OEM Recovery Partition Creator for Windows

AUTOIT is a scripting language similar to basic. I love it due to the fact it is really simple to use, it's free, can compile into 32 and 64 EXE files AND the EXE file does not need any special DLL to works on a computer.

Since my software is based on a old one I made, it is a mix of AutoIT and CMD scripts. Also, some things are easier to do with CMD file (like grabbing the output of BCDEDIT when adding a new entry to the boot manager).

 

Well, this tools works better with a brand-new installation of WINDOWS without your personal file, since it is more a software to restore a basic image that a full backup.

How many partitions do you have on your computer? 2 or 3 ? In which order?
To let me know, please do the following.

Open Command Prompt as adminsitrator and type the following (press enter after each line)

Code:

diskpart
select disk 0
list partition

Copy here the result seen on screen. I will let you know what you can do.

 

Well, Maybe not adding a option in the GUI, but I may be able to create a Script file that can mount everything, open notepad and, when completed, update all settings and commit the image.

Will check that.

 

Take a look of the SETTINGS.INI file and the documentation. Instruction on how to translate is there.

Until final release, I will not add any language on my side.

 

Ok, so you already have 3 partition.
Partition 1 : Boot partition (aka SYSTEM partition) : 100mb
Partition 2 : Windows and/or Data partition : 102gb
Partition 3: Windows and/or Data partition : 192gb

Either to wipe-out everything on you computer OR you will have to create a fourth partition (using DISKPART shrink command) with the size quivalent to 50% of the space used on your Windows partition.

If you select the second option, you will have to modify the SETTINGS.INI file to adapt-it to your need (read documentation) and NOT forgot to set the WIPEUSBDVD settings to 0.

 

OK, here is what I can reccomend you. It is the best I can do for now.

1) On a test computer/VmWare : Install Windows with the basic 3 partition configuration and capture the image and create the DVD set
2) On the final computer do :
2.1) Reinstall Windows from the DVD. The computer will have 3 partitions. Once restore is completed, DO NOT REBOOT!
2.2) Using DISKPART (from command prompt), resize the WINDOWS partition to create the fourth partition (lots of help on the Internet to do that)
2.3) Reboot into Windows. Should be in AUDIT mode. Install drivers/updates/etc.
2.4) Use the script at the end of this message (save it in a CMD file) to modify the SETTINGS.INI file to disable the WIPE option (set it to 0).
2.5) Run SYSPREP as specified in the documentation
2.6) Reboot to RecoveryEnvironment and capture the system image. It will now include the modified SETTINGS.INI file in the Recovery Environment, so if the user create a DVD set, it will NOT wipe out the partition on the computer. But, then, you will need to manually create them if you change your hard-disk drive...

The partition on the final computer will be like this :
1: Recovery
2: Boot
3: Windows
4: Data

SCRIPT

Code:

@Echo Off
CLS
ECHO ********************************************
ECHO This script allow the OffLine modification of SETTINGS.INI stored in the Recovery Environment. You need administrator rights to use this software. Press any key to continue or CTRL+C to quit.
ECHO ********************************************
PAUSE
CLS
SET DISK=-1
SET RECOVERYPARTITION=-1
SET LETTER=-1
CLS
ECHO ********************************************
ECHO Reading SETTINGS.INI FILE
ECHO ********************************************
FOR /F "tokens=1,2 delims==" %%I in ('type "%PROGRAMFILES%\RecoveryCreator\Settings.ini"') DO ( IF "%%I"=="DiskID" SET DISK=%%J
IF "%%I"=="RecoveryPartitionID" SET RECOVERYPARTITION=%%J
IF "%%I"=="RecoveryLetter" SET LETTER=%%J)
IF "%DISK%"=="-1" GOTO ERROR
IF "%RECOVERYPARTITION%"=="-1" GOTO ERROR
IF "%LETTER%"=="-1" GOTO ERROR
ECHO ********************************************
ECHO Disk ID : %DISK%
ECHO Recovery Partition : %RECOVERYPARTITION%
ECHO Recovery Letter : %LETTER%
ECHO ********************************************
ECHO Mounting Recovery Partition
ECHO ********************************************
ECHO Select Disk %DISK%>"%TMP%\Mount.txt"
ECHO Select Partition %RECOVERYPARTITION%>>"%TMP%\Mount.Txt"
ECHO Assign letter %LETTER%>>"%TMP%\Mount.Txt"
Diskpart /s "%TMP%\Mount.Txt"
IF NOT EXIST %LETTER% GOTO ERROR
ECHO ********************************************
ECHO Mounting WINPE.WIM file
ECHO ********************************************
RD /S /Q "%TMP%\MOUNT"
MD "%TMP%\MOUNT"
DISM /Mount-Wim /WimFile:%LETTER%\WINPE\WINPE.WIM /MountDir:"%TMP%\Mount" /Index:1
IF NOT Exist "%TMP%\Mount\Windows" GOTO ERROR
ECHO ********************************************
ECHO Notepad will open to allo you to modify the SETTINGS.INI file. Once completed, simply save your change and close notepad.
ECHO ********************************************
PAUSE
IF NOT Exist "%TMP%\Mount\Recovery\Settings.ini" GOTO ERROR
ATTRIB -S -R -H "%TMP%\Mount\Recovery\Settings.ini"
ATTRIB -S -R -H "%PROGRAMFILES%\RecoveryCreator\Settings.ini"
START /WAIT NOTEPAD.EXE "%TMP%\Mount\Recovery\Settings.ini"
DEL "%PROGRAMFILES%\RecoveryCreator\Settings.ini"
COPY "%TMP%\Mount\Recovery\Settings.ini" "%PROGRAMFILES%\RecoveryCreator\Settings.ini"
FC "%PROGRAMFILES%\RecoveryCreator\Settings.ini" "%TMP%\Mount\Recovery\Settings.ini"
IF "%ERRORLEVEL%"=="1" GOTO ERROR
ECHO ********************************************
ECHO UnMounting WINRE image
ECHO ********************************************
DISM /UnMount-Wim /MountDir:"%TMP%\Mount" /Commit
PAUSE
GOTO QUIT

:ERROR
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO An error occured!
PAUSE
GOTO QUIT

:QUIT

 

BTW, I am not at home, so I can not check is my previous script is correctly working or not.
I will test it maybe tonight if my GF let me touch my computer

 

Yes, safe to you waht you want. Anyway, you can always restore back from the DVD since you have nothing installed since the recovery.

And yes, by BOOT I meant SYSTEM (I always switch from one word to the other one.... )