4 replies to this topic

[pajenn]

I have a WinRe based recovery ISO from a backup program, which contains boot.wim file. I want to add DiskCryptor to it (there's no portable version). I know the basics of mounting WIM files, adding files to it and can probably edit the hive files too, but if there's a good tutorial on it or convenient tools for it please let me know? What are the best practices? Thanks.

 

details: the program in question in AX64 Time Machine, but I may want to use this procedure with other rescue ISO or USB media as well.

[genetix]

haven't ever seen a boot.wim driver editor other than companied with something like 7-lite type of full OS modification tools. Basically how I do it is as you do it. Mount .WIM > edit the SYSTEM. hive to add driver 'service' and copy the files over. Not sure why you would need diskcryptor on there unless planning to install under crypted disk, but cannot see reason why to do that as there are many tools that can crypt the system disk on-fly from installed OS and mount the volume before system start like for example truecrypt.

 

Of course if you plan to boot some other media open the cryption and then boot to OS from it which would indeed give advantage over above mentioned cryption in a sense that the boot data would never be on disk itself. However, the cryption keys would still be at same memory which kinda negates the gain.

Edited by genetix, 25 August 2013 - 12:38 AM.

[Wonko the Sane]

Besides the MS originated utilities, there are at least two other tools, one still making use of the MS driver, and one completely independent.
See:
http://reboot.pro/to...implementation/
http://reboot.pro/to...wimtoolbatches/
http://nativeex.boot...x/WimCaptEx.htm
http://reboot.pro/to...ndling-wo-waik/

As I personally see it, to "expand" the WIM into a "plain" directory and then re-create a new Wim from it once modified is "cleaner" and it prevents "possible" issues, not completely unlike - still IMHO - re-creating a .iso is "better" than editing it.

This is however a detailed guide/tutorial using GimageX:
http://www.msfn.org/...ify-installwim/


Wonko

[genetix]

Now that I think about it.. there was this really really "new" tool actually which might be useful. It didn't work for first 600 versions or something, but the last version works quite well. It can integrate drivers to boot.wim and install.wim or choose 1.

 

I think it was either:

* WinAIO Maker Professional or Language Integrator (Windows 7) (80% language Integrator, lol)

 

My bad, if I waste your time on testing those, but I think that language integrator came with rebuilding option for boot.wim with really damn good options which didn't destroy the WIM OS chain on my end when I build the NT 6 family products to USB.

Edited by genetix, 25 August 2013 - 03:32 PM.

[pajenn]

Thanks for the replies.

 

WinAIO Maker Professional seems like a useful tool for packing extracted wim-file folders back into wim-files, although I haven't tried it yet. I used imagex to open the wim-file, added DiskCryptor program folder and driver to it, mounted its system hive with registry workshop and added the dcrypt driver registry entry. i can now boot it from inside an encrypted machine, but for some reason when it loads the modifications i made don't show up. this happens on a 32-bit win 7 virtual machine i'm using for testing. i also did the same edits on my actual 64-bit win 7 system (to a 64-bit version of the rescue disk with 64-bit version of DiskCryptor), and when i boot to that the modifications are there but the DiskCryptor doesn't run correctly, either it fails to start or it fails to show the partitions, depending on the registry settings I included. however, i'm not able to even run TrueCrypt portable or other external exe-files from that rescue disk - it says: "The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present."

 

anyway, i'm starting to think the better approach may be to try to build an AX64 Time Machine plugin for a regular win7pe project because that way i'd get a rescue disk with all the programs, drivers and settings I want anyway.