When you try to shut down a computer that is running Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 2.0, the computer stops responding (hangs). This problem occurs if the computer is running the Microsoft Storport driver (Storport.sys).

In Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 2.0, you try to install an earlier operating system, such as Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP. Then, you receive the following error message during the installation:

has failed with the error code (0×800004005).
For more information, please contact the system administrator or helpdesk operator.

This problem occurs if the system has two or more raw disks.

This problem also occurs when you try to deploy an earlier operating system by using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007.

Note: SCCM 2007 also uses Windows PE 2.0.

When you try to start Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 2.0 from certain media on a Windows Vista-based computer, Windows PE does not start. For example, this problem may occur when you try to start Windows PE from a thumb drive, from a small hard disk, or from similar storage media.

Consider the following scenario. On a Windows Vista-based computer, you configure the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature to encrypt a volume or to decrypt a volume. Then, you restart the computer in Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) or in Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE). In this scenario, you unexpectedly experience heavy disk activity.

You try to use Microsoft Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 2.0 together with an unattended XML file to install Windows Vista from a network share. However, Setup does not finish. Additionally, you receive the following error message:

Windows cannot access the installation sources. Verify that the installation sources are accessible and restart the installation

You create a Compact Disk File System (CDFS)-based Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) image to start the installation of Windows Vista. However, when you try to start the computer by using this image, the computer does not start. Therefore, you cannot use this image to install Windows Vista.

You experience this problem if you use a tool other than one of the following tools to create the image file:

• OSCDimg.exe
• CDimage.exe

When you create a Microsoft Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) image file on a hard disk in Windows Vista, and then you try to add a package to the image file, you may receive the following Stop error message:

0×80071ab0

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 →