sources folder is empty

Kecoey

New Member
Messages
1
NOTE: How to download and clean install Windows 8.1 if you have an OEM computer with UEFI firmware (BIOS) embedded Windows 8/8.1 product key. -> link

NOTE: Here is info about reagentc /info -> link

How to install Windows 8 to a blank hard drive from the Windows 8 recovery USB flash drive.

If you have created a Windows 8 recovery USB flash drive by selecting the option "Copy the recovery partition from the PC to the recovery drive" (see screenshot below).

View attachment 49894

- You do not need to change the boot order of drives in your computer's UEFI firmware (BIOS).
- You do not need to disable Secure Boot in your computer's UEFI firmware (BIOS).
- Connect your Windows 8 recovery USB flash drive.
- Restart the computer.
- Press the correct key to enter the boot menu (see this link for help).
- Select your USB flash drive from the boot menu.
- Select your language and keyboard layout (if displayed).
- Select the "Troubleshoot" option.
- Select the Reset your PC option.

When you see the question "Do you want to repartition the drives on your PC? All your files will be removed." (see screenshot below), click on "Yes, repartition the drives".

View attachment 54960

But if you receive the following error message: "Unable to reset your PC. A required drive partition is missing." or "Unable to reset your PC. The system drive cannot be found.", then the Windows 8 recovery USB flash drive is not able to automatically install Windows 8 to a blank hard drive.

View attachment 52578

View attachment 54880

What should I do if the Reset your PC option not work?

You can manually create the required partitions (special GPT attributes are required beyond just the empty partitions) and manually restore using your Windows 8 recovery USB flash drive.

View at the link below "5.1 Create a DiskPart script" and "5.2 Create the deployment script".

Step-by-Step: Windows 8 Deployment for IT Professionals

This tutorial is only for Windows 8 64-bit (not for 32-bit).

EDIT: For some reason, the ApplyImage.bat (a batch file line: dism /Apply-Image...) is not working as it should on all OEM computers and that's when the installation fails.

Open the sources folder on the Windows 8 recovery USB flash drive, and you can see either the install.wim image file or the split image files: Install.swm, Install2.swm, Install3.swm, etc.

Why the Windows 8 recovery USB flash drive does not always contains the install.wim image file?
- With GPT partitions only FAT32 can be used on the USB boot media.
- With FAT32 you can't put a file larger than ~4GB on the drive.

View attachment 52583

1.

The Windows RE tools partition size is 1000 MB. Do not decrease the Windows RE tools partition size or you will receive the error message "There is not enough space on the disk", when you run the ApplyImage.bat batch file.

The recovery image partition size is 20480 MB (20 GB). NOTE: You can decrease the recovery image partition size. For example, you can use 4000 instead of 20480 for the recovery image partition, if your Windows 8 recovery USB flash drive contains the install.wim image file.

Save the following code as CreatePartitions.txt

Code:
rem == CreatePartitions.txt ==
rem == These commands are used with DiskPart to
rem    create five partitions
rem    for a UEFI/GPT-based PC.
rem == Usage: diskpart /s ScriptFileName
rem == Example: diskpart /s D:\CreatePartitions.txt
rem ================================================
select disk 0
clean
convert gpt
rem == 1. Windows RE tools partition ===============
create partition primary size=1000
format quick fs=ntfs label="Windows RE tools"
assign letter="T"
set id="de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac"
gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001
rem == 2. System partition =========================
create partition efi size=260
format quick fs=fat32 label="System"
assign letter="S"
rem == 3. Microsoft Reserved (MSR) partition =======
create partition msr size=128
rem == 4. Windows partition ========================
rem ==    a. Create the Windows partition ==========
create partition primary 
rem ==    b. Create space for the recovery image ===
shrink minimum=20480
rem       ** NOTE: Update this size to match the size
rem                of the recovery image           **
rem ==    c. Prepare the Windows partition ========= 
format quick fs=ntfs label="Windows"
assign letter="W"
rem === 5. Recovery image partition ================
create partition primary
format quick fs=ntfs label="Recovery image"
assign letter="R"
set id="de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac"
gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001
rem ================================================
list volume
exit

2.

> OPTION ONE <

The sources folder contains the split image files: Install.swm, Install2.swm, Install3.swm, etc.

Save the following code as ApplyImage.bat

Code:
@echo off
rem == ApplyImage.bat ==
rem == These commands copy the selected image file to
rem    predefined hard disk partitions on a UEFI-based computer.

rem == Usage: ApplyImage.bat WimFileName
rem == Example: D:\ApplyImage D:\sources\*.swm
rem == Example: D:\ApplyImage D:\sources\install.wim

rem == Copy the image to the recovery image partition =======================
md R:\RecoveryImage
xcopy %1 R:\RecoveryImage\

rem == Apply the image to the Windows partition =============================
rem == OPTION 1. The split image files: Install.swm, Install2.swm, Install3.swm, etc.
dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:R:\RecoveryImage\install.swm /SWMFile:R:\RecoveryImage\install*.swm /Index:1 /ApplyDir:W:\
rem == OPTION 2. The install.wim image file.
rem == dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:R:\RecoveryImage\install.wim /Index:1 /ApplyDir:W:\

rem == Copy the Windows RE Tools to the Windows RE Tools partition ==========
md T:\Recovery\WindowsRE
xcopy /h W:\Windows\System32\Recovery\Winre.wim T:\Recovery\WindowsRE\

rem == Copy boot files from the Windows partition to the System partition ===
bcdboot W:\Windows

rem == Register the location of the recovery tools ==========================
W:\Windows\System32\reagentc /setreimage /path T:\Recovery\WindowsRE /target W:\Windows

rem == Register the location of the push-button reset recovery image ========
W:\Windows\System32\reagentc /setosimage /path R:\RecoveryImage /target W:\Windows /index 1

> OPTION TWO <

The sources folder contains the install.wim image file.

Save the following code as ApplyImage.bat

Code:
@echo off
rem == ApplyImage.bat ==
rem == These commands copy the selected image file to
rem    predefined hard disk partitions on a UEFI-based computer.

rem == Usage: ApplyImage.bat WimFileName
rem == Example: D:\ApplyImage D:\sources\*.swm
rem == Example: D:\ApplyImage D:\sources\install.wim

rem == Copy the image to the recovery image partition =======================
md R:\RecoveryImage
xcopy %1 R:\RecoveryImage\

rem == Apply the image to the Windows partition =============================
rem == OPTION 1. The split image files: Install.swm, Install2.swm, Install3.swm, etc.
rem == dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:R:\RecoveryImage\install.swm /SWMFile:R:\RecoveryImage\install*.swm /Index:1 /ApplyDir:W:\
rem == OPTION 2. The install.wim image file.
dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:R:\RecoveryImage\install.wim /Index:1 /ApplyDir:W:\

rem == Copy the Windows RE Tools to the Windows RE Tools partition ==========
md T:\Recovery\WindowsRE
xcopy /h W:\Windows\System32\Recovery\Winre.wim T:\Recovery\WindowsRE\

rem == Copy boot files from the Windows partition to the System partition ===
bcdboot W:\Windows

rem == Register the location of the recovery tools ==========================
W:\Windows\System32\reagentc /setreimage /path T:\Recovery\WindowsRE /target W:\Windows

rem == Register the location of the push-button reset recovery image ========
W:\Windows\System32\reagentc /setosimage /path R:\RecoveryImage /target W:\Windows /index 1

3.

Copy CreatePartitions.txt and ApplyImage.bat to the root directory of your recovery USB flash drive (see screenshot below).

View attachment 52584

4.

Start the computer from the Windows 8 recovery USB flash drive and select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt (see screenshot below).

View attachment 52579

5.

Warning: This will completely deletes all data contained on the primary hard drive.

Run the Diskpart script.

diskpart /s D:\CreatePartitions.txt

Where D is a drive letter of your recovery USB flash drive.

You can use this at the command prompt to see what drive letters are in use: diskpart > list volume > exit

View attachment 52767

6.

Run the ApplyImage.bat batch file.

NOTE: If you receive the error message "File not found - Winre.wim" when you run the ApplyImage.bat batch file, then you should be able to install Windows 8, but refresh and reset does not work.

> OPTION ONE <

If the sources folder contains the split image files with a .swm extension, then run the following command.

D:\ApplyImage D:\sources\*.swm

Where D is a drive letter of your recovery USB flash drive.

View attachment 52768

> OPTION TWO <

If the sources folder contains the install.wim image file, then run the following command.

D:\ApplyImage D:\sources\install.wim

Where D is a drive letter of your recovery USB flash drive.

View attachment 52769

7.

Once everything is done, remove your recovery USB flash drive, close the Command Prompt window and select Continue - Exit and continue to Windows 8 (see screenshot below). The installation of Windows 8 will begin.

View attachment 52580

8.

Once you finished the Windows installation, you can verify the Windows RE information (see screenshot below).

In the elevated command prompt, type: reagentc /info

View attachment 52771

You can also type commands: diskpart > select disk 0 > list partition (see screenshot below).

Partition 1: Recovery 1000 MB - Windows recovery environment (Windows RE) tools
Partition 2: System 260 MB - EFI system. Boot loader program, drivers used by firmware at boot time, etc.
Partition 3: Reserved 128 MB - Microsoft Reserved (MSR)
Partition 4: Primary - Windows 8 installation partition. The partition size will depend on the size of your hard drive.
Partition 5: Recovery 20 GB - Recovery image

View attachment 52772

NOTE: The MSR (Reserved) 128 MB partition is not visible within Disk Management utility, but it is listed with command line utility (diskpart).

View attachment 52773

NOTE: Before upgrade to Windows 8.1 from the Windows Store, you do not need to install all Windows 8 updates from Windows Update. You only need to install KB2871389 update, then you’ll be able to install the Windows 8.1 update via the Windows Store. Download and install KB2871389 update from link or from Windows Update.

KB2871389 (direct download link)
- All supported x86-based versions of Windows 8: http://download.microsoft.com/downl...5E-794177982162/Windows8-RT-KB2871389-x86.msu
- All supported x64-based versions of Windows 8: http://download.microsoft.com/downl...49-140AB1CF7B5F/Windows8-RT-KB2871389-x64.msu

But if you've opened the Windows Store and you don't see the Windows 8.1 update, then you will need to also install KB2917499 update.



When I create a recovery drive on a USB, the sources folder is empty. I even tried showing hidden files and still nothing. I was not able to select the option to copy the recovery option from my PC when creating the recovery drive though. Could this be the problem?
 
Last edited by a moderator:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1

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
Back
Top