Win10XPE - Build Your Own Rescue Media [2]  

MaloK said:

The building process is composed of these parts:

make a Core build
install Applications
install Additions
create Boot.wim
create XPE.iso

Once you have a fully built Project you can add new scripts, run them with the small green play button at the top of each scripts and go directly to create boot.wim + iso

Every time you use the large blue play button upright, The project is rebuilt from scratch.

Unlike PESE, XPE does not have a test to VM included in the project. But you can create a VM in your favourite emulator and boot the iso directly for testing.

@MaloK

I tried to give you some reputation, but the system said that I needed to give rep to others first. Still, I appreciate this (and lots of other replies.)

I'm not familiar with PESE, in fact I did some dabbling with Hiren's boot disk before starting to work on Win10XPE, which seems to be much better

MaloK said:

Because XPE is based on WinRE instead of Windows installation files, I find it much more suited for the tasks at hand.

And you can nearly bring it has a viable has any other everyday OS... If you push it.

But If you're looking for a solid easy to build recovery environment: That's it... Look no more. Winbuilder has it's flaws, but they have all been worked around since a long time. Anyway it allows running any external applications. So you can integrate you stuff seamlessly.

I have rather given up using this tool that much as, personally, I find it is more effort updating iso periodically.

I am not trying to detract from an excellent tool, but I just found it easier to create a wintogo drive, with all keys apps I need installed, and it is easier to update quickly. Also a WTG is not limited to portable apps.

I stress this is what suits me and I think this is a great tool and will still use it now and then.

Windows 10 is the preferred source - although some support for Windows 11 was added

See First Post....

@Kyhi Wow! Great plugin. Thanks! V5 Worked first time with no modifications.

@APT38 Thanks! It took a few tries to get KYHI's PrinterDeviceSupport [PDS] v5. I ended up doing a complete new install of Win10XPE on a different machine so nothing would get overwritten (~179MB) but I think what happened was I had left the checkbox ticked for "XPE Optional Add-on Base Package" in "Mega Optional Application Download" utility and it kept overwriting the 'good' V2 AOD_MegaCmd_XPE.Script with the 'old' V2 AOD_MegaCmd_XPE.Script and only getting PDS v3. I eventually got V5 plugin to put in my main builder machine.



The very next build with PDS v5 , (only after PENetwork is completely loaded) Device Mgr showed new print queues for Microsoft Print to PDF, Microsoft XPS Document Writer, and Fax. I was immediately able to print to PDF and XPS documents okay. But what about hardcopy ...

---------- Add your specific printer driver

Now for real printer. To make a plugin for one of my specific printers, I wasted lots of time gathering registry items from printers installed in real Windows on a machine, to make a plugin, by studying KYHI's plugin, but it is actually MUCH SIMPLER:

On real Windows computer that has already installed the same printer, you need to determine the CAB file that was used for installation. It would be in the folder C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\PCC\ for most people.

In my case for a Lexmark it was lmud1p40.inf_amd64_3a2adecbf3b8528d.cab

Use 7zip to uncompress all the files to a folder, say, CAB-Lexmark, that will be placed on the completed usbstick, [for me, that will keep it out of boot.wim.] as Y:\CAB-Lexmark. This does NOT have to be part of the XPE build process.

Each CAB file should have ONLY one .inf file. In my case, it is LMUD1p40.inf. You "install" using that file. I placed a cmdfile in root of Y: to do the install and remind me how i did it. You will run this install at each XPE boot that requires the printing function.


INSTALL-LEXMARK.cmd:

rem InstallLexmarkDriver.cmd
rem Lexmark E120N as local USB.
rem printqueue: "Lexmark Universal V2 XL" Tony4219 5/8/22
rem get .cab file lmud1p40.inf_amd64_3a2adecbf3b8528d.cab
rem from C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\PCC
rem and uncompress .cab to folder Y:\CAB-Lexmark
Y:
cd\CAB-Lexmark
pnputil -i -a LMUD1p40.inf

---------- Procedure

1) Turn the printer on if it isn't (I did 2 different PnP printers; one is always off).
2) Boot the machine with XPE and wait till PENetwork is completely finished configuring itself.
3) Plug in the USB cable. You should hear the 'connect' tone.
4) Run the cmdfile to install the driver (post-boot! PlugAndPlay)
5) WAIT. "Processing INF" takes about a minute (depends on CAB size. B&W printer was 12 MB; color was 28 MB).
6) New additional print queue "Lexmark Universal V2 XL" will be visible in DeviceMgr.
7) Now you can print!

If you unplug the USB cable, the new printqueue will disappear, but
during this same XPE session, if you plug the cable back in, the print queue will reappear. Kewl!

I did another setup for an Epson color printer. Both had connected, wired network ports as well as USB local ports.
Both could handle the post-boot printer driver install and no reboot was needed.

-------------------------- (I did not post this back in July and just found these notes again)
Update 7/2/22 Finally got XPE network printing (foregoing was only direct-connect USB printing). The key is getting a compatable driver, that does NOT require a reboot.
----------
The Lexmark E120n driver I have been using for real Win10 reinstalls all along [for several years],
Lexmark_Universal_v2_UD1_Installation_Package_05252018.exe,
is big at ~130 MB and I hadn't considered using
it on a rescue disk. However, I had not tried it in XPE until today. I ran the original installer which insists on creating an
Installation Package first, which turns out to be HUGE at 292 MB (I see it includes DotNET 4 setup) It actually WORKS! The InstallPkg is what you add to your build. This print driver does not require rebooting after install.
----------
The Epson ET4750 printer/scanner driver I have been using all along,
ET4750_Lite_NA.exe,
is a 'stub' that goes out and gets latest printing, scanning, ink levels and installs direct to your computer. This will not work.
I searched for the latest Epson drivers, and almost made a mistake:

I Googled "Epson 4750 driver" which found Epson ET-4750 driver & Software downloads - Epson Drivers,
which has some choices incl what looks like the 'stub' driver, but there is a prominent DISCLAIMER that they
are independent of Epson, no guarantees, yadda yadda. This website is higher up on the Google 'hit' list than
the real Epson company! which is at SPT_C11CG19201 | Epson ET-4750 | ET Series | All-In-Ones | Printers | Support | Epson US
so I deleted the 'quasi-very possibly-fake-Epson' drivers and got 2 from the real epson.com (note: not drivers-epson.com)
which are the Lite (stub, which d/l everything printing, scanning, utilities etc), and the Printing (only).

I used the non-stub, printing-only driver, ET4750_X64_26802_NA.exe, in XPE, Only 40MB. It does not require a reboot, installed quckly, and ran in XPE.