Creating and deploying images using WAIK and imagex

Before beginning with the image creation or deployment, please download the WAIK tools from Microsoft and create either a bootable DVD or bootable USB stick which contains imagex. Please follow the documentation that comes with the WAIK tools.

Preparation

Please follow the preparation steps for both image creation and image deployment as you'll need to have a working network connection.

Setting up a DHCP Server

You can skip this step if you already have a DHCP server running in your network.

1. Create a new dial-up connection — the settings like number, etc. are not important.

2. Open the settings of the created dial-up connection and enable internet sharing for the local network adapter which will be connected with your target device.

3. Check the IP address of the local network adapter — it should be `192.168.0.1`.

Create a Network Share

On your development machine set up a network share where the image will be located. Please make sure you can access the network share from another PC and that you have write access to this share.

Mapping a Network Drive in Windows PE

Boot the target machine from the previously created media.

In the command prompt type `ipconfig` to check if the PC has a valid IP address. You can use `ping` (e.g. `ping 192.168.0.1`) to test if the connection to the development PC works.

Map a network drive to your development PC:

net use N: \\<IP-Address>\<Sharename> [/User:<pcname>\<username> <Password>]

Example:

net use N: \\192.168.0.1\images /User:devmachine\administrator admin

Create an Image

To create an image we will use the `imagex` tool which comes with the WAIK tools. For more information on imagex please have a look at Microsoft Technet.

Type the following command:

imagex /capture C: N:\image.wim "Master image"

You can also use additional parameters such as `/compress` to compress the image. For additional arguments please type `imagex /?`.

Preparing the Target Disk

Run `diskpart` and type the following commands:

LIST DISK
SELECT DISK 0         (use the appropriate disk id of your target disk)
CLEAN                 (removes all partitions on the target disk)
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
ACTIVE
ASSIGN LETTER = C
FORMAT FS=NTFS QUICK
EXIT

Deploy the Image

Run the following command to deploy the image from the network share:

imagex /apply n:\image.wim 1 c:

Reboot your machine — it should now boot from the image properly.