about it is that I ran "sysprep /generalize /audit /shutdown" instead of /oobe. This was because I didn't want the OOBE to show up.

I've since studied answer files a bit more and realized I can automate the OOBE with the answer file.

Drew

Hyper-Me · March 2010

Yeah, Audit is for changing things without processing Specialize information. You can actually enter audit mode even if you did OOBE, by hitting a certain key when the image is starting up by hitting CTRL+SHIFT+F3.

You can also get a command line by hitting shift+F10 (works in WDS sequences as well)

drew2000 · March 2010

I've found the SHIFT+F10 very helpful for troubleshooting my WDS testing.

Shift+F10 to the command prompt. Then notepad.exe, then view \Windows\Panther\setuperr.log

So far I've caught a few snags that way, including the fact that I had my username and password fields reversed in the unattend.xml file!

Drew

RouteThisWay · March 2010

phoeneous wrote: »

Do you use the /boot switch when you capture?

And which tools did you use for these steps:

Clean drive
create new partition
active
assign

I believe you can generate an answer file using WSIM that you can specify to do all of that.

On another note, honestly man... you would learn all of this if you did some reading/labs. There are multiple ways of deploying/managing Win7 images. Too much to cover in a simple forum post. The best way to learn in my opinion is by doing. So jump in on some virtual labs. Here is a link to help you get started.

Windows 7 Virtual Labs

Hyper-Me · March 2010

phoeneous wrote: »

Do you use the /boot switch when you capture?

And which tools did you use for these steps:

Clean drive
create new partition
active
assign

No, the /boot switch is to mark the .WIM as bootable. No OS can boot FROM a WIM other than WinPE 2 and 3.

clean
create partition primary
active
assign

are all done in DISKPART.

Hyper-Me · March 2010

RouteThisWay wrote: »

I believe you can generate an answer file using WSIM that you can specify to do all of that.

You can, either for a scratch unattend install, or you can also do an answer file for WDS to use for the first couple of deployment phases which can prepare the disk and partitions ,etc.

Then there is the WDSUTIL methods.

You are right in that there are a LOT of different way to acheive the same goal (deploying XP/Vista/7). I love it.

RouteThisWay · March 2010

phoeneous wrote: »

Please tell me youre joking...

Not really. In your defense though, I thought you were the OP so my bad

RouteThisWay · March 2010

phoeneous wrote: »

You have no idea how much slept I've lost from countless hours of reading an labbing at work AND at home.

Sounds like most people on TE

Hyper-Me · March 2010

I spent several days learning this stuff back when it first became available in the early Vista days.

It takes a little time and a lot of practice before it just *clicks* into your brain.

drew2000 · March 2010

RouteThisWay wrote: »

Not really. In your defense though, I thought you were the OP so my bad

How do you think I got to asking the question?????? BECAUSE I AM LABBING AND READING AND RUNNING INTO A PROBLEM.

Drew

Hyper-Me · March 2010

Did you take the 680, Route? It says Feb 28 in your sig.

RouteThisWay · March 2010

drew2000 wrote: »

How do you think I got to asking the question?????? BECAUSE I AM LABBING AND READING AND RUNNING INTO A PROBLEM.

Drew

Aren't we a little defensive?

hyper-me wrote:

Did you take the 680, Route? It says Feb 28 in your sig.

I am def ready for it. I am waiting because there is a likely possibility work is going to pay for a group of us to go down to NH for a couple classes on this, and pay for vouchers. They do reimburse, but they take months to repay it back. Unless the class thing happens soon.

So I just keep playing around with everything at work, studying, reading articles, doing vlabs etc. I will just do it myself next month if it takes any longer than that, and expect my reimbursement ~July lol.

Hyper-Me · March 2010

This is getting good.

RouteThisWay · March 2010

phoeneous wrote: »

Aren't we a little offensive?

Only to the easily offended

apena7 · March 2010

I probably go about imaging the wrong way because I use neither bootsect or bcdboot. I instead capture the system partition from my reference computer and apply it to my target computer using ImageX. Here's how it looks:

d:\imagex /apply d:\windows.wim 1 C:
d:\imagex /apply d:\system.wim 1 S:

Even though it's possible, is it better to apply a system partition image in this manner? Or is it better to just create one manually in WinPE? Or does it even matter at all? I'm also new to creating and applying images for Windows 7 and would appreciate any clarification.

Hyper-Me · March 2010

I dont know how you're images are booting properly if you are not running bootsect after using ImageX to apply the image.

If using WDS, the bootsect is done for you by WDS, if you are using ImageX manually then the bootsect is required (at least in my experience, don't know how it wouldnt be?).

apena7 · March 2010

Correct, I'm only using ImageX to apply images (haven't had the pleasure of setting up WDS yet

).

I was using this tutorial for my lab. Near the bottom of the page, under the heading 'Setting up a system partition' it says how you can apply a WIM file instead of using bcdboot. I figured I'd give that method a try and have been able to successfully image a few laptops I have lying around, but whether I'm inviting some sort of impending doom to my system partitions remains to be seen. Time will tell

. I'm sure I'll boot to nice a surprise one day...

Edit: Just read your post phoneous. I'll add my diskpart script as well:

select disk 0
clean
create partition primary size=300
format quick fs=ntfs label="System"
assign letter="S"
active
create partition primary
format quick fs=ntfs label="Windows"
assign letter="C"
exit

apena7 · March 2010

phoeneous wrote: »

Careful with your lettering though, even though I /apply the image to with WinPE, after the image boots up, the main OS partition is actually C:. When I open diskmgmt, it shows the System partition but without a letter assignment.

Thanks. After I applied my images, I was sure to check out Disk Management. Disk 0 shows two partitions, "System (without a drive letter)" and "Windows (C: )" below is a screenshot.

Hyper-Me · March 2010

Bootsect.exe updates the master boot code for hard disk partitions to switch between BOOTMGR and NTLDR. You can use this tool to restore the boot sector on your computer. This tool replaces FixFAT and FixNTFS.

I guess you only need to do it when switching between those types of boot loaders.

When learning Vista imaging a long time ago I was putting XP images on a box, then Vista, then XP (doing different tests) and I had to use bootsect to make it work. Apparently, I thought I needed this for any image. Although, it obviously doesnt hurt anything to do it anyway.

Help with Imagex / WinPE / bcdboot

Comments