Win 7 PE 32bit - one installation, multiple laptops/slates

Dear all,

I am trying to build a Win7PE boot CD for my new Slate computer (HP) - and would like it to also work on my Macbook Air and IBM Lenovo laptops.
Obviously this means, I will need to preload all drivers for these laptops onto the Win7 ISO.

Currently I'm using Win7PE_SE for these tasks, focusing on getting it to work on just the HP Slate (still work in progress), and in the future I'll want to extend it to work on all of the above laptops.

• Is this possible, for the CD to work across these completely different hardware sets (HP/Apple/IBM slates/laptops) - identifying and loading the correct chipset/sata/bluetooth/wifi/ethernet/sound/vga/touchscreen drivers upon boot?
• What's the best tool to get the job done, Win7PE_SE - building from a Win7 DVD source, or Make_PE3, building from a preinstalled Windows 7 where I can install *all* drivers (for HP/IBM/Apple)?
• Anyone ever got an ISO to work on completely different HW sets like this? any tips?

Thanks !

• Is this possible, for the CD to work across these completely different hardware sets (HP/Apple/IBM slates/laptops) - identifying and loading the correct chipset/sata/bluetooth/wifi/ethernet/sound/vga/touchscreen drivers upon boot?
• What's the best tool to get the job done, Win7PE_SE - building from a Win7 DVD source, or Make_PE3, building from a preinstalled Windows 7 where I can install *all* drivers (for HP/IBM/Apple)?
• Anyone ever got an ISO to work on completely different HW sets like this? any tips?

1. YES
2. It's a matter of personal preference...Different approaches to the problem.
3. YES...

I have used a couple of the different WB projects as well Active@Disk (a commercial set of tools with a PE environment). Win7PE_SE has specific scripts to add drivers (both ones that automaticaly load as well as providing access to a set of driverpack files). It's more a question of how many different drivers you want to have available. I would take the ones you KNOW, and add them using DISM (using the script to integrate them) and if you have the space on the FLASH (or CD/DVD), then add the others as well so you can access them if needed. After all, you don't need each and every driver for a "repair" environment - just enough to do the work necessary.

1. YES
2. It's a matter of personal preference...Different approaches to the problem.
3. YES...

I have used a couple of the different WB projects as well Active@Disk (a commercial set of tools with a PE environment). Win7PE_SE has specific scripts to add drivers (both ones that automaticaly load as well as providing access to a set of driverpack files). It's more a question of how many different drivers you want to have available. I would take the ones you KNOW, and add them using DISM (using the script to integrate them) and if you have the space on the FLASH (or CD/DVD), then add the others as well so you can access them if needed. After all, you don't need each and every driver for a "repair" environment - just enough to do the work necessary.

Understood, thanks again Scott!

I think that in this case, my best course of action is to make a non-RAM booting PE, install all drivers i need to it, then make a RAM-booting PE from that.

That is one way to capture the information...There are also tools that monitor the registry, etc. (take snapshots before and after and capture the diffs) that can help...

Good Luck, and keep us informed!