When using  System Centre Configuration Manager for OS deployment you always use WinPE as your boot media/environment for deploying  the actual image…

Normally you can just use the boot image supplied with SCCM (a WinPE 2.1 wim, taken from WAIK and placed in \\”SiteServer”\SMS_”SiteCode”\osd\boot\”architecture”\boot.wim), with out any further considerations. Well you might have to inject some NIC and Storage drivers, but that’s properly it!

A problem you might run into though, is lacking functionality of that WinPE build, like no HTA, MDAC/ADO support etc, or you might need to ad a “Custom media hook” to run a script prior to starting the task sequence. If that’s the case you will have to make a custom boot image. 

Beneath is an 8 step guide on how to do that…

NOTE – Before you start please read the last two lines in this guide (describes the easy way to do this!!)

 

1. Use (WAIK) To create a WinPE 2.1 boot image

– Go to <Start><All Programs><Microsoft Windows AIK> and start Windows PE Tools Command Prompt

– Type COPYPE X86 C:\WinPEx86 (this is for  32bit, for 64bit change x86 to amd64)

2. Mount the boot image to a temporary directory.

–  imagex.exe /mountrw C:\WinPEx86\winpe.wim 1 C:\WinPEx86\mount

3. Install optional components  (Scripting, WMI and XML are required to perform SCCM OS deployments – so they must be installed)

-peimg.exe /install=*Scripting* C:\WinPEx86\mount\windows (support for .vbs, .js and .wsf – mandatory for SCCM)

-peimg.exe /install=*WMI* C:\WinPEx86\mount\windows (support for WMI – mandatory for SCCM)

-peimg.exe /install=*XML* C:\WinPEx86\mount\windows (support for XML – mandatory for SCCM)

________________________________________optional components_________________________________

-peimg.exe /install=*HTA* C:\WinPEx86\mount\windows (support for HTA)

-peimg.exe /install=*MDAC* C:\WinPEx86\mount\windows (support for  Database access – mandatory if using MDT DB)

-peimg.exe /install=*Fonts* C:\WinPEx86\mount\windows (support for ASIA font types)

 

4. Copy additional files to the Boot.wim. This step is optional and you could add any number of files and programs.

– Copy  Trace32 to C:\WinPEx86\mount\windows\system32 (tool for viewing LOG files – which is a must have)

5. Save a copy of your customised Boot.wim, as the boot.wim used for SCCM will be closed for updates!

– Imagex /unmount /commit C:\WinPEx86\mount

– Xcopy C:\WinPEx86\winpe.wim C:\WinPEx86\source\winpe.wim /y  (this will be the image to use next time you want to customize)

 

6. Finalize the boot image using the following command:

– imagex.exe /mountrw C:\WinPEx86\winpe.wim 1 C:\WinPEx86\mount

– peimg.exe /prep C:\WinPEx86\mount\windows /f  (this will make the Boot image ready for SCCM)

– Imagex /unmount /commit C:\WinPEx86\mount

 

7. Export the custom boot image. This step is necessary to reduce the image footprint (reduce the size)

–  imagex.exe /export C:\WinPEx86\winpe.wim 1 C:\WinPEx86\boot.wim

8. Import the boot.wim into Configuration Mgr.

– Right click Boot Images and choose Add Boot Image. Point to the newly created Boot.wim and follow the wizard..

That it.. You now haw a custom boot image.

Should you need to make further changes to the boot.wim, just copy the winpe.wim from C:\WinPEx86\source\winpe.wim  to C:\WinPEx86\winpe.wim and start from step 2.

You could of cause integrate MDT with SCCM and the just use the “Create boot image using Microsoft Deployment” wizard found under  <Boot Images><Add Boot Image> and all these steps would be automatically executed. Well now at least you have an idea what is happening..