I've been building a Win PE image in an effort to capture an image on a prepaired PC. Following the help files in the WAIK users guide I used the following command... copy "C:\program files\<version>\Tools\<architecture>\imagex.exe" C:\winpe_x86\iso\ (version Windows AIK, architecture x86) as instructed to make imagex available for use when I boot to WinPE. This does copy imagex.exe to the root of the CD that eventually gets produced but when I boot to WinPE using that CD the file doesn't appear under x:\ or anywhere else. There are instructions for putting windows packages into the WinPE iso but it doesn't say anything about how to put in generic files like imagex for my use. I also cant access the C: or D: drives using WinPE even though diskpart can see them and knows their drive letters so I can't run it from there. Can anyone help?

How about using the built-in capture media: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb694129.aspx? Or better yet, use a build and capture task sequence so that you never have to manually build a reference system again. Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys

How about using the built-in capture media: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb694129.aspx? Or better yet, use a build and capture task sequence so that you never have to manually build a reference system again. Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys Well Having hit a brick wall with my original approach I thought I'd try the MDT being touted as a good solution for mass deployment. So again I run into an issue trying to follow the instructions. Having created a deployment share I'm instructed to import an operating system. I'm asked for a source_path for the 'Windows 7 distribution files'. There is no indication as to what these actually are. I have all the windows 7 media I'd need to install windows 7, I even previously used the WAIK to perform an unattended install but the meaning of this term 'windows 7 distribution files' is totally ambiguous, what files? what form would you like them in? I just don't know. In trying to follow the various instruction sets for people new to the various mass deployment solutions issued by microsoft I've found repeatedly that, in what should be basic how to information, there is a prohibitive amount of assumed knowledge. Do I really need to go away and do an MCP to do what really shouldn't be that hard?

Win 7 distribution files = the files on the Win 7 DVD. Yes, all of them, copied to a single, dedicated, and accessible folder.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys

Win 7 distribution files = the files on the Win 7 DVD. Yes, all of them, copied to a single, dedicated, and accessible folder. Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys Thank you Jason. I appreciate it. I'll update this thread with my progress.

I've continued using the instructions that come with the MDT. I'm troubled by the fact that there appear to be no independent instructions anywhere for capturing an image outside of a deployment. The instructions for capturing an image involve first deploying a basic install and capturing that all in one step. Which as you might imagine is useless. Imaging a fresh install I've done nothing with, like updating, doesn't help me at all. Do these tools actually capture images or are they just writing scripts that automate basic installs with nothing on them?

Not really sure what you're getting at? The best way to create an image in OSD is to use a build and capture task sequence: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb633062.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632585.aspx http://www.windows-noob.com/forums/index.php?/topic/667-deploy-windows-7/ Boht MDT and OSD (and MDT integrated into OSD) go well beyond just doing a clean, vanilla instal of the OS. There are tasks for doing anything an everything you need during a TS including adding updates and applications. One of the beatuies of using an automated build and capture is that you don't have to pack your image with everything and can focus on making your deployment very dynamic.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys

Not really sure what you're getting at? The best way to create an image in OSD is to use a build and capture task sequence: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb633062.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632585.aspx http://www.windows-noob.com/forums/index.php?/topic/667-deploy-windows-7/ Boht MDT and OSD (and MDT integrated into OSD) go well beyond just doing a clean, vanilla instal of the OS. There are tasks for doing anything an everything you need during a TS including adding updates and applications. One of the beatuies of using an automated build and capture is that you don't have to pack your image with everything and can focus on making your deployment very dynamic.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys