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I'm having an issue regarding a disk imaging process.

  • To get the machine into it's initial state, I first run a simple DISKPART CLEAN, and then restart the machine.

  • I then boot the machine into a Win-PE image, and make 3 partitions. One of which is a boot partition

  • I then apply a .wim image to the boot partition.

  • Finally I use DISKPART to set the boot partition as the active partition.

When I follow these steps, I get the following error:

remove disks or other media 
press any key to restart

If I follow the exact same process a second, third, or fourth time, the machine boots successfully, but I would very much like to get the process to work the first time.

Does anyone have any idea what's going wrong here? I'm quite stumped.

Sam I am says Reinstate Monica
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  • I would try to recover partition boot record with `bootrec.exe /fixboot` right after deploying image. – week Dec 03 '12 at 21:00
  • @week when i do that i get an error, it shows a dialog saying that it is `not a valid win32 application`, and the command prompt tells me "Access Denied" – Sam I am says Reinstate Monica Dec 03 '12 at 22:07
  • You are using WinPE created in Windows backup/restore? – week Dec 03 '12 at 22:11
  • @week I'm using a custom winpe image. i didn't create it – Sam I am says Reinstate Monica Dec 03 '12 at 22:12
  • I think problem is in boot partition sector. That wim image is more like file archive than block image, if you delete partition, you erase it with boot partition sector, but that's not in wim image. But I really don't know how it's possible that it recovers after reboot. You can have a `fixboot.exe` on that disk, it's practically the same thig as `bootrec.exe /fixboot` – week Dec 03 '12 at 22:22
  • @week it doesn't recover after a reboot. If you merely reboot it again, then you still get the same error. It boots correctly if you do the **whole** imaging process a second time – Sam I am says Reinstate Monica Dec 03 '12 at 22:25

1 Answers1

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To make a disk bootable and ready for imaging, you will need to do the following BEFORE applying the image:

diskpart This loads the WinPE partitioning tool

2.list disk This will show you all the disks you have available. pick a number

3.select disk # replace # with disk you wanna clean

4.clean This cleans the disk

5.create partition primary This makes creates the partition primary

6.select partition 1 Selects the partition you want

7.active This marks the partition as active

8.format quick fs=ntfs This will format the disk quikly into NTFS

9.assign The system will assign a letter to the disk

10.exit Gets you out of diskpart

Look into using MDT, it automates the whole imaging process for you, no need to run the imagex command by hand.

MDT Guy
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