WinPE, ImageX and ADK. Windows 2012 Server, Roles, Features Install Rules, Best Practices How did the install go? Issues, weird things…what happened?

WinPE, ImageX and ADK

Windows 2012 Server, Roles, FeaturesInstall Rules, Best Practices How did the install go? Issues, weird things…

what happened?

Review

I will learn how to create a WinPE bootdisk and operate ImageX to create baselines and images of servers and workstations

Learning Goal

Imaging in GeneralMicrosoft AIK Windows PE ImageX

Agenda

Process of moving one workstations files and settings to another ◦Forensic backup ◦Workstation Deployment

Workstation Imaging

Backwards in Time

Norton Ghost was the Standard for imaging for many years

Systems Integration and Management Services

Administrator Controlled Desktops around the enterprise

Application management, Inventory and Software Licence control

Naturally admins wanted one tool to rule them all

Systems Integration

Microsoft System Center / SMS ◦In the past: difficult to understand, clunky, hard to

use, needed other tools to work with it ◦Today: Easier to deploy, functional, clean interface◦Eating into the systems management market

The Poor Cousin

Flexible, easy to use command line tool to image machines for fast deployment

Small and PowerfulThe netcat of the imaging world CLI

IMAGEX

Automated Deployment Kit Automated Install Kit A collection of free tools for administrators to

manage desktop and server deploymentsMarketing – sold users on getting Microsoft

tools to pave the way for SCCM sales.

Microsoft ADK / AIK

Hardware independent imaging Driver injection Completely silent operation Lightweight image format (wim)

ImageX Capabilities

Windows Workstation Separate from the Server (admin station)

Microsoft Windows ADK for Windows 8 A high volume USB stick – or second hard

driveA burnable CD-R or DVD-R

Necessary Tools

www.microsoft.com/en-ca/download/details.aspx?id=30652

Internet download

Installing

Creating a PE BootdiskUsing ImageX

Steps outline

Windows Preinstall Environment ◦Self contained imaging platform ◦Easy to manage ◦Flexible (Drivers, Network) ◦Small◦USB / ROM Media

Windows PE

Windows Environmental Variables- Click the Deployment and Imaging Tools Icon from Windows Kits > Windows ADK

Creating the WinPE Image

Copy all files needed

Copype.cmd amd64 C:\winpe

Copy Batch File

Processor ArchDestination

Win PE Boot Files

Creating an ISO

MakeWinPEMedia /ISO C:\winpe C:\winpe.iso

Make Batch File

Run ModeDestinationSource Files

Folder Structure

• Open the ISO and Drag Imagex.exe into it• C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\

Assessment and Deployment Kit\Deployment Tools\amd64\DSIM\

• Save the ISO

Self Contained Windows Environment

Make sure it’s formatted

WinPE With USB

MakeWinPEMedia /UFD C:\winpe_amd64 F:

Command Tyoe

Source

Destination

Capturing with Windows PE

imagex.exe /capture C: path\filename.wim "Comment" /verify

Calling command

Mode Flag

What to image

Where to save

Verify after save?

Image Comment

Generally, PC’s will arrive from the factory with an OS – crapware, or not your image installed on C:

An important component is to wipe the drive before starting

WinPE Tool called diskpart is used for this

Deploying PC’s

Command Explication

Diskpart.exe Launches diskpart

Select disk 0 Selects the hard drive

Clean Erases all partitions from the drive

Create partition primary Creates a primary partition

Format fs=ntfs Quick Formats NTFS File system

Select partition 1 Select the first partition

Active Make it bootable

Assign letter = C Assign the drive letter

Exit

Diskpart Structured Command Example

imagex.exe /capture C: path\filename.wim "Comment" /verify

Deploying with Windows PE

imagex.exe /apply *path\file.wim* 1 C:

Calling command

Mode Flag

Path to WIM file

HDD to deploy

Drive