Win10XPE - Build Your Own Rescue Media [2]

Kyhi · 30 Apr 2022

My Target folder is 3 GB. The full Win10XPE.ISO file is 4.2 GB.

So 3GB for OS and 1GB for WinPE Cache / without RamDisk B:/Temp

Tony4219 · 01 May 2022

Kyhi said:

So 3GB for OS and 1GB for WinPE Cache / without RamDisk B:/Temp

Running XPE usbstick on 4 GB machine, only running Win Explorer

B: Ramdisk is ~800 MB with 17MB used. WinPE Cache Size in BuildCore is set for 1024 MB.
X: is ~ 900 MB with 3 MB used
Y: is 32 GB with 4 GB used
boot.wim 1.16 GB

-------------
running ProcessExplorer [it says I have 3.3 GB Total Physical Memory] and looking at its two RAM-related items:
System Commit 2.7 GB
Physical Memory 1.9GB

then run Chrome with 1 tab
System Commit 2.9 GB
Physical Memory 2.1 GB

then log into Netflix and try running video
System Commit 3.2 GB
Physical Memory 2.4 GB then Chrome (with ProcessExplorer, locked up on me today.

A few days back with just Chrome, I was able to start watching. Sure enough, once I closed ProcExpl, I could proceed at Netflix today. So, I have to be careful running videos with only about 1 GB free RAM in XPE. Otherwise, XPE never locks up.

- - - Updated - - -

APT38 said:

mm,

my senility knows no bounds, must have grabbed an old version to check.

Old is good. Considering the alternative ... LOL. I'm old too.

Apt38, do you have a direct link to ver 4 of the PrinterDeviceSupport plugin?

I cannot find it anywhere here or at MegaDownload, and haven't seen any feedback so I figured I would try it , if available.
I did find and d/l the allegedly defective ver 3 (I found a semicolon in the AddFiles list) but have not tried it yet.

MaloK · 01 May 2022

Tony4219 said:

Running XPE usbstick on 4 GB machine, only running Win Explorer

B: Ramdisk is ~800 MB with 17MB used. WinPE Cache Size in BuildCore is set for 1024 MB.
X: is ~ 900 MB with 3 MB used
Y: is 32 GB with 4 GB used
boot.wim 1.16 GB

-------------
running ProcessExplorer [it says I have 3.3 GB Total Physical Memory] and looking at its two RAM-related items:
System Commit 2.7 GB
Physical Memory 1.9GB

then run Chrome with 1 tab
System Commit 2.9 GB
Physical Memory 2.1 GB

then log into Netflix and try running video
System Commit 3.2 GB
Physical Memory 2.4 GB then Chrome (with ProcessExplorer, locked up on me today.

A few days back with just Chrome, I was able to start watching. Sure enough, once I closed ProcExpl, I could proceed at Netflix today. So, I have to be careful running videos with only about 1 GB free RAM in XPE. Otherwise, XPE never locks up.

- - - Updated - - -

Old is good. Considering the alternative ... LOL. I'm old too.

Apt38, do you have a direct link to ver 4 of the PrinterDeviceSupport plugin?

I cannot find it anywhere here or at MegaDownload, and haven't seen any feedback so I figured I would try it , if available.
I did find and d/l the allegedly defective ver 3 (I found a semicolon in the AddFiles list) but have not tried it yet.

If you eliminate the ram disk you have 800MB more to run applications !?!

My PE has 1.4 Go Ram used at boot, and goes up to nearly 2 while playing vids with chrome.

I don't have any Dot net no internet explorer installed and my Target is 2.8 Go, Wim is 920 mo, Iso 5.8 go

jimbo45 · 01 May 2022

lots of different ways to do this

A really simple one : build a minimal "Skeletal W10" on to a VHDX file on to an external USB SSD (SSD->Sata connector), install vm software if you need other OS'es and it's all fixed. In the example shown I;m not using any VM's at all and still have choice of a load of OS'es (all on 256 GB external SSD device).

Works for me - a treat and anything is "installable". Much better than installing also to an internal disk as the SSD can be booted from any other machine if need be. Genuine Windows 2 Go system. !!!!

Just create the base VHDX file, apply a Windows image via dism,exe /Apply-Image, and install the boot loader via bcdboot.exe

You can add macrium stand alone boot, windows PE, other windows versions or even linux OS's too (Grub).

I loved the old "Rescue disks" in their heyday but with the "bootability" of physical vhdx files I'm not so sure if those older ways of making "universal rescue media" are better than using the newer physical VHDX files which allow a variety of OS'es to boot including Linux (GRUB).

For example here - various Windows boots, Grub for Linux, external USB devices -- this whole system is on an external SSD connected to a computer via USB->SATA adapter so totally 100% "rescue media" covering almost any issue I can think of.

Win10XPE - Build Your Own Rescue Media [2]-screenshot_20211115_091548.png

Win10XPE - Build Your Own Rescue Media [2]-screenshot_20211115_091630.png

Cheers
jimbo

MaloK · 01 May 2022

It depends on what is included in Boot.wim but a slim project runs under 2 gig used. And when booted from memory, files are not copied back in ram but are executed directly.

See the Wimboot project to understand how memory is managed under PE and RE.

APT38 · 01 May 2022

Tony4219 said:

Apt38, do you have a direct link to ver 4 of the PrinterDeviceSupport plugin?

With a quick search, can only find version 5 of the PrinterDeviceSupport.script or ver3 of the old PrinterSupport.script

Tony4219 · 01 May 2022

@MaloK: I didn't think of eliminating the Ramdisk. Good thought when I get desparate. There are two 'junctions' in my Ramdisk so I feared messing with it (Don't fix it if it isn't broke).
I will have to look at Wimboot project. My PESE builds when run-flat were larger but the NETframeworks were runnable from Y: instead of X: (unlike XPE). I didn't pursue it that far.

@APT38: Thanks, but I found only mention of "PrinterDeviceSupport.script v4 - 2022.01.21" in your post, but the actual file isn't in post #2. V3 has no Update button. Didn't know there was a V5. Can you post that link?
@jimbo45: Your setup is surely beyond me, but it is the excellent start of a alt-Windows replacement!! I experimented with booting an SSD (external, with a USB3 adapter) a few years ago and made 1 (for sure) maybe 2 computers unbootable. Probably the PESE "scrambled drive letters" problem that I didn't know how to fix back then. Have not tried booting that SSD since; storage only. Plus it is NTFS, not FAT32, which seems to contribute to PESE scrambling.

[edited 5/2/22]
I like the description "skeletal Win10".

I also looked at the Wimboot Project and, for me, it is too skeletal, but an XPE, with all the software engineering that has already been done so far, ONLY having Win10 OS in boot.wim, and EVERYTHING ELSE in the root of X: ... yeah, that would be good.

MaloK · 01 May 2022

The junctions on the Ramdisk are automatically taken care of and re-allocated when disabling the ram drive in XPE.

Personally, I never used Ram Disk since the beginning of PESE.

APT38 · 02 May 2022

Tony4219 said:

@APT38: Thanks, but I found only mention of "PrinterDeviceSupport.script v4 - 2022.01.21" in your post, but the actual file isn't in post #2. V3 has no Update button. Didn't know there was a V5. Can you post that link?

Hi v5 of PrinterDeviceSupport_XPE.script is the version I've got as distributed in the Kyhi's AddOn_Package_030822
I guess it was removed from post #2 when the link was put in the last AOD_MegaCmd_XPE.Script update, but I could post a link if you still wish.

x509 · 07 May 2022

First time I have tried to do Win10PXE. I have tRTFM and did some searching but I have some noob questions here about WinPEbuilder.

If I check any additional boxes for programs and utilities when I am doing the build, is there any way to modify an existing build, or is it necessary to start all over again? My first build was 35 scripts, then 41 and now up to 49.

Even though my last build included program like Macrium Reflect, when I did a test boot, I didn't see it? Was I looking in the wrong place?

I * think * I was told that XPE included a utility to build a virtual machine, but I didn't see it in any of the choices. Yes? No? Is there a VM builder that will work with XPE to build a VM of the active Windows partition?