Convert Install.wim to Install.esd

The Command you used only exports (convert) first version
you have to repeat the command for all versions (indexes):

Code:

dism /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:"D:\install.wim" /SourceIndex:1 /DestinationImageFile:"D:\install.esd" /Compress:recovery
dism /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:"D:\install.wim" /SourceIndex:2 /DestinationImageFile:"D:\install.esd" /Compress:recovery

 

And what about the reverse process?

I've downloaded a collection with 2 DVDs called "Windows 8.1 AIO 6 in 1"

"DVD 1" has x86 versions: Windows 8.1 Single Language, Windows 8.1 (Core), Windows 8.1 Pro, Windows 8.1 Pro VL, Windows 8.1 Media Center, Windows 8.1 Enterprise
"DVD 2" has x64 versions: Windows 8.1 Single Language, Windows 8.1 (Core), Windows 8.1 Pro, Windows 8.1 Pro VL, Windows 8.1 Media Center, Windows 8.1 Enterprise

I would like to use AIK to remove Windows 8.1 Pro VL, Windows 8.1 Media Center, Windows 8.1 Enterprise from both DVDs, after that combine remaining versions x86 and x64 by a single DVD.

I expected to extract selected versions from \sources\install.wim, but... actually DVDs have \sources\install.esd

Anyway to resolve this problem?

 

You *can* convert them, but it's a pain in the butt as you have to apply the image to a directory and re-capture them.
It's actually a lot easier and cleaner to re-get the source discs and export the images to a new install.wim file.

Note that wim files will be much larger than esd files and you may not save very much space by removing those vl indexes. I.E. it will probably be 20 megs less or something for a similar esd export without the vl indexes.

 

Final size is not a problem for me, I want to do only combine Windows 8.1 Single Language, Windows 8.1 (Core) and Windows 8.1 Pro x86 and x64 versions in a single media (probably a flash disk, where I have choice to edit EI.CFG for each installation I want to customize)
Thanks a lot!

 

Well, you got your work cut out for you
If you combine both x86 and x64 versions, you will run into many hurdles.

1) ei.cfg usage breaks full upgrades (keep programs and settings) from 8.0
2) separate x64 upgrade folder support requires hex editing a few files
3) UEFI booting will not be possible on a legacy boot menu with more than one boot option (eg x64 recovery mode)

But if you only care about boot installs and not recovery, you can simply export the desired indexes from source discs to a new install.wim and overwrite a x86 version's install.wim
Then change the ei.cfg to something generic like:

Code:

[EditionID]
[Channel]
Retail
[VL]
0

 

It's much more difficult that I'd suposed...
I have always worked with "Windows 7 AIO x86 x64" DVD with no problems.
But "Windows 8" DVD has something...

file \bootmgr.efi x86 and x64 have different sizes

folder \efi\boot:
x86 only version has "bootia32.efi"
x64 only version has "bootx64.efi"

folder \efi\microsoft\boot:
several files *.efi with different sizes between x86 and x64

file \setup.exe and
file \boot\bootsect.exe have different sizes between x86 and x64 DVDs

I understand that recovery will be difficult, so I want to create a formatation disk only;

Several Win8.iso I've downloaded with "Win8 AIO x86 and x64" have the same problem, folder \efi\boot has only one file called bootia32.efi
Even so, all installations of Windows 8.1 x64 and x32 worked fine in Virtual Box with no EFI configuration.

Probably these .iso I've downloaded won't install in real systems with x64 UEFI BIOS
I have called "x64 UEFI BIOS" because I've acquired a notebook, inside BIOS configuration, I can chose only two options of startup: "Windows 8 64-bit" (UEFI) or "Other system" (Legacy)

My question is: if I put both files "bootia32.efi" and "bootx64.efi" inside \efi\boot folder then could I boot and install it in any UEFI system?

I can't test this in VirtualBox because EFI configuration doesn't work fine for me; boot from UEFI CD, VirtualBox shows the blue Windows 8 logo, white dots turning over and nothing happens after that.

 

I honestly don't know man. I spent a few days trying to get a multi-boot uefi capable iso working and I couldn't.
I recall not copying over the bootx64.efi and in retrospect it seems like that would be required.
But on top of that, you might also need the bcd from the x64 version and mod that to point to the different x64 boot folder.

The more you try to get something like this to work, the more you start to realize what a bad idea it is. Win7 was pretty straight-forward with the mbr dual-booting, but win8.x is definitely not, especially with the advent of UEFI systems.

 

OK boy

Because of sucess of legacy mode boot, in this case, I'm going to add aditional "different sized and same" files with sufixes _x32 and _x64 to flash disk, boot in legacy mode, renaming flash disk files according with next format, boot UEFI mode and proceed instalation. Maybe it work properly.
If not, I'll kill this project and keep two different DVDs, even with \sources\install.esd

Thanks!

 

You need to login to view this posts content.

 

VERY GOOD SCRIPT!
Results from today:
Original-downloaded-ISO Multi Win8.1 DVD x86 and x64 still working in legacy boot mode.
UEFI boot mode not working yet. As I had suposed, multi-DVD with \efi\boot\bootia32.efi chashed!

Workaround 1: taken original x64-only-DVD, replaced only \sources\install.esd with \sources\instal.wim taken from functional multi-DVD.
Result: Installation broken in legacy boot mode with any x86 systems: After getting 100% copy files, before 10-seconds restart, "Setup interrupt because of corrupted files and so on"... system reverted and Welcome installation windows loaded again.

Workaround 2: taken multi-DVD, replace all *.efi and *.bin inside \ and \efi with *.efi and *.bin taken from x64-only-DVD.
Result: ISO generated, will be tested tomorow.

My first objective: fix UEFI boot mode for x64 systems only without crashing already-working legacy boot mode.

Seconde objective: implement EI.CFG auto-selector (THANKS AGAIN!) and integrating $OEM$ branding folder from 15733 thread.

Third (im)possible objective: think about possibility to extend support for UEFI boot mode for x32 systems... may be cancelled, because systems getting more RAM over 4GB and probably low availability of x86-UEFI BIOS. My new netbook has 2GB RAM with x64-UEFI BIOS

 

Yah on the 32bit UEFI, don't bother. MS doesn't support it. You'd have to use a non-MS bootloader for both the setup and the OS. There's not really any point. Win8 can boot with BIOS boot just fine on subpar systems...

Actually I think they support IA32 uefi, but isn't that Itanium processors in 32bit mode? Yah most people won't use that.

edit: ignore the idiot here who doesn't know that ia32 is the default 32bit intel stuff.

 

If I recall correctly, Itanium (ia64 architecture), was ia64 only. Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (don't confuse with XP Professional x64) and Server 2008/2008R2 IA64 could only run ia64 stuff, due to lacking support for 32-bit assemblies (there was no wow64 emulation in these Windows, neither that was supported by the architecture). Also ia64 is not x64 (amd64/intel64 whatever).

In fact the whole conventional x64 is being a superset of x86, i.e. actually being x86-64, that's why wow64 became possible to emulate x86.
Therefore when an architecture is referred to as ia32, the meaning of it - is x86 without x64 extensions.

 

Ahh thx guys. I don't know the terminology like I should.
It makes me wonder why they have the ia32 efi files on the discs tho if they only support x64 UEFI booting officially...

 

If we replace install.wim with install.esd, considerably more time is needed for fresh installation.

I would rather let the file be wim and sacrifice space on pen drive and enjoy 5 min installation than being 15 min from esd.

 

According with this: technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824898.aspx , Win 8.1 supports both x86 and x64 UEFI boot

 

Result today: All installations x86 and x64 worked properly in Legacy mode.
UEFI mode not tested because I haven't found a DVD-9 media to burn
Next test: march-16, I'm going to travel next week.

Details: all *.bin and *.efi files from this last ISO DVD are original from a x64-DVD only. Other files are original from multi-DVD.
versions present in ISO tested:
Win 8.1 x86
Win 8.1 Pro x86
Win 8.1 WMC x86
Win 8.1 Enterprise x86
Win 8.1 Single Language x86
Win 8.1 x64
Win 8.1 Pro x64
Win 8.1 WMC x64
Win 8.1 Enterprise x64
Win 8.1 Single Language x64

Question: Did someone get error by opening \sources\install.wim from any Win8.1 media with 7-zip?