Install Using a Distribution Share and an Answer File (Standard 7 SP1)

  • Article

7/8/2014

After you use Image Configuration Editor to capture your image requirements in an answer file, you use Image Builder with the answer file to build and install the image on the device. After you have built and installed the Windows Embedded Standard 7 image, you can restart your device and begin testing the new image immediately.

You start Image Builder differently depending on the media type of your bootable utility disk. For more information on bootable utility disks, see Create a Bootable USB Flash Drive

Hardware and Software Assumptions

  • You have a reference device that meets the Requirements for an Embedded Device.
  • You have bootable utility disk for Standard 7.
  • You have an answer file for Standard 7 that you have validated in Image Configuration Editor and saved to a location that your device can access, such as a network share. For more information, see Validate an Answer File in Image Configuration Editor.
  • If your device does not have a DVD-ROM drive, you have stored a copy of the Standard 7 distribution share (DS) and tools to a USB flash drive (UFD) or to a network location.

To start Image Builder by using the Windows Embedded Standard 7 DVD

  1. On the development computer, copy the answer file to a location that the device can access while running Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 3.0. For example, copy the answer file to a USB flash drive or to a network location.

  2. Start the device.

  3. On the device, insert the Standard 7 product DVD appropriate to your device's architecture.

  4. Restart the device into Windows PE by using the Standard 7 product DVD.

  5. If your answer file is on the network, you will need to map a drive to the network share before starting Image Builder.

  6. At the command prompt on the device, type the following to start Image Builder with your answer file, replacing <dvd_drive> with the drive letter of your DVD-ROM drive and <answer_file_path> with the full path of your answer file.

                                    <dvd_drive>:\setup.exe /unattend: <answer_file_path>

    Image Builder starts to build the image using the answer file.

    Image Builder shows a dialog box for errors or further required information unless you configured your answer file to be unattended (for more information, see Configure an Answer File to Be Unattended). After Image Builder builds the image, it installs the new image on the device.

To start Image Builder by using a bootable utility CD-ROM

  1. On the development computer, copy the answer file to a location that the device can access while running Windows PE. For example, copy the answer file to a USB flash drive or to a network location.

  2. Start the device.

  3. On the device, insert the bootable utility CD-ROM.

  4. Turn off the device.

  5. Restart the device into Windows PE by using the bootable utility CD-ROM.

  6. To prepare access to the Standard 7 distribution share and tools, do one of the following:

    • If the distribution share and tools are stored on a USB flash drive, insert the UFD in the device.
    • If the distribution share and tools are on the network, map a drive to that network share.

  7. If your answer file is on the network, you will need to map a drive to the network share before starting Image Builder.

  8. At the command prompt on the device, type the following to start Image Builder with your answer file, replacing <tool_drive> with the drive letter of your UFD or mapped network share and <answer_file_path> with the full path of your answer file:

                                    <tool_drive>:\setup.exe /unattend: <answer_file_path>

    Image Builder starts to build the image using the answer file.

    Image Builder shows a dialog box for errors or further required information unless you configured your answer file to be unattended (for more information, see Configure an Answer File to Be Unattended). After Image Builder builds the image, it installs the new image on the device.

To start Image Builder by using a bootable utility UFD

  1. On the development computer, copy the answer file to a location that the device can access while running Windows PE. For example, copy the answer file to a USB flash drive or to a network location.

  2. On the device, insert the bootable utility UFD.

  3. Start the device into Windows PE using the bootable utility UFD.

  4. To prepare access to the Standard 7 distribution share and tools, do one of the following:

    • If the distribution share and tools are stored on a USB flash drive, insert the UFD in the device.
    • If the distribution share and tools are on the network, map a drive to the network share.

    Note

    Paths to distribution shares greater than 90 characters may result in failures if the Windows max_path is exceeded. These errors can be difficult to troubleshoot so it's advised to use short paths and mappings to avoid this problem.

  5. At the command prompt on the device, start Image Builder with the answer file.

    Image Builder starts to build the image using the answer file.

    Image Builder shows a dialog box for errors or further required information unless you configured your answer file to be unattended (for more information, see Configure an Answer File to Be Unattended). After Image Builder builds the image, it installs the new image on the device.

Next Steps

After you have built and installed an image using Image Builder, the next step is to customize the Image. See Customizing Images.

See Also

Tasks

Configure an Answer File to Be Unattended