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HOW TO BUILD A WinPE 3.0 Bootable Media with UK Keyboard, UK Location & UK Language using Windows AIK and Plus Pack

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HOW TO BUILD A WinPE 3.0 Bootable Media with UK Keyboard, UK Location & UK Language using Microsoft Windows AIK for Windows 7 and Acronis True Image Home 2010 Plus Pack

I will explain step by step how to setup WinPE for the UK Layout. I have also added a Summary at the End. Just Cut and Paste for UK Keyboard and UK Language Paramaters for WinPE 3.0 Bootable Media. Also see the note at the end for Languages other than UK.

This post will explain how to ADD a UK Keyboard, UK Location and UK Language to Microsoft WinPE 3.0 using Microsoft AIK for Windows 7 and Acronis True Image Home 2010 Plus Pack. You can obtain/build the WinPE 3.0 files from Windows AIK for Windows 7 (From Official Microsoft Website).

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=696DD665-9F76-4177-A811-39C26D3B3B34&displaylang=en

After you have built your WinPE 3.0 and changed everything to UK you can then add True Image Home 2010 Plus Pack and you will have a WinPE 3.0 Bootable Media with True Image Home 2010. The document will Build the UK Layout of WinPE 3.0 - you will then have to follow the Acronis Plus Pack documentation/web links to add the Acronis Plus Pack (just the usual WinPE ISO Builder in the Plus Pack). NOTE it will only work if your Technical PC (eg. your physical PC you are using has the correct information in its regsistry for the correct country (most Vista and Windows 7 builds will - you just need to know the correct syntax). I will summarize everything at the end and show you the Registry Location to look for the correct information for your own country (eg. French, Germany, England etc etc). Note also the UK language is a subset of the US language so you will have both US and UK listed in the WinPE.wim file.

STEP 1. Build the Default/Basic Image WinPE.Wim

From the Windows Program Start Group (the usual windows start orb start programs for Windows AIK) open up the Windows AIK deployment command prompt with administration elevated privileges (ie run as adminstrator). As usual type the below command at the dos prompt.

copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_x86

STEP 2. Mount Image WinPE.wim OFF-Line

Dism /Mount-WIM /WimFile:c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim /index:1 /MountDir:c:\winpe_x86\mount

STEP 3. Optional Step here to see what your Default WinPE.wim file contains

Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Get-Intl

The above command will list the default paramaters (note the TimeZone will be Pacific Stardard Time)

OR use the below command to list the Paramaters of your Physical/Actual Computer.

Dism /online /Get-Intl

NOTE Step 3 was Optional - Just a List

STEP 4. Setup the parameters for the UK/GB Language: SysLocale, UserLocale, InputLocale, TimeZone

Note Input Local is the Keyboard. You can add any of the below commands. Just configure as to your needs.

Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Set-SysLocale:en-GB
Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Set-UserLocale:en-GB
Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Set-InputLocale:0809:00000809
Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Set-TimeZone:"GMT Standard Time"

The above parameters will work for UK setup.

NOTE there are other things you can configure too. See the NOTE at the end for other languages Like French and German. The above is for UK. For other languages you will have to set the parameters given in the note at the end. Also for other languages you might have to add language packages too (see microsoft help documentation for language packs for other languages).

STEP 4a. Optional Step If you want to check the WinPE.wim pararmeters. Same command as before to list the WinPE.wim Parameters

Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Get-Intl

Note the (optional) UILang parameter will be set to US for the UK Language (as explained above the UK Language is a subset of the US Language. So NO NEED to set this for UK - already ok as being the default US for the UK Language in default WinPE.wim build) - ONLY SET the UILang parameter for NONE UK languages. See the NOTE at the end in the summary for NONE UK Languages.

STEP 5. Unmount the WinPE.wim Image

Dism /unmount-wim /Mountdir:c:\winpe_x86\mount /commit

STEP 6. ADD the TRUE IMAGE HOME 2010 Plus Pack

Remember when you ADD the True Image Home Plugin you have ALREADY done the copype.cmd step. DO NOT repeat the copype.cmd c:\winpe_x86 command/part of the Acronis documentation since you have already done this command here in my documentation. You only need to use the Acronis Plus Pack WinPE ISO BUILDER to add True Image Home 2010 to your UK WinPE

This is just the usual steps to add the Acronis Plugin. Just follow the Acronis Documentation As Usual.

http://kb.acronis.com/content/5421

http://forum.acronis.com/forum/9449

THAT IS IT COMPLETE

SUMMARY (Just Cut and Paste the below lines to build a UK/GB WinPE 3.0 Bootable Media)

copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_x86
Dism /Mount-WIM /WimFile:c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim /index:1 /MountDir:c:\winpe_x86\mount
Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Set-SysLocale:en-GB
Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Set-UserLocale:en-GB
Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Set-InputLocale:0809:00000809
Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Set-TimeZone:"GMT Standard Time"
Dism /unmount-wim /Mountdir:c:\winpe_x86\mount /commit

Now ADD TRUE IMAGE HOME 2010 PlusPack (follow Acronis Documentation) - Remember when you ADD the True Image Home Plugin you have ALREADY done the copype.cmd. DO NOT repeat the copype.cmd c:\winpe_x86 command/part of the Acronis documentation since you have already done this command here in my documentation. You only need to use the Acronis Plus Pack WinPE ISO BUILDER to add True Image to your UK WinPE.

http://kb.acronis.com/content/5421

http://forum.acronis.com/forum/9449

WHERE TO LOOK IN THE REGISTRY FOR YOU OWN COUNTRY Setting

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\TimeZones\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layouts

Regedit - use this command from the search box in the usual windows start orb. Then navigate to the above registry keys.

NOTE FOR LANGUAGES OTHER THAN UK (NONE UK Languages) - Example for french or german you might have to also set the below (french is given below) in STEP 4 above when altering the paramaters - the main language and the fall back language.

You don't have to set the main language for UK/GB since UK / GB is a subset of the US language. Use the below for French. German will be similar.

Note the UILang parameter will be set to US for UK (as explained above UK is a subset of US. So NO NEED to set these for UK - already ok as being the default US for the UK Language in default WinPE.wim build) - ONLY set the UILang parameter below for NONE UK languages.

Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Set-UILang:fr-FR

Dism /image:C:\winpe_x86\mount /Set-UILangFallback:fr-FR

Also for other languages you might have to add language packages too (see microsoft help documentation for language packs for other languages).

Have fun with your UK Keyboard

0 Users found this helpful

I have updated the tutorial to include the Links for Microsoft Windows AIK for Windows 7 (works on Windows 7, Vista SP1, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2) and the Links for the final Acronis WinPE ISO Builder part.

***From Acronis Moderators: I've made this thread sticky. Thank you for your valuable help!***

Thanks for this, it makes it straightforward. There were no errors at all during the build but my iso failed to boot with the message that \drivers\snapman.sys was missing or damaged.

Win 7 Ult 64-bit. ATI Home 2010.7046

God knows why Acronis can't just supply us with a ready-made ISO for a WinPE-based True-Image boot disc like some of it's competitors do.
I've only got a 1Mbit connection so downloading the Windows AIK is almost out of the question for me - something like 20 hours for the 1.7GB download and that's assuming a constant optimal download speed - all that just to end up with something that fits on a 700MB CD !
I think True Image really is the best thing since sliced bread - unlike Paragon or Macrium Reflect, True Image really does live up to it's claim of being Windows 7 compatible when, like me, the hard drive contains a 'System Reserved' partition which has to be active. Paragon & Macrium both alter this during recovery which prevents the system from booting., but thankfully, True Image preserves the "active" assigments.

But this "do it yourself" approach to creating a WinPE CD is a disappointment.

Phillip-

If Acronis competitors provide a ready-made WinPE ISO, how do they know exactly how each customer likes their WinPE environment configured? Are all the optional packages added (HTA,, WSH, WMI, XML, etc.), even if I only want a subset? How are additional custom applications added? Is it configured for a customized keyboard/language support (like Ashley shows above)?

At least for me, the "do it yourself" approach is a major advantage. But yes, the WAIK download is a bit much, since they are all around 1 GB. Perhaps you can find an alternate computer to use for the download, and then burn the ISO downloaded to a DVD that is used for the WAIK installation - the WAIK installation ISO does not fit on a CD.

Gary, thanks for your reply.

Yes, it's true the 'canned' winpe iso downloads are not customisable, but if acronis supplied a 'canned' one it would probably be quite sufficient for some acronis users, Acronis I feel could at least make that an optional download.

Granted, the WAIK installation will not fit on a CD, I was referring to the WinPE/True Image boot CD that you create with WAIK, or are you saying that also requires a DVD? If it does, my apologies.

I still think TI is great by the way.
Regards

Phillip

Phillip,

There are licensing problems in distributing WinPE, how other companies get around this or if they even bother to get certification from MS (which is required) I don't know.

Don't forget that like MDT, WAIK is not meant by Microsoft as means of offline booting for general use, it is aimed at OEM's and those needing SOE systems for installing prebuilt OS images. The fact that this can be used as a mini Windows booting environment is a bonus.

Thanks again for your reply.

My current Windows 7 sytem restores just fine using the standard Linux-based boot disc. However, should the hard disk fail and I need to fit a new SATA disk, would the Linux-based boot CD be able to 'see' that disk since the new hard disk at that point would have no SATA driver on it?

Phillip,

We're straying outside this threads purpose, but in answer to your question it depends on how you are using your Sata drives. If they are in IDE compatible mode then you shouldn't have a problem. If you are using AHCI, then your choices are, temporarily change the BIOS setting back to IDE compatible if the Rescue CD doesn't recognise the drive (it might do), and once the image is restored switch back to AHCI as you will have installed the AHCI driver in Windows previously, or you'll need to putchase the Plus Pack, which will allow you to install the driver when restoring an image.

As I said, the CD might work, if it doesn't then there is the ISO version available from your account - this uses a different version of Linux and so has different drivers. Obviously a WinPE disk will have the AHCI drivers inbuilt if you've copied them over when compiling the WinPE based boot environment.

Presumably, once the WinPE boot disk has been created and tested, the WAIK can be uninstalled, and all the WinPE files deleted from the system?

You can uninstall the WAIK and remove the WinPE files if you wish. I usually keep these installed in a VM for easy access.

Thanks Paul. I have the Win7 WAIK download safely stored, so I'll remove everything else.

The UK keyboard always helps, I was working on a french server and it was a nightmare when using a UK keyboard.