does a captured install.wim only contain windows?

wildpig1234

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so I have a regular full installation of win8.1 with office 2007, mpc-hc, classic shell, acrobat, etc. I want to convert to a wimboot setup. would my captured install.wim to be deployed to the recovery partition only contain windows or it would contain all other progs also?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
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    Intel i7-2600K
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    Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
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    32 GB
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    Nvidia GTX480, NVS420
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think I answered my own question. the install.wim does also contains other programs. I guess if you later do an uninstall the files still there in the recovery partition so you can't really uninstall? guess have to be carefull about what to and not included when making the install.wim....
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    Intel i7-2600K
    Motherboard
    Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX480, NVS420
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 305T
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Hitachi HDT721010SLA360
    PSU
    650W Ultra LSP650
    Internet Speed
    12 Mb Cable
Yes and No.. It depends if you capture the wim before or after you install the programs..

Since you are trying to do wimboot - I need to know what install.wim you are referring to?

There are plenty to choose from.. The install.wim from your recovery partition, the install*.swm(s) from your recovery media or the install.wim from windows setup..

A clean wimboot install uses the install.wim from the windows setup media.. you use that wim to create your wimboot images, then you customize your windows, then recapture the customizations into a custom.wim

I have the whole process scripted out in a to scripts along with How To's

http://www.eightforums.com/installation-setup/57595-create-recovery-partition-recovery-image.html

and for a better understanding

Create WIMBoot Images
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
I played around a lil and looks like wim file contains everything on c: at whatever state yr computer is at at that time of making the wim file. Im talking about my own wim file that i make.... So then if i capture my wim file after completely setting up my tablet with all progs installed then wim file appears to contain all the apps too. i guess the only problem is that if you deploy that wim file for wimboot, you can't really uninstall those progs in true sense because the files in wimboot recovery partition are not deleted and windows just the delete the pointer files for those files? So i guess if you are sure you not going to uninstall a program then you can leave it in wimboot recovery partition to take advantage of the compression. o/w if you know you are going to update or uninstall reinstall a program frequently then that program should be all on c: ....
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    Intel i7-2600K
    Motherboard
    Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX480, NVS420
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 305T
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Hitachi HDT721010SLA360
    PSU
    650W Ultra LSP650
    Internet Speed
    12 Mb Cable
think I answered my own question. the install.wim does also contains other programs. I guess if you later do an uninstall the files still there in the recovery partition so you can't really uninstall? guess have to be carefull about what to and not included when making the install.wim....
You want to include Office as it is big and I doubt you can uninstall. You gotta be careful about upgrades you do after creation too - these will not form part of it and will still be uncompressed. You'll want to re-do it periodically after doing a lot of windows updates.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro Prieview x64
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    Laptop
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    MacBook Pro Core2Duo
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    T7600
    Memory
    3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon X1600
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Internal
    Screen Resolution
    1440 x 800
    Hard Drives
    40GB
    Keyboard
    Apple
    Mouse
    Apple
    Internet Speed
    Varies
    Browser
    Various
    Antivirus
    Defender
Yes the Factory Install.wim does contain all the programs..

And yes if you capture your installed programs into a wimboot install.wim - then when you choose to un-install them - you will only be removing the pointer files.. If you reset the PC the programs would be re-installed
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
the next iteration of this technology would be a sort of return to the day doublespace and real time complete HDD compression back in those old days? ;). This would allows for updates and uninstall and reinstall without wasting space on old files .

Hopefully this time around with much faster cpu and ssd and maybe better coding, it might be good and fast enough for most users not to notice?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    Intel i7-2600K
    Motherboard
    Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX480, NVS420
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 305T
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Hitachi HDT721010SLA360
    PSU
    650W Ultra LSP650
    Internet Speed
    12 Mb Cable
Now they use DISM to add packages, features, drivers and the likes to offline images
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
sure you can use DISM to add and maybe to even remove files, but without knowing exactly what to remove (and add) like what the regular msi or installation exe does, you could be working a little in the dark....

I think i have a much better idea of wim file and wimboot now. Good to know exactly what it can and can't do before i retrofit it onto my tabs.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    Intel i7-2600K
    Motherboard
    Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX480, NVS420
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 305T
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Hitachi HDT721010SLA360
    PSU
    650W Ultra LSP650
    Internet Speed
    12 Mb Cable
winboot use a recovery image install.wim and only puts pointer files the windows partition that point back to the install.wim

thus keeping the used windows partition size to a minimum (by using a compressed format of windows rather then a fully expanded format.. So the wimboot.wim serve two functions - a windows image and a recovery image
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
My next question is if i ever need to make major changes to wimboot, what's the best fastest way of doing it? It's a little slow to have to reconvert my tablet from wimboot back to normal boot configuration and then recapture the new configuration to a new wimboot.

I know you can use DISM to add and remove files but you have to know exactly what files you are adding or removing but that's not easy to do manually since a regular windows installation or upgrade routine can include hundreds of files or registry changes.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    Intel i7-2600K
    Motherboard
    Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX480, NVS420
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 305T
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Hitachi HDT721010SLA360
    PSU
    650W Ultra LSP650
    Internet Speed
    12 Mb Cable
When you create wimboot images from the windows setup media sources folder "install.wim" using the method described.. You get a clean windows install_wimboot.wim and a winre_wimboot.wim...

After you apply those two wim(s) to the HD - you customize you windows installation.
Then you recapture the changes into a custom.wim

If you need to make major changes to your system - you reapply the *wimboot.wim(s) and then you make your changes, then recapture your major again into a custom.wim

You can not swap out the wim(s) as the custom.wim points to the install.wim..

Them are linked togather by "pointer files" so you must start over with the customization process..

But you can reuse the original Install_wimboot.wim and winre_wimboot.wim you created from the setup media Install.wim
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
So here is the whole process in a nutshell..
create wimboot images out of the setup install.wim
apply the wimboot images to HD
add your programs to your windows installation
capture your added programs and changes into a custom.wim..

want to make major changes.. Start over..
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
yeah i guess so... :(. oh well, good to know all the pros and cons and limitations. I will still use wimboot but will have to think harder about what to start out with to minimize having to redo due to major changes.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    Intel i7-2600K
    Motherboard
    Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX480, NVS420
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 305T
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Hitachi HDT721010SLA360
    PSU
    650W Ultra LSP650
    Internet Speed
    12 Mb Cable
Just do windows, then capture windows updates and your system drivers into a custom wim..

that way you have clean windows to refer / and reset to..

then you just have to reinstall your programs (since that is the issue) and that way when you un-install a program you added (it actually un-installs the program)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
I am thinking also including office 2007 and acrobat reader inside the wimboot recovery to take advantage of the compression also. Will do an update to office before capturing the wim. Not planning to upgrade from office 2007 or acrobat and I can't see too many updates to it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    Intel i7-2600K
    Motherboard
    Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX480, NVS420
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 305T
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Hitachi HDT721010SLA360
    PSU
    650W Ultra LSP650
    Internet Speed
    12 Mb Cable
after you install office 2007 and update the service packs, you can delete the MSOcache (it is a hidden database of the office installation files) and if for some reason windows ever needed them you could point and use the installation files
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
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