myITforum.com : How to create a custom WinPE 2005 SDI image

This article describes how to create a bootable SDI Image of your Windows PE 2005 Image

Giving you some of the Windows PE 2.0 features today. If its supported by Microsoft? Probably not :)

SDI Benefits
- SDI supports NTFS compression, you can lay down a 170 MB WinPE 2005 on a 128 MB SDI image (with 11 MB free space)
- SDI Ramdisk are read/write, no need for additional RAMDisks
- Did I mention it is really, really fast :)

A big thanks to Sam in the 911cd.net forums for providing information on SDI images.

Part 1 - Create the custom WinPE 2005 Image

1. Copy the WINPE folder from the Windows PE 2005 CDROM to C:\

2. Insert the Windows Server 2003 SP1 CD-ROM (F: in this example). Start a command prompt and type:

cd /d c:\winpe

mkimg.cmd F: C:\winpe2005 /WMI

Note: This compiles WinPE 2005 with WMI support

3. Add support for WHS/ADO/HTA by starting a command prompt and type:

cd /d c:\winpe

Buildoptionalcomponents /S:F: /D:C:\winpe2005 /Q

Part2 - Create the SDI Image

1. Download and install Windows XP embedded SP2 (trial can be download from www.microsoft.com)

2. Install Windows Server 2003 SP1 Resource Kit tools (we need robocopy)

3. Start a command prompt and type:

md c:\workdir

cd /d c:\workdir

cscript "C:\Program Files\Windows Embedded\utilities\SDIMgr.wsf" WINPE2005.SDI /new

cscript "C:\Program Files\Windows Embedded\utilities\SDIMgr.wsf" WINPE2005.SDI /createdisk:140000000

Note: The lines beginning with cscript may have been wrapped on this page, should be on one line.

4. Start SDI Loader (found in C:\Program Files\Windows Embedded\bin), and add the c:\workdir\WINPE2005.SDI disk.

5. Using disk manager or diskpart.exe. partition and format the SDI disk, assign driveletter = R (make sure to use NTFS and enable Compression)

6. Start a command prompt and type:

robocopy.exe /MIR C:\winpe2005\ R:\ /R:3 /W:4

Note: The reason for using robocopy with retry switches is because NTFS compression is not as fast as the file copy.

7. Switch to SDI Loader and remove the WINPE2005.SDI disk.

8. Create folder named C:\workdir\I386

9. Copy the following files from C:\WinPE2005\i386 to C:\workdir\I386

NTDETECT.COM
SETUPLDR.BIN

10. Create a textfile named WINNT.SIF in the C:\workdir folder.

[SetupData]
BootDevice = "ramdisk(0)"
BootPath = "\i386\System32\"
OsLoadOptions = "/noguiboot /fastdetect /minint /rdimageoffset=36352 /rdpath=WINPE2005.SDI"

Note: The line beginning with OsLoadOption may have been wrapped on this page, should be on one line.

11. Create a Bootable CD by starting a command prompt and type this

cd /d c:\winpe

oscdimg -h -n -betfsboot.com C:\workdir C:\WinPE_2005_SDI.iso


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