ImageX is a command-line tool that enables the creation of Windows® image (.wim) files for deployment in a manufacturing or corporate IT environment. The /append option appends a volume image to an existing .wim file. It creates a single instance of the file, comparing it against the resources that already exist in the .wim file, so you do not capture the same file twice.

Prerequisites

Before you can append data to an image, you must perform the following tasks:

  1. Install the Windows OEM Preinstallation Kit (Windows OPK) or the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) on your technician computer. For more information, see Building a Technician Computer.

  2. Capture and compress your installation to an image file using the ImageX tool. Compressing the installation is optional. For more information, see Capture Images of Hard Disk Partitions by Using ImageX.

To append a volume image to an existing image

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

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

  2. Append a volume image to an existing image. For example,

    imagex /append D: D:\imaging\data.wim "Drive D" /verify
    You can set the following options: /boot, /check, /config, /scroll, and /verify. For more information about these options, see ImageX Command-Line Options.

See Also