Winre wim pe to launch the application. Setting up a recovery environment after reinstalling the system

All tips

To replicate a standard configuration on several computers, it is rational to use an image of a once installed operating system.

Detailed instructions are available on the Microsoft website: Creating and using Windows images

Since with a large set of additional software, the partition image file can easily exceed 4GB, then write such a distribution to DVD disc it won't work. However, this is not required to install the OS. It will be enough for us to obtain an image of the partition on which the OS is installed. It can then be included in the boot distribution Flash disk or just transfer to new computer, booting from any live-CD/DVD/USB. In this article we will look at both options.

Having prepared the partition once, we will be able to deploy a working OS with all installed software, connected peripheral devices and necessary shortcuts on new computers in less than half an hour.

According to Microsoft: "When creating an image, be aware that the partition layouts on the source and destination computers must be identical. For example, if the Windows image is stored on drive D, then you must deploy this image to drive D of the destination computer, and must also match following parameters sections():

Partition types (primary, secondary or logical) must match
If a partition is made active on the reference computer, it must also be active on the target computer."

However, if we add a prepared partition to the distribution, then these restrictions do not matter.

Step-by-step instructions for deploying Windows 7 from an image

1. We do a template installation of Windows in audit mode

5. Write the created partition image to the local hard drive

E:\tools\imagex.exe /apply E:\images\win7image.wim 1 C: WITH:- the section where we will deploy the image 1 - number (or name) of the image, default = 1

If the OS images are located on a network resource, then connect it first with the command:

Net use E: \\server\share /user: domain_name\username password

6. Completion

If you created a separate system partition, then you need to transfer boot system files to it (we assume that the OS is located on the C: drive):

Bcdboot C:\Windows

Exit Windows PE:

or close the window Windows installer 7. The computer will reboot. We take out the CD/DVD disk and boot from the newly installed OS.

7. Complications

If you encounter problems loading the transferred OS, you can try restoring the bootloader. To do this you need to boot from Windows distribution 7 (you can open the console by pressing Shift+F10) or Windows PE and run the command:

bcdboot C:\Windows /l ru-RU /s C: Read more in the article "Restoring the Windows and Linux bootloader".

Repository of various Windows images

You can create several images of partitions with different sets of software using the same template OS, then place them in one place, for example on a flash drive, and each time install exactly the image that will be suitable in each individual case. The process of adding software can be carried out sequentially by doing new image section after installing each required set. The algorithm is as follows (see details above):

Loading the OS in audit mode
Install/remove software, connect printers, create shortcuts, etc.
We prepare the system for deployment using sysprep and turn off the computer
Booting from live CD or Windows7 distribution, go to console
Create a partition image using imagex by placing it on a flash drive or network resource
We repeat the above until all the necessary sets have been created.

Creating your own Windows distribution

Having an image Windows partition(wim file), you can create your own distribution, that is, an installation DVD/Flash disk. To do this, it is enough to replace the \sources\install.wim file in the original distribution with your own image, renaming it accordingly to install.wim.

To automate the installation, you can prepare an autounattend.xml answer file by creating it using WIAK and placing it in the root of the distribution.

Introduction

So, you have finished installing the operating system, drivers, updates and programs, checked its performance and stability, were satisfied with the result obtained and want to be able to “roll back” to this system state in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Windows 7 is equipped with enough powerful means Reserve copy, which allow you to reduce the time to restore the system.

Those who bought new computers with Windows 7 pre-installed are familiar with the recovery function, after which the operating system, and sometimes the contents of the entire hard drive, returns to factory condition. In this case, user files located on the hard drive may be lost.

In the presence of installation disk with an operating system you are spared from such losses (How to reinstall Windows 7, saving settings and installed programs), but subsequent installation of drivers and updates is inevitable.

I offer you a method that will significantly reduce the time spent setting up the system after reinstallation; moreover, it does not require an installation disk.

The article uses materials from Vadim Sterkin's blog and Valery Volobuev's video report Setting up the Windows Recovery Environment in Windows 7.

The algorithm described below does not require specific knowledge and is relatively easy to implement for home user. We will perform the task in the following order:

prepare a partition for the future recovery partition;
create a system image in the Windows RE environment;
configure the recovery environment;
Let's reinstall and reconfigure the recovery environment.

Preparing the recovery partition

First of all, we need to create a partition on which we will subsequently place the operating system image file, as well as the file for deploying the recovery environment.

There are many ways to perform this operation, I will use standard tools: Disk Management and Command Line Utility DISKPART. You can read about this in the article.

We will determine the partition size based on the current occupancy of the partition with the operating system and the availability free space. For example, if the system takes up about 20 gigabytes, the optimal size would be from 5 to 10 gigabytes.

In my example, the section D:\ was first compressed

Figure 1 - compression of partition D:\

then in the resulting unmarked area

Figure 2 - Unallocated disk space after compression

using the utility DISKPART a primary partition was created, formatted, and a label was assigned to it Recovery and letter R. (DISKPART was used because the fourth partition created by Disk Management will be an additional partition. You can experiment with placing the recovery partition on an additional partition.)

Run sequentially:

::Start DISKPART Diskpart::Select a disk. If there are several of them, then the number the desired disk determined by the command LIST DISK Sel disk 0::Creates a primary partition on the entire unallocated area of the disk. If necessary, specify the partition number using the LIST PART Create partition primary::Quick formatting of the created partition and assigning it the “Recovery” label Format LABEL=”Recovery” quick::Assigning the letter R to the partition Assign letter=R::Completing work in DISKPART Exit

Figure 3 - work in DISKPART

Here and in what follows we will work on the command line.

Before moving on to capturing an operating system image, create a R:\ folder WinRE for storing it.

Figure 4 - WinRE folder in the root of the future recovery partition.

Creating an operating system image

After downloading, run command line and text editor:

Using the “Open” menu (combination Ctrl keys+ O) identify the letters of the sections.

In my example, as can be seen from Figure 7, the system section received the letter D:\, utility imagex.exe is in the folder E:\WAIK Tools\, and the section Recovery- letter F:\.

Figure 7 - partition letters in the WindowsRE environment.

One note: since we will not need to transfer the customized image to another computer, we will use the command given in the “Boot to Windows PE and save the image using the ImageX utility” section of the above article. Run the command:

"E:\WAIK Tools\amd64\imagex.exe" /capture D: F:\WinRE\install.wim "Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 Custom"

Necessary clarifications:

"E:\WAIK Tools\amd64\imagex.exe"- Path to the imagex.exe utility. Quotes are used to avoid problems with spaces in the folder name.
/capture D:- The key indicates the capture of the system image located on the D: partition (as seen in WindowsRE).
F:\WinRE\install.wim "Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 Custom"- Saving the captured image to the install.wim file (this is important, since in in this case only this name is valid) to the F:\WinRE folder. A file comment is specified and the default compression method is used. More details- in the TechNet knowledge base article ImageX Command Line Options

Figure 8 - creating an operating system image in the Windows RE environment

Quit WindowsRE and reboot. Let's move on to final stage creating a recovery partition.

Setting up the recovery environment.

In addition to the operating system image file, I decided to place a file on the new partition that would boot into the recovery environment. With this arrangement, it will not depend on the partition with the operating system.

As you know, the recovery environment is deployed from an image file WinRE.wim located in the folder Recovery at the root of the system partition. Via Explorer Windows access this folder is closed. The file attribute is hidden system. How to place the file in the location we choose? Let's use command line utilities.

First, disable the recovery environment. Please note that Any actions with the recovery environment must be preceded by disabling it! To do this, on the command line run

Reagentc /disable

After running this command the file WinRE.wim will move to the folder c:\Windows\System32\Recovery . From it we will copy the file to the folder R:\WinRE. Use the command xcopy with key /h:

Xcopy /h c:\Windows\System32\Recovery\winre.wim r:\WinRE

Figure 9 - copying the WinRE.wim file

And finally, a few final chords:

::Set custom path (key /path) to the system image file located in the folder, specified by the key /target Reagentc /setosimage /path R:\WinRE /target c:\Windows::Setting a custom path (key /path) to the system recovery environment deployment file located in the folder specified by the key /target Reagentc /setreimage /path R:\WinRE /target c:\Windows::Enable the recovery environment Reagentc /enable::Check the recovery environment settings Reagentc /info

As can be seen from Figure 10, the setup was successful. Do not close the window - the command line will still be needed.

Figure 10 - Setting up a custom recovery environment.

It will be interesting to see what changes have taken place in the section Recovery. To do this, enable the display of hidden and system files.

Figure 11 - changing the contents of the R section.

As you can see, the file WinRE.wim in folder WinRE no, but a folder appeared Recovery at the root of the section. Believe me, the file is now in it. I will not dwell on the structure of the Recovery folder - if you wish, you can study its contents and also compare it with the BCD parameters (using the bcdedit / enum all command).

All that remains is to protect the section from accidental impact from users. To do this, you need to hide it from Explorer and exclude the ability to work with it in Disk Management. The utility will help us with this again Diskpart. On the command line, run sequentially (the disk and partition numbers correspond to the configuration given in the article):

::Start DISKPART Diskpart::Select a disk. If there are several of them, then the number of the required disk is determined by the command LIST DISK Sel disk 0:: Select a partition. If necessary, specify the partition number with the command LIST PART Sel part 4::Deleting a letter - the section will be hidden in Windows Explorer Remove::Setting the section identifier ID=27. This ID is set specifically for recovery partitions. It becomes impossible to work with such a partition in Disk Management, which provides additional protection for it Set id=27

Figure 12 - working with the recovery partition in DISKPART

Changes that have occurred in the system

Firstly, the partition is not visible in Windows Explorer, and it does not have a context menu in Disk Management.

Figure 13 - Explorer and Disk Management Manager.

Secondly, in the advanced recovery methods window in the description Windows reinstallation There is no requirement to have an installation disk.

Figure 14 - Advanced Methods Menu Windows recovery.

Thirdly, the recovery environment menu has changed:

Figure 15 - additional item menu in Windows Recovery Options in Recovery Environment

This could have been the end of it. But there is a need to dwell on several nuances that arise after reinstalling the system in this manner. I will reinstall the system from the recovery environment.

Setting up a recovery environment after reinstalling the system

For the purity of the experiment, I will format the partition with the system and the partition with the download files. Moreover, I strongly recommend formatting the “System Reserved” section to avoid confusion with loading in the future.

Figure 16 - formatting partitions in the WindowsRE environment.

No user participation is required during the reinstallation process. You will receive a system identical to the one you had at the time you took the image.

Figure 17 - beginning of system reinstallation.

The only thing is that after reinstalling you need to make a few changes:

Due to a complete rebuild of the BCD, the recovery environment must be reconfigured.
hide section in explorer Recovery.

Disable the recovery environment with the command

Reagentc /disable

Turn on display of hidden and system files, open the folder WinRE on the section R:\ and make sure the file exists Winre.wim. If necessary, copy it from the folder Windows\System32\Recovery or from a folder R:\Recovery \xxxxxxxx -xxxx -xxxx -xxxx -xxxxxxxxxxxx.

After that delete the folder Recovery on the section R:\.

Figure 18- deleting the Recovery folder

Then enable the recovery environment:

Reagentc /enable

Make sure the settings are correct (note that the name of the folder in which the WinRE.wim file is located in the Recovery folder is different. Therefore, before connecting the recovery environment, you can safely delete the old one.):

Reagentc/info

Figure 19 - connecting the recovery environment after reinstallation.

Remove the letter from the partition R:\

Diskpart Sel disk 0 Sel part 4 Remove Exit

Your computer is ready for a fresh reinstallation.

One final note. While performing numerous reinstallations while preparing this article, I noticed the appearance of an incomprehensible folder in the list of available drives on the “System Protection” tab. This may be due to the missing folder in the system image System Volume Information or changing section IDs.

Figure 20 - phantom partition in the list of available disks on the “System Protection” tab.

To get rid of the strange folder, disable system protection on this phantom partition and enable it on the partition with the current system.

Conclusion

There are probably more simple ways reservations, especially using various programs. I don’t pretend that you will definitely use the method described above, but I think it’s convenient and practical.

Of course, the system will be updated over time. To keep the image up to date, periodically rewrite the file in Windows RE Install.wim.

Reading owner reviews Dell laptop 7720 from pre installed Windows 8 about the difficulties in deploying this very Windows 8 from the Recovery partition of a laptop hard drive to SSD drive and, more precisely, the inability of the Dell Backup utility and Recovery to deploy a factory image on an SSD, I set a goal - to restore the system to an SSD disk from an image file manually. It turns out to be an interesting situation - people, having bought a laptop, paid for pre-installed Windows 8, but they cannot transfer it to an SSD, they cannot update it from there to Windows 8.1 for free.

The recovery image file on the Recovery partition is divided into 4 parts: Install.swm, Install2.swm, Install3.swm, Install4.swm.

Let's roughly divide the whole process into stages:

Building a factory image file Install.wim of four parts into which it is divided: Install.swm, Install2.swm, Install3.swm, Install4.swm.
Preparing the SSD disk, creating partitions for system deployment.
Install.wim to the prepared section.
ESP(EFI System Partition) partition.

Building the factory image file Install.wim

To build the file, it is perhaps most convenient to use the installed OS: this can be additional system on a laptop or system at home desktop computer. I will not describe how to put the Install.swm, Install2.swm, Install3.swm, Install4.swm files there.

The most troublesome thing will be Windows owners 7, because To merge the file, they will have to download and install a package on the system Windows AIK for Windows 7 weighing approximately 1.2 GB: download (the package is installed entirely and its main weight is wim images for building WinPE), or package Windows ADK for Windows 8 weighing 2.5 GB: download. This is an on-line installer. Here full set on the torrent tracker. It has a custom installation and you can install only 40 MB by checking only the second item from the top. I gave links to the download as an example, you can search for them on the Internet and download them yourself.

Place the files Install.swm, Install2.swm, Install3.swm, Install4.swm. to the root of drive C. Why exactly to the root of the disk? Yes, it’s just that the commands entered will be shorter, specifically to the root of the C drive, because some have only one C partition and others don’t.

Windows AIK for Windows 7, then run the deployment tools command line as administrator and use imagex collect the file by entering the command imagex /export c:install.swm 1 c:install.wim /ref c:install*.swm

As you can see from the screenshot, building the file took more than 2 minutes at the size final file more than 13 GB (the image was collected on another SSD).

If you have Windows 7 and have installed Windows ADK for Windows 8, then run the command line of the deployment and imaging tools environment as an administrator, and using DISM collect the file by entering the command

If you have Windows 8, then you are the luckiest: there DISM already built into the system, you don’t need to download anything additional, just run the command line as administrator and run the previous command to build the file dism /Export-Image /SourceImagefile:C:install.swm /SWMFile:C:Install*.swm /SourceIndex:1 /DestinationImageFile:C:Install.wim

That's it, the file is collected. This is Install.wim in the root of drive C. Which of the three proposed methods you will proceed with is up to you to decide. Surely there are other ways.

Preparing an SSD disk, creating partitions for system deployment

Preparing an SSD disk includes creating ESP(EFI System Partition) partition where the download files will be located and create a partition for future system. Because There is always not enough space on the SSD, so we will not make any recovery partitions, MSR We will also not create a (MicroSoft Reserved) section as it is unnecessary - we only need the system. By the way, MSR section 128 MB in size is present on the vast majority of GPT disks, and their owners do not even know that they have 1 partition more than they think: it is not visible in disk management, does not see it and, for example, Acronis Disk Director.

Launch the command line. To do this, we boot from the WinPE4 disk. You can connect the SSD to a working Windows system 8 and call the command line from it.

I booted from a WinPE4 disk, i.e. on Windows based 8.

Next I will write the commands, briefly explaining each one. Commands can be written in capital letters, and not like mine. I will also write commands without abbreviating words (sel, lis, dis, part, vol), i.e. completely, to make it more meaningful (select, list, disk, partition, volume).

diskpart(called the partition manager)
list disk(a list of disks will be shown, you need to remember the number of the SSD disk: 0, 1, etc. Let our SSD be disk 0)
select disk 0(select SSD disk)
clean(clear it completely)
convert GPT(convert it to GPT)
create partition EFI size=100 offset=1024(creating a 100 MB ESP partition with 1 MB offset)
format quick fs=FAT32 (quick formatting it in FAT32)
assign letter=R(we temporarily assign any letter to the ESP section, for example, R)
create partition primary(creating a partition for all remaining space)
format quick fs=NTFS(quickly format it to NTFS)
assign letter=S(we assign any letter to the created NTFS partition, for example, S. I don’t know, maybe the letters C, D, E, etc. are already taken by you, so I took a letter from the middle of the alphabet. Don’t worry, the deployed system will be on drive C , as intended by the manufacturer, and these letters: R and S are given to partitions temporarily to copy download files (in this case from S to R).
exit(left diskpart)

Deploying a system from a factory image Install.wim to the prepared section.

Select tab Application(Apply).
As Source(Source) select the merged file Install.wim.
As Recipient(Destination) indicate the section we created with the letter S.
Press the button Apply(Apply).

Copying system boot files to ESP(EFI System Partition) partition

The command below is executed on the command line: either boot disk WinPE based on Windows 8, or on a Windows 8 system (this is if you have attached an SSD to it). Do not attempt to run this command from the installer. Windows disk 7 and bootable WinPE made on its basis! Launch the WinPE4 disk command line and enter the command bcdboot S:Windows /l ru-Ru /s R: /f UEFI(let me remind you that the letters S and R were assigned by us earlier)
exit (exit command line)

The whole process, all 4 stages, took about 15 minutes. That's all, you can boot from the SSD disk, accept license agreement, choose names for yourself and the computer, and here we are greeted by pre-installed Windows 8.

I'll add an important note

If at step 2 you chose to boot from a WinPE4 disk, then perform all the remaining steps from it without rebooting. Otherwise, all assigned letters will be lost. If you connected an SSD drive to a computer with Windows 8 installed, then also perform steps from two to four without rebooting.

Added a video to this article.

I hope it will be clearer this way. The video shows all stages except the first (gluing the system image file).

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That's all! Thank you for your attention and see you again on the pages of the site site

This guide describes how to deploy a recovery solution for reinstallation factory image in case of a system error. Windows® Recovery Environment (Windows RE) supports several recovery scenarios. This section describes two example recovery solutions: using Windows RE with Windows Setup as the primary recovery tool, and using Windows RE with a third party recovery solution.

Windows® 7 allows you to install a Windows RE image on any host NTFS partition, located on the same drive as the Windows installation, if the partition is one of the following types:

MBR disks type 0x7 or 0x27. With type 0x27, the partition must be at the beginning of the disk.
GPT disks- contain the PARTITION_MSFT_RECOVERY_GUID attribute.

For more information about partition requirements, see Understanding Disk Partitions.

In this section

Installation based recovery solution

Installation-based solutions allow the end user to use Windows RE to reinstall a factory image when a system error occurs.

Prerequisites

Windows 7 source image (.wim file). For more information, see Imaging hard drive partitions using ImageX.
.

This step configures an installation-based recovery solution that uses the same deployed Windows 7 image and the default Windows recovery image contained in the Windows partition.

This step starts the target computer to verify that it can run the recovery tool.
1. Click the button Start, select items Control Panel, system and safety, Backup and Restore and then click the command Restore system parameters or computer.
2. Click the element Advanced recovery methods and then click the button Reinstalling Windows
3. Follow the instructions on the screen. The computer restarts.
4. Make sure your computer starts in Windows RE. The system will reinstall Windows using the image placed in the recovery partition. After installation is complete, you can restore other copied files.
  Custom Recovery Solution
  
  If you use a custom recovery solution, you can integrate it with Windows RE. In the event of an error, end users will be able to restore their computers to a factory image using a third-party solution.
  
  Prerequisites
  
  The following software and hardware are required to complete this procedure:
  - Customized Windows RE image, described in step 4 of Quick Start: Creating a Windows RE image
  - Maintenance computer. For more information, see Create a maintenance computer.
  - Bootable Windows PE media containing the ImageX tool. This could be a CD, USB drive, or other bootable media. For more information, see Windows PE Quick Start Guides.
  - A Windows 7 master image stored in an external location, such as network folder or in a USB flash memory device.
  - The target computer with the Windows and System partitions applied and an empty recovery partition. For more information, see Applying Images with ImageX.
    Step 1: Set up a recovery partition
    
    This step configures the custom recovery solution and the default Windows recovery image located on the Windows partition.
    
    Step 2: Verify the recovery solution
    
    This step starts the target computer to verify that it can run the recovery tool. Also, make sure that the custom factory restore application can be launched from the Windows RE menu.
    1. Remove the CD and USB flash drive.
    2. Restart your computer.
    3. Start the target computer and open Windows Welcome.
    4. Restart your computer. Immediately after completing POST, press and hold the F8. A menu will open Additional download options.
    5. Select a team Restore your computer and press the key ENTER
    6. Follow the onscreen instructions to select your keyboard layout and enter your credentials.
    7. Check what's in Windows menu RE a link appears to custom application recovery.
    8. Restart your computer.
    9. Immediately after completing the POST procedure, press and hold the F1. Starts Windows environment RE.
    10. Check that the custom recovery application starts automatically.

The development of technology, the emergence of new generations of components that work much faster and are more economical, makes it possible to extend the life of computers and delay the need to purchase a new, more productive model. One option for such an upgrade would be to replace a traditional hard drive with its solid-state counterpart.

Considering the excellent speed characteristics of such drives, using them as system drives is a The best decision. ABOUT possible problems that may arise during transfer system partition from a classic hard drive to an SSD, we'll tell you. We will talk about the Windows 8 system installed on a Lenovo laptop, and similar issues of modernization, repair, and computer setup Apple We'll leave it for another time.

Wim image binding

Windows 8 has a factory reset mode when problems occur that cannot be fixed by any other means. This will result in the loss of everyone installed programs, settings, personal data, etc., but all the shortcomings in the work will disappear, and the system will return to its original form.

When replacing a disk and after the accompanying procedure of transferring the system from an old disk to a new one, it happens that the binding to the Windows 8 system recovery environment of the OS wim image with factory settings is broken. It is contained in the hidden Recovery section. The result of violating this binding is the impossibility of rolling back the system to factory settings.

Next, we will describe the process of how to restore the wim image binding. Used for example Lenovo laptop with UEFI BIOS. The algorithm of action will be similar for devices from other manufacturers. The difference may lie in the names of menu items and some other little things.

If you don’t have confidence in your abilities, and what is described below looks too complicated, then it would be best to go to the launch.rf workshop computer repair in Otradnoye and find out when they can help you with this problem.

You need to go to the Disk Management utility. There we will see that all partitions, including the hidden Recovery, are on system disk intact.

First of all, make sure that the recovery environment is enabled by entering “reagentc /info” in the command line.

In response, we will receive a message that the recovery environment is disabled. This happened after migrating the system from an old hard drive to an SSD. You need to turn it on. The command “reagentc /Enable” is intended for this.

The REAgentC program will report that the recovery environment (Winre.wim file) is enabled, and its standard location is in the hidden first partition of the disk - \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition1\Recovery\WindowsRE. The problem is that the location of the recovery image is unknown. This means that if you use Push-Button Reset Overview, the Windows installation DVD will be used as the image.

Previously, we established that we have all the necessary partitions, including the hidden Recovery with the wim image, and the problem is the missing connection between this image and system environment recovery. Let's start restoring the connection. You will need a command line where you need to enter several commands in sequence:

"Diskpart".
“lis vol” – a list of all disk partitions is displayed.
“sel vol 4” – select the section containing the desired image recovery.
“assign letter M” – assign the letter “M” to section 4.
“exit” – exits the Diskpart utility.

Now you should open “Explorer”, in which the “M” drive will appear. To control, you can check that the “install.wim” file containing the factory image of the system is located on this drive.

Let's return to the command line and continue working. “M:” – with this command we go to the “M” drive.

The next directive is “attrib /s /d”. With its help, the full paths of files located in the directory and subdirectories on this disk and their attributes. We see that the “Factory” subdirectory we are interested in has attributes S “system”, H “hidden”, R “read only”, which we do not need and need to be cleared.

To do this, enter the commands:

“cd OKRBackup\Factory” – change the current directory to L:\OKRBackup\Factory.
“attrib -s -h -r /s” – remove the listed attributes from all files in this directory.
“attrib /s /d” – control that attributes have been removed.

“C:” – goes to the system drive.

Now we bind the wim image with the command “reagentc /setosimage /path M:\OKRBackup\Factory /index 1”. If everything went well, now when you roll back to the original settings, information from the desired section disk (from wim image). To verify this, you can run the command "reagentc /INFO".