In an earlier article I showed how to install the free Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK). Now, we get to start using it. The first thing we’ll do with it is build a Windows Preinstallation Environment 2.0 boot disc. Microsoft says Windows PE is a “…bootable tool that provides operating system features for installation, troubleshooting, and recovery”. For many of us, it will take the place of DOS boot discs (and for some of you will be an alternative to BartPE, a free alternative to WinPE 1.0 which had limited availability). Here’s how to build a very basic WinPE boot disc that you can start using now, and can include in your Vista deployment plans. Future articles will discuss how to build on this to add more functionality. Keep reading →

The Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) is a free download from Microsoft that is designed to help IT professionals deploy Windows Vista. The two main parts of the kit are Windows PE, and the Windows System Image Manager. Windows PE is a replacement for those old DOS boot disks, allowing you to boot a machine from CD/DVD and have 32-bit tools at your disposal. Windows System Image Manager allows you to customize Vista images by adding/removing/configuring components using the unattend.xml file. This post will focus on getting WAIK installed on your computer. Keep reading →