Windows® System Image Manager (Windows SIM) uses Windows image (.wim) files and catalog (.clg) files to display the available components and packages that can be added to an answer file (Unattend.xml). Windows images and catalog files contain configurable settings that you can modify after the component or package is added to an answer file.
We recommend that you use the 32-bit version of Windows SIM when you create your catalog files. The following table shows the architectures of Windows SIM and the supported Windows image architectures.
Windows SIM architecture | Can create catalogs for Windows images of the following architecture types |
---|---|
x86 version of SIM |
x86-based systems, x64-based systems, and Windows® RT ARM-based systems |
x64 version of SIM |
x64-based systems only |
Windows Image Files
A Windows image file contains one or more compressed Windows images. Each Windows image in a Windows image file contains a list of all of the components, settings, and packages that are available with that Windows image.
Limitations of Windows Image Files
The following list describes some of the limitations of using Windows image files:
- Only an account that has administrator
permissions can open Windows image files.
- Only one user at a time can open Windows
image files.
- Because Windows image files can contain one
or more Windows images, they are frequently large. Some Windows
image files can be several gigabytes in size.
- Because Windows images can be modified
through different settings, using a Windows image file to create
your answer file might cause you to apply altered default settings
and configurations to a recaptured Windows image.
Because of these limitations, Windows SIM uses catalog files to create an answer file.
Catalog Files
A catalog file is a binary file that only includes the settings and packages in a Windows image. Catalog files (.clg) are only used by Windows SIM and is not used by other deployment tools, nor is it required to install Windows. When Windows SIM creates a catalog file, it queries the Windows image for a list of all the settings and state of each setting in that image. Because the contents of a Windows image can change over time, you must re-create the catalog file whenever you update a Windows image.
Because only administrators can open Windows images, you must have administrator permissions on the system to create a catalog file.
When Windows SIM opens a Windows image file or catalog file, all of the configurable components and packages inside that image are displayed in the Windows Image pane. You can then add components and settings to an answer file.
Contents of a Catalog File
A catalog file contains the following information:
- A list of component settings and current
values
- Windows features and package states
Benefits of Catalog Files
Catalog files have several advantages over Windows image files:
- The size of a catalog file can be less than 1
megabyte (MB), whereas the size of Windows image files can be
several gigabytes. Also, catalog files are easier to copy to
removable media or a network share.
- Multiple users can create answer files for a
single catalog file at the same time, whereas only one person can
open and access a Windows image file at any particular time.
- Non-administrators can create answer files
for a catalog file. However, only administrators can open Windows
image files.
Troubleshooting Catalog Creation
In some scenarios, you might not be able to create a catalog for a Windows image. Common causes and workarounds include the following:
- Catalog creation fails when the Windows
image file is in a read-only location, such as on a DVD. The
workaround for this issue is to copy the Windows image file to a
location that has read and write permission for the current
user.
- Windows SIM cannot create a catalog
for a 32-bit Windows image from a 64-bit version of
Windows SIM. To work around this issue, use the 32-bit
version of Windows SIM to create catalogs for your Windows
images.
Windows SIM cannot create catalog files for some Windows images of different architecture types. We recommend that you use the 32-bit version of Windows SIM to create catalog files because this version can create catalogs for all Windows image architecture types. The following table describes the Windows SIM architecture types and catalogs that can be created for each Windows image architecture type.
We recommend that you use the 32-bit version of Windows SIM when you create your catalog files. The following table shows the architectures of Windows SIM and the supported Windows image architectures.
Windows SIM architecture | Can create catalogs for Windows images of the following architecture types |
---|---|
x86 version of SIM |
x86-based systems, x64-based systems, and Windows® RT ARM-based systems |
x64 version of SIM |
x64-based systems only |