Trying to follow @NavyLCDR directions to setup a WinPE/Win 10 Install

NavyLCDR said:

I created a 6 GB FAT32 partition at the end of my second HDD. I mounted a Windows 10 installation ISO file and then copied all the files and folders from the mounted ISO file to the 6 GB partition. Then I mounted Kyhi's Recovery Tools ISO file and replaced the Windows 10 boot.wim file in the \Sources folder in the 6 GB partition with the boot.wim file from Kyhi's recovery tools. Then I used EasyBCD to add that boot.wim file to my Windows boot menu. I have a Macrium Reflect image of my SSD saved on the NTFS partition of my second hard drive. I kept the regular Windows 10 450mb recovery partition on my SSD.

I believe I followed the directions.
Lopped 10GB off ther end of my E: drive, formatted it FAT32.
Copied latest Windows 10 18362.239 1903 files to it.
Replaced boot.wim with boot.wim from Kyhi's Win10XPE ISO.
Used EasyBCD to add it to the boot menu and it is there and selectable.

BCDEDIT show me this:

Code:

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {bootmgr}
device                  partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
path                    \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {globalsettings}
default                 {current}
resumeobject            {d27df837-8e41-11e9-b336-448a5b06acdb}
displayorder            {current}
                        {d27df83d-8e41-11e9-b336-448a5b06acdb}
toolsdisplayorder       {memdiag}
timeout                 3

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {current}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \WINDOWS\system32\winload.efi
description             Windows 10
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence        {d27df83a-8e41-11e9-b336-448a5b06acdb}
displaymessageoverride  Recovery
recoveryenabled         Yes
isolatedcontext         Yes
allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \WINDOWS
resumeobject            {d27df837-8e41-11e9-b336-448a5b06acdb}
nx                      OptIn
bootmenupolicy          Standard

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {d27df83d-8e41-11e9-b336-448a5b06acdb}
device                  partition=I:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.efi
description             WinPE
locale                  en-US
osdevice                partition=I:
systemroot              \Windows
nx                      OptIn
pae                     Default
sos                     No
debug                   No

It won't boot, gets an error. I'll take a picture and add it to this post in a few minutes.

Attachment 241121Attachment 241122

I selected I:\, no option to select a specific wim image file. Maybe my EasyBCD is too old?

I'll check.

When I run it, I get version 2.3 and this message:

Downloaded EasyBCD 2.4, same results. No way to select a specific boot image.

UEFI boot menu does not see it at all.

I'll try the bcdboot I:\Windows /d /addlast now and Macrium next.

Thanks.

No joy:

C:\Users\ztruk>bcdboot I:\Windows /d /addlast
Failure when attempting to copy boot files.

There is a Windws directory on my I: drive but it's empty. It shouldn't be there since this is copied from a ISO.

Macrium didn't fix it either.

How to add Recovery Media as Bootable Option To HDD

1) Create a FAT32 > 2GB - 32GB < Partition at the end of your drive

2) Mount ISO and Copy the contents (Files) from the Rescue Media ISO to FAT32 partition

3) Download and Extract PESE_BootMenu_Option.7z

4) Run Proper Batch File (MBR or UEFI) to add the FAT32 Bootable Partition to your host Boot Menu Options

Batch File will ask for partition "Drive Letter"
Batch File will ask you to type a "Name" for the Boot Menu Entry
Batch File will ask you if you want to Display "Metro Boot Menu"

Note: Batch just runs simple windows bcdedit commands to add the boot menu option....

PESE is a Ram Disk - So any OEM Boot Media - can use the Batch File...
or use the Partition After the creation of the Boot menu Entry

Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk

NOTE:
With The Current Windows 10 Setup Media - The Install.wim is greater then 4GB Fat32 limit...
Since you adding to Existing Boot Menu - then using a NTFS Partition should be OK

Also Note:
That you can now build your own custom updated rescue media (Boot.wim) - rather then use an out-dated version. Win10XPE - Build Your Own Rescue Media

Maybe that is the problem? I have install.esd, not install.wim. I got it from the 18362.239 ISO downloaded by the latest MCT.

The boot.wim I used is from my own Win10XPE build. Procedure I followed is listed in my first post. Partition if 10GB FAT32. Drive is GPT.

Just ran PESE_UEFI_BOOT.bat. Rebooting now to see what it did.

Edit: The did the trick. Booted from the ram disk then the I: drive came up. setup.exe is available if i want or need to install Win 10, otherwise all the Win10XPE tools are there to use.