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How to Add a Boot Image to Configuration Manager

Updated: December 1, 2008

Applies To: System Center Configuration Manager 2007

An operating system deployment boot image is a Windows PE image used during a Configuration Manager 2007 operating system deployment. Configuration Manager 2007 includes default x86 or x64 boot image for use with operating system deployments. Available boot images can be viewed by navigating to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Operating System Deployment / Boot Images in the Configuration Manager console.

noteNote
Note these steps must be run on the computer running the SMS provider. The computer account of the computer running the SMS Provider needs Read and Write access to the folder that is the boot image package source.

You can also import you own custom boot images. You may want custom boot images for any of the following scenarios:

  • To run scripts or custom actions in Windows PE that require optional Windows PE components that are not enabled in the default Configuration Manager 2007 boot images.

  • To include custom tools and scripts in the Windows PE image.

  • If you are deploying operating systems in a complex environment you may require multiple boot images containing different sets of device drivers. Adding device drivers to a boot image increases the size of the boot image so individual boot images should not contain all available device drivers.

You can import the newly created boot image into the Configuration Manager 2007 catalog.

Use the following procedure to add a new boot image.

To add a boot image

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Operating System Deployment / Boot Images.

  2. To start the Add Boot Image Wizard, right-click the Boot Images node, and then click Add Boot Image.

  3. On the Data Source page, specify the path to the boot image WIM file. You can click Browse to browse for a specific boot image. If the selected WIM file contains multiple images, use the Boot Image drop-down list to select the desired image.

    noteNote
    The specified path must be a valid network path in the UNC format. For example: \\servername\<sharename>\path.

  4. On the General page, provide a Name and Version to be associated with the boot image. Optionally, add a descriptive Comment for the boot image, and then click Next.

  5. Review the Summary, and then click Next to add the new boot image.

Adding Custom Boot Images

To import a custom boot image, the boot image must already be finalized or the SMS Provider will reject it. Use the following procedure to create a new source boot image that can be imported:

How to Add a Custom Boot Image to Configuration Manager

  1. Copy a boot image from the directory where the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) is installed.

  2. Mount this new copied boot image to a temporary directory. For example; imagex.exe /mountrw c:\winpe\winpe.wim 1 %systemroot%\temp\bootimages.

  3. Only if using WAIK 1.0, import and install the security .dll optional component. If using WAIK 1.1 or later, ignore this step.

    1. To prepare an x86 boot image you must perform the following steps:

      1. peimg.exe /import=\\<site server>\SMS_<site code>\OSD\bin\i386\Windows6.0-KB939663-x86.cab %systemroot%\temp\bootimages\windows

      2. peimg.exe /install=Package_1_for_KB939663 %systemroot%\temp\bootimages\windows

    2. To prepare an X64 image you must perform the following steps:

      1. peimg.exe /import=\\<site server>\SMS_<site code>\OSD\bin\x64\Windows6.0-KB939663-x64.cab %systemroot%\temp\bootimages\windows

      2. peimg.exe /install=Package_1_for_KB939663 %systemroot%\temp\bootimages\windows

  4. Install the three optional components that are required to perform Configuration Manager 2007 operating system deployments:

    1. peimg.exe /install=WinPE-Scripting-Package %systemroot%\temp\bootimages\windows

    2. peimg.exe /install=WinPE-WMI-Package %systemroot%\temp\bootimages\windows

    3. peimg.exe /install=WinPE-XML-Package %systemroot%\temp\bootimages\windows

  5. Install the optional components that should be included with the boot image.

  6. Copy the additional required files that are needed to the mount directory.

  7. Finalize the boot image using the following command: peimg.exe /prep %systemroot%\temp\bootimages\windows /f

  8. Dismount the boot image using the following command: imagex.exe /unmount /commit %systemroot%\temp\bootimages\

  9. Export the custom boot image. This step is necessary to reduce the image footprint: imagex.exe /export c:\winpe\winpe.wim 1 c:\winpe\boot.wim

    noteNote
    Imagex.exe and peimg.exe are located in the WAIK installation directory.

See Also

Did you find this information useful? Please click the following link to send your suggestions and comments about the documentation to the Configuration Manager Doc Feedback alias: SMSdocs@microsoft.com.
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PEIMG.EXE Missing      MB2009   |   Edit   |   Show History
PEIMG.EXE is no longer located in the WAIK installation directory as the note at the bottom of the article states. I installed the WAIK for Windows 7 (7K3AIK_EN.ISO).

I have read posts that say you should use dism instead (located in WIAK\tools\servicing directory. I have not managed to get it working though.

Would be nice if Microsoft would update the documention....
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How to use DISM.EXE to create images      MB2009   |   Edit   |   Show History
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