Configuring Boot.wim Files For Ghost
1) When I try to add some windows device drivers to Ghost boot.wim files using Ghost Boot Wizard I get a message that says “failed to import driver, Driver Name, failed to find any drivers to add.” These same drivers can be added to WIM files that originate from Windows Automated Installation Kit Vista SP1 using Windows Automated Installation Kit Vista SP1 to add them.
Why do I receive the above message and how can I get Ghost Boot Wizard to add drivers to Ghost boot.wim files?
2) When I replace the Ghost boot.wim files in templates with ones that originate from Windows Automated Installation Kit Vista SP1 and try to edit them or make boot media using Ghost Boot Wizard I receive a message that says “WIM file for this configuration of Windows PE is invalid.”
How do I get Ghost Boot Wizard to work with WIM files that originate from Windows Automated Installation Kit Vista SP1?
3) When I successfully mounted a Ghost boot.wim file using Windows Automated Installation Kit Vista SP1 then tried to unmount it without making any changes to it I received a message that said the information cannot be committed because it is invalid and when this happens all the files in the mount folder get deleted and no changes are made to the boot.wim file that was mounted.
How do I unmount boot.wim files that originate from Ghost using Windows Automated Installation Kit Vista SP1?
Any information would be appreciated.
Below is a work around for making custom boot packages with drivers as needed on USB flash drives. If you need a boot package on a CD or DVD you might try creating a boot package on a RW type disk and replacing the boot.wim file as describe below and then use disk copy to burn it to R type media if you do not plan on adding any more drivers.
How To Create A Ghost Boot Package With Drivers Added
1) Install the Windows Automated Installation Kit Vista SP1
Note: The Windows Automated Installation Kit Vista SP1 either needs to be burned to a DVD from its iso file or if can be installed from a hard drive folder provided the folder that contains the setup files is named “Windows Automated Installation Kit” otherwise the installer will fail by continuing to prompt for the setup disk even if the setup files are in a folder on a DVD with a different name.
2) Create folders for the boot.wim file to be modified xx, a folder for the mounted files mm and a folder for the drivers dr. The drivers folder should have sub folders for each driver to be added a, e.
The folders should be created on drive other than the one the operating system is installed on or you may experience blue screen crashes due to a conflict with ntfs.sys.
3) Move all the driver files and folders exactly as provided by the manufacture to their perspective sub folders.
If any of the files and folders that make up the drivers are omitted including both the 32 bit and 64 bit files the install may fail.
4) Locate the WinPE.wim file at C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools\x86\winpe.wim and copy it to xx and rename it boot.wim.
5) Create a boot package using a default installation of Ghost Boot Wizard on a USB flash drive using the FAT and CD/DVD options.
The following commands will be executed using Windows PE Tools Command Prompt
In this example xx = boot.wim folder mm = mount folder dr = drivers a = Asmedia e = Etron
6) Execute the follow command to mount the boot.wim file. imagex /mountrw g:\xx\boot.wim 1 g:\mm
7) Execute the following command to install the Etron drivers. peimg /inf=g:\dr\e\EtronXHCI.INF /image=g:\mm
8) Execute the following command to install one of two Asmedia drivers. peimg /inf=g:\dr\a\asmtxhci.INF /image=g:\mm
9) Execute the following command to install two of two Asmedia drivers. peimg /inf=g:\dr\a\asmthub3.inf /image=g:\mm
10) Locate the start.cmd file in the mounted folder at mm:\Windows\System32\start.cmd, right click, edit change wpeinit to ghost32.
11) Locate the Ghost32.exe in the ghost folder on the boot package from step 5 and copy it to mm:\Windows\System32\ghost32.exe.
12) Look and see if there is a Winpeshl.ini file at mm:\Windows\System32\Winpeshl.ini and if so right click, edit and delete everything in it and replace it with
[LaunchApp]
AppPath = %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\ghost32.exe
If the Winpeshl.ini file does not exist create it with notepad and save it to mm:\Windows\System32\Winpeshl.ini.
13) Unmount the files in the mm folder by executing the following command imagex /unmount /commit g:\mm.
14) Replace the boot.wim file in the sources folder on the boot package from step 5 with the one in xx that was modified.
That’s it the boot package is created and the boot.wim file can be saved and used with other boot packages and new drivers added as needed using the Windows Automated Installation Kit Vista SP1 by repeating steps 6 through 9 by modifying the add drivers commands with the new driver name and location.