Can't properly deploy a Windows 7 64 bit image
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Tuesday, May 08, 2012 8:02 PM
I have been trying with the use of Windows PE and imagex.exe to capture an image of a Windows 7 64 bit install, and deploy to other machines. I've found a way to make it work, but for the life of me I can't get it to work properly at all!
I was guided to create a Windows PE disc, and the guide I used instructed me on how to make an x86 Windows PE disc, which is where I believe my problems started. Using this disc, I am able to successfully capture an image with imagex, and I can also deploy the image with imagex. But, where I run into a problem is that once the image is deployed, for this to work with Windows 7 I am required to run the bcdboot command to initialize the Boot Configuration Data. I keep running into an error that the version of bcdboot I am running is not compatible with the version of Windows I am running. I believe this is because I am running this command from a 64 bit install, and am in Windows PE x86. So, I figured, ok, what I need is a 64 bit version of Windows PE.
A few weeks ago I searched the web high and low and created at least 3 Windows PE discs that failed for various reasons before I gave up on this. I resumed this today, starting again from the beginning, going through the book I was using to first try all this stuff. It was then that I found the process for creating the PE disc was in fact instructing me on how to make it x86, so I tried using this process, but changing it to make a 64bit version. I used the process found in the MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit: Configuring Windows 7 book, but when running the copype.com command, I ran it using amd64 instead of x86 for the architecture. Other then that, same process, which worked for the x86 Windows PE disk. But, now when I boot the 64 bit disk I created today, I get the following error:
Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:......
......
Status: 0xc000000f
Info: The boot selection failed becasue a required device is inaccessible.
The only way I've found to be able to deploy a Windows 7 64 bit install is to do the following. Once the image is deployed, power of the machine. Boot to the Windows 7 64 bit install disc, and use the repair option to get to a command prompt. Now that I am in a command prompt in a 64 bit environment, I can run the bcdboot command without a compatibility issue. After this, I can boot to the deployed image. However, I consider this a workaround, and not an actual solution to the problem at hand here.
As I see it, at this time there is no proper way one can deploy a 64 bit Windows 7 image, since doing so requires running a command that cannot be run on a working Windows PE boot disc, and it is impossible to create a working 64 bit Windows PE disc.
What is going to be done to resolve this issue?
All Replies
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Friday, May 11, 2012 1:40 AMModerator
Hi,
I suggest you try the steps in the following article to create the Windows PE image using UFD to test the issue first. If this works, then you can burn the disk.
Building a Standard Image of Windows 7: Step-by-Step Guidehttp://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee523217(v=ws.10).aspx
For more reference,
Building a Windows PE Imagehttp://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd799244(WS.10).aspx
Walkthrough: Create a Custom Windows PE Imagehttp://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc709665(v=ws.10).aspx
Hope this helps.
Vincent Wang
TechNet Community Support
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Friday, May 11, 2012 8:23 PM
Yes, I've read over and gone through all these things. But creating a Windows PE images with the amd64 option DOES NOT WORK AT ALL!
Plain and simple, it does not work.
I've tried several time now. x86 works fine. amd64, no go. Does not work. Never does work. It is broken.
I need someone from microsoft to fix it! It is a bug in the software, and it needs to be fixed.
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012 8:47 AMModerator
Hi,
Regarding the error message 0xc000000f, which meanings that some files not found. I would like verify whether any error message you received when copy the WinPE files.
Also try to use the latest WAIK for building the WinPE.The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (AIK) Supplement for Windows® 7 SP1
Here is a similar thread for your reference,
Hope this helps
Vincent Wang
TechNet Community Support
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5:30 PM
Ok, the thread you have referred me to helped with the PE disc issue. Microsoft in their infinite wisdom has in fact created documentation that leaves out a necessary step, resulting in people all over the world creating PE discs that don't boot because they were stupid enough to follow the instructions. You would think the morons at Microsoft would know how to properly use the products that they programmed themselves, but alas, they don't. No big surprise to me, if I can't rely on them to make a stable product that works as it should, why should I expect them to know how to use the crap that they make?
Anyways, the key is that when creating a windows PE disc using this procedure from Microsoft's own site, http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749311%28WS.10%29.aspx, make sure before step 4 you do the following, xcopy c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim c:\winpe_x86\iso\sources\boot.wim /y.
I find is inexcusable that microsoft has allowed such a major oversight in their documentation, and even further inexcusable that it has gone uncorrected all this time, forcing one to search high and low for the missing step. This has also resulted in the incomplete procedure to make its way into text books that are used as a reference for preparing to take a test on this stuff. Absolutely inexcusable! Does anyone at microsoft plan on ever correcting this, so that people can properly learn how to do these things without having to look for the corrections to Microsoft's mistakes?
Meanwhile, the initial problem still exists. Using a 64 bit Windows PE disc to deploy the image does allow me to run the bcdboot command, as documentation has instructed me. However, even when running the bcdboot command from Windows PE after deploying an image, I still get a BOOTMGR is missing Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart when trying to boot.
Once again though, I am able to work around this issue by, after deploying an image using Windows PE, booting with the Windows 7 64 bit disc, and from the repair option going to a command prompt, and from that command prompt running the bcdboot command.
Why is the documented way of doing this not working? Why does the bcdboot command not work from Windows PE? When will microsoft fix their documentation to reflect all necessary steps in order to properly use their products?
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012 9:11 PM
Make sure you don't have any USB devices plugged in except for mouse and keyboard, that seemed to solve my boot issue with Windows 7.
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- Edited by Henk_Hoogendoorn Tuesday, May 15, 2012 9:11 PM
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012 5:15 PM
No, there are no USB devices plugged in.
I repeat. When following the instructions provided by Microsoft, AND, adding corrections to this process from the info above, THE COMPUTER STILL WILL NOT BOOT!
Every time I image a computer for windows 7, after imaging I have to boot with a Windows 7 disc, go to a command prompt from the repair option, and from there run the bcdboot command. Only then will the computer boot to the Windows 7 install from the image.
Is this how it is supposed to be? Is there another fix or missed step that needs to be added to this process? Is everyone that is imaging windows 7 computers in this manor having to do the same thing and just aren't talking about it?
Also, WHEN IN THE HECK IS MICROSOFT GOING TO CORRECT THE PROCEDURES THEY HAVE RIGHT ON THEIR SITE ON HOW TO DO THIS, THAT TO THIS DAY CONTINUE TO HAVE MISSING STEPS, AND PLAIN AND SIMPLE WILL NOT WORK IF ONE WERE TO FOLLOW THEM WORD FOR WORD?
Do the fine folks at Microsoft actually want their end users to be able to use their product? From the way they can't even be bothered to test their own documentation, or even correct it when the mistakes have been pointed out to them, I'm led to believe that no, they don't. They don't seem to care at all about their paying customers.
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Friday, January 04, 2013 1:25 PM
A bit late, but while I'm here:
Instead of raging here, just scroll down at the Microsoft page. You will find a feedback area there. The feedback you provide goes to the right eyes and points on the faulty page. I don't think you will find that many fellow Microsoft haters in Technet and I bet you will change nothing here.
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