If the .wim file is too large for your selected media, you can split the file into smaller files for spanning across multiple media. For example, if your .wim file is too large to fit on a single CD, you can split the .wim file so that it spans several CD-ROMs.

By default, the /split option creates new split .wim files, with a new .swm extension. The first file name is based off of the specified file name, and each of the following files receives a number after it.

Example: Specifying the destination file name as "Install.wim" creates the new split files: "Install.swm", "Install2.swm", "Install3.swm", and so on.

Important:

If you want to use Windows® Setup to install a split .wim file by using the /installfrom command line parameter, you must name the split .wim file "install.swm", "install2.swm", and so on. Windows Setup specifically searches for split wim files named install*.swm. If you use a different file name, Windows Setup will not install the split Windows image.

To split an image

  1. Determine the size of media required for the image.

    To plan for deployment using CD-ROM media, we recommend splitting images into files with a maximum size of 600 megabytes (MB).

  2. On your technician computer, at a command prompt, open the ImageX directory. For example,

    C:\Program Files\<version>\Tools\<architecture>
    where <version> can be Windows OPK or Windows AIK and <architecture> can be x86, amd64, or ia64.

  3. Split the image into a specific directory. For example,

    imagex /split C:\imaging\data.wim D:\imaging\install.swm 600
    where:

    • C:\imaging\data.wim is the name and the location of the image file to split

    • D:\imaging\install.swm is the destination name and the location for the split .wim files

    • 600 is the maximum size in MB for each of the split .wim files to be created.

    In this example, the /split option creates an install.swm file, an install2.swm file, an install3.swm file, and so on, in the D:\Imaging directory.

Note:

You cannot modify a split .wim file. You can apply the file to your destination computers only by using the /apply option.

See Also