Create and Import the Deployment Workbench Windows PE Image into Windows Deployment Services

When creating a new MDT deployment share or modifying an existing MDT deployment share, you can create a customized Windows PE boot image. When the deployment share is updated, the Windows PE boot image is automatically generated and updated with information about the deployment share, and it will inject any additional drivers or components specified during the deployment share configuration.

The Windows PE boot image is generated as both an ISO image file, which you can write to a CD or DVD, and a bootable WIM file. You can import the WIM file to Windows Deployment Services so that computers that can boot in PXE can download and run the LTI Windows PE boot image across a network used to initialize an installation.

To create a bootable Windows PE image in the Deployment Workbench

1. Click Start, and then point to All Programs. Point to Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and then click Deployment Workbench.

2. In the Deployment Workbench console tree, go to Deployment Workbench/Deployment Shares/deployment_share (where deployment_share is the name of the deployment share to configure).

3. In the Actions pane, click Properties.

4. In the deployment_share Properties dialog box, click the Windows PE platform Settings tab (where platform is the architecture of the Windows PE image to be configured).

5. In the Lite Touch Boot Image Settings area, select the Generate a Lite Touch bootable RAM disk ISO image check box.

6. Click the Windows PE platform Components tab (where platform is the architecture of the Windows PE image to be configured).

7. In the Driver Injection section, click the appropriate driver types to include.

Note This step is not necessary if Windows PE already includes the necessary device drivers.

8. In the Driver Injection section, in the Selection profile list, select the appropriate driver selection profile.

9. In the Properties dialog box, click OK.

Note This step is not necessary if Windows PE already includes the necessary device drivers.

10. In the details pane, click deployment_share (where deployment_share is the name of the deployment share to configure).

11. In the Actions pane, click Update Deployment Share.

The Update Deployment Share Wizard starts.

12. On the Options page, select the desired options for updating the deployment share, and then click Next.

13. On the Summary page, verify the details are correct, and then click Next.

14. On the Confirmation page, click Finish.

When this process is complete, the Boot folder in the deployment share will contain a number of boot images—for example:

D:\Production Deployment Share\Boot\LiteTouchPE_x64.iso

D:\Production Deployment Share\Boot\LiteTouchPE_x64.wim

D:\Production Deployment Share\Boot\LiteTouchPE_x86.iso

D:\Production Deployment Share\Boot\LiteTouchPE_x86.wim

You can write the ISO files that have been generated directly to CD or DVD or use them to initialize the LTI process on new hardware. You can import the boot WIM files into Windows Deployment Services, as well, so that new computers can initialize the LTI deployment process without requiring any physical media.

To import the Windows PE image into Windows Deployment Services

1. Start the Windows Deployment Services console, and then connect to Windows Deployment Services.

2. In the console tree, right-click Boot Images, and then click Add Boot Image.

3. Browse to the WIM image to be imported—for example, D:\Production Deployment Share\Boot\LiteTouchPE_x86.wim.

4. The import process automatically reads the metadata from the boot image, but the Image Name and Image Description values can also be edited; the Image Name affects the boot option information displayed by Windows Boot Manager when the client boots in PXE.

5. When the boot image has been imported, any computer that boots in PXE and receives a reply from Windows Deployment Services will be able to download the LTI boot image and initiate an LTI installation.

Installing and configuring Windows Deployment Services is not covered in this guide. For additional information about Windows Deployment Services, see the Windows Deployment Services Guide.