20 replies to this topic

[alacran]

You can't make a bootable WIM file from a captured image of a OS and use it as a WinPE.

 

Best option is boot from a VHD, but you have several options to make it, take a look to this topics and select your prefered option:

 

Making the smallest Win10 install (Wimboot mode) on 512 MB VHD

 

Compact mode installs

 

Reducing OS footprint

 

VHD_WIMBOOT - Apply and Capture of WIM Files for OS in VHD

 

alacran

[alacran]

As to your 1st statement...WHY NOT?...explain. I just love it when people make statements but then don't bother providing an explanation to back up their statement. I have searched Google and seen reports of people booting an install.wim. And I could swear reading elsewhere that W10 actually supports this. And if I'm not mistaken, doesn't Windows To Go (now unsupported) just take an install.wim and make it bootable from external media? And, the name of the wimboot program itself would seem to imply that it's possible to boot an install.wim.

Can someone else independently confirm that there either is or isn't an official or unofficial way to boot an install.wim?

.......

 

Anyway, I've been using MSMG Toolkit for awhile to customize my ISOs. But a few weeks ago I bought a home license for NTLite. Would you say it would be safe to use it to strip my ISO before following the tutorials in the links you have posted? I just want to establish a minimal baseline, then work from there.

 

My first statement is based on my own experiments trying to boot as a WinPE a WIM file made from a captured OS, see my posts about this subject, and you will learn why it is not possible because of very big differences on the registry:

 

http://reboot.pro/in...e=3#entry216517
http://reboot.pro/in...e=5#entry216627
http://reboot.pro/in...e=4#entry216558

 

But on the other hand I have being able to boot from Win10XPE_x64 installed on a VHD, see my experiments on this topic:

 

Install Win10XPE_x64 Flat or Compact Mode on VHD

 

It's something in between a PE and a standard VHD, with some benefits compared to a WinPE, it is capable to keep changes (but all changes on the registry are volatile), as an example it lets you add all internal (into the VHD), or external portables you want and create desktop shorcuts, and if some .dll is requiered, you can just copy/extact it with 7-zip from same install.wim index of the DVD used to build the WinPE, or the OS installed on your PC (if same version, to be version consistent) to same location on the VHD, without the need to rebuild as in the case of a WinPE

 

About NTLite, on MDL forum (original home of MSMG Toolkit topic) I read several post on that topic from reputable members saying they get better results using only MSMG Toolkit.

 

Also take a look to this very good and helpful topic on MDL forum (you will need to become a member to open it):

 

Multi-OEM/Retail Project {MRP} - Mk3

 

alacran

[alacran]

Edit: Now that I think of it, another reason I would prefer a fully installed Windows instead of a PE, is because by default x64 PE only runs x64 softwares. Many of the tools I will be using are 32 bit only.

 

Wrong, that was very long time ago, but now any good WinPE x64 already has Windows\SysWOW64 and is capable to run many (if not all) 32 bits (x86) programs, you should test new WinPEs x64 making a build of Win10XPE_x64 (just google for it), it is also a very good tool for recovery, but I personally prefer my 2 GB Mini10x64.vhd, nevertheless I have and use both tools.

 

alacran

[alacran]

I mainly bought NTLite because it has live editing of the running OS, something MSMG doesn't have.

 

If you open the third link mentioned on post No. 2, you will find on its first post a free tool developed here on reboot.pro forum, made with the colaboration of several of us with new ideas and testing to reduce the OS foot print, and wimb was able to include all this ideas and findings and create his program Win_Reduce_Trusted making use of his great skills in Autoit, also our fellow wimb is always adding all recent new ideas and findings on every new version.

 

I'm quite sure no other tool can reduce so much an installed system (from 7 to 10) on a real or a virtual drive (VHD), and all work is done (offline) in a couple of minutes.

 

alacran

[antonino61]

send your update directories to a ramdisk (that means to nothing) and it simply will not install any updates. delete any instances of "windowsupdate" and "windows update" from your c:\ drive and disable all windows update services and u will see that nothing will change on c:\. for the purpose, check the "get-alladafluff-out" thread here in reboot.pro. u will find a wellspring of info as to all that u can take out if u do not use it.

[alacran]

I forgot to ask this earlier, but preventing my "recovery environment" from auto installing updates is a serious concern. Is there any 100% effective way to stop this from happening?.

 

I use Firewall App Blocker (Fab) v1.7

 

Before connecting for the first time open the program and select to use the White List and only allow your prefered browser to connect to Internet, this works fantastic blocking any other connections to Internet, and will block all Windows updates.

 

After doing it you can connect to Internet and unless you dissable the White List, all other programs will be permanently blocked, including Windows.

 

Of course if you want you can also allow other programs on your White List, at any time.

 

alacran

[alacran]

On 10 almost all the links to Windows servers are hard coded into it, and they are loaded directly and don't make use of the hosts file, anyway they are hundreds if not thousands of server links.

 

Just try the program I recommended you, it is a portable program about 1.3 MB, it do not installs anything, and all can be reverted in only one click just disabling or enabling the White List, it uses the Windows firewall itself to work, and it works fantastic.

 

Only other way that works if using WIFI is change yor connection to metered, and set to not download updates on metered connections. But you have to be connected to make this changes, and there is always a little time it takes you to make this changes, and things can happed during this time.

 

But you can make all (even wired) connection metered (in advance) if you use: Multi-OEM/Retail Project {MRP} - Mk3, to know how to use it open the third link on post No. 2 of this topic, and once there go to the post No. 3, there you will find pictures with samples of my usual settings, pictures are not fully updated to the very last version of the program, but they are a good guidance.

 

I think you should start reading all the links in post No. 2 of this topic, and you will find on them all the answers to your questions, and a lot of good info and guidance, I think the only way of learning is reading, and making tests once you have enought idea of the subject, so better start reading.

 

Then once you have a full idea of each VHD version you can build and select your prefered way, on the fourth link you have a wimb's program that can help you to make almost all automatically, it also includes a PDF file with very clear  instructions, but you need to know first what fits better yor needs/preferences.

 

alacran

[alacran]

Maybe you did something wrong:

 

Usually you should mount the Iso and run MSMG program, it has an option to extract all from the ISO, and then after you finish your cuts and additions, all required is available to rebuild the ISO.

 

You could try this:

• Keep your modded install .wim (and boot.wim if you also changed something into it), on another location.
• Mount the original ISO and run MSMG program.
• Select the option to extract all from the ISO.
• Go to the sources folder and just replace the install .wim (and boot.wim if required) with the previously made.
• Rebuild the ISO.

 

alacran

[alacran]

You can use WinNTSetup to install from your *.wim file.

 

You could also use VHD_WIMBOOT to create a VHD and use your install.wim to make the installation into the VHD.

 

Both programs also make and entry for it on BCD to let you select it during booting your PC.

 

Then you don't need an ISO.

 

alacran

[relynx]

...

I just went full Rambo mode, removing everything the tool offers in its' GUI, ...

Done that several times with mixed results because some components at some times have to break because of missing dependencies. Now I only carefully remove components which are safe to be removed and don't potentially interfere with features I might need.

As the developers of MSMG and MRP states they don't support pre-customized sources. I wanted to test it out. The customization process done by the tools went through without an error.

At the end I installed the resulting install.wim with WinNTSetup by JFX into a VHD.

It boots fine on VirtualBox and by direct booting via Ventoy and GrubFM.

Bare metal install: around 8 Gb.

 

My road to debloating:

1. Optimize-Offline Guide - Windows Debloating Tool
    
2. MSMG ToolKit
    
3. Multi-OEM/Retail Project {MRP} - Mk3 (I only used MRP)
    
4. with GUI software: WPD.app and O&O ShutUp10

 

Regarding disabling Windows updates: done in MRP. Would like to share with you a picture where it is configured but I can't find the right button to do that. ...

[alacran]

Your suggestion worked though. I extracted the ISO contents into ISO folder, then replaced install.wim with the one that MSMG had previously built. On the 2nd run i skipped all removals and jumped straight to building. The 2nd ISO seems fine, it boots in a VM. The setup went OK, i was able to make it to the desktop. Everything i specified for removal seems gone. The 1st sfc scannow finds corrupt files, but all runs after that pass. Without a page file, Windows Explorer says that 5.72GB is in use, out of 20GB total.

 

Fine, this is a good start, now it is up to you how far you want to go, my Compact LZX installation fits into a 2 (low free espace remaining) or 2.3 GB VHD and my Wimboot installation fits into a 1 GB VHD and both are capable to run LibreOfficePortable, FireFox Portable and a lot of other portable programs located on a partition/drive (external to the VHD).

 

Both are capable to boot on Bios and UEFI environments, and run very fine from a USB 3.0 device in all machines I have tested. 

 

If the machine has USB 3.0 ports and a good size Ram, Ramboot or Wimboot are good options, If the machine is low Ram or only has USB 2.0 ports better do not try Ramboot or Wimboot, and try only filedisk booting.

 

alacran

[alacran]

W10Privacy does not work fine in modern versions of 10 to block updates, it works for you because you are using an old 10 version.

 

I know this because I was using it before, until in recent versions of 10 it started having problems to block updates, then I found Firewall App Blocker and this is the perfect solution to control updates and also to avoid (or at least reduce even more) telemetry in all cases from 7 to 10. But of course you will do it as you prefer.

 

 

How can i shrink my used space down even smaller? I mean, before applying compact LZX or wimboot stuff?

 

Reducing OS footprint

 

alacran