Windows 7 AIO repair x64

Ok, I did some messing around, and I think I have a windows disk capable of running in x86 and x64, enabling it to repair 64 bit systems. This, much to my surprise, means I've managed to do something useful. I'm currently building the install.wim, to put all the versions I have on it, but it does not seem to like my face. Or something.

So, in lieu of posting a disk image, I shall give instructions on how to do it yourself. If people could make reccomendations as to where I upload the finished image, that would be great.

Anyway, extract the contents of the 32-bit disk to a directory. For the purposes of this tutorial, I shall assume this directory is D:\AIO\DVD

Now, go into an administrative command prompt, switch to the directory, and execute the following command:

Code:

bcdedit /store boot\bcd /copy {default} /d "x64 mode"

This will create an exact copy of the default boot entry. This command will give you the GUID of the new entry, make a note of it.

now rename the original "D:\AIO\DVD\sources\boot.wim" to bootx86.wim
Copy the boot.wim from the 64-bit disk into the sources folder, and rename it bootx64.wim

Now, execute these commands in the commandline you still have open:

Code:

bcdedit /store boot\bcd /set {default} device ramdisk=[boot]\sources\bootx86.wim,{7619dcc8-fafe-11d9-b411-000476eba25f}
bcdedit /store boot\bcd /set {default} osdevice ramdisk=[boot]\sources\bootx86.wim,{7619dcc8-fafe-11d9-b411-000476eba25f}

This will make the default option load bootx86.wim. Now we modify the new boot entry to load bootx64.wim. Did you keep a note of that GUID? Good! Replace all instances of {GUID} in these commands with it.

Code:

bcdedit /store boot\bcd /set {GUID} device ramdisk=[boot]\sources\bootx64.wim,{7619dcc8-fafe-11d9-b411-000476eba25f}
bcdedit /store boot\bcd /set {GUID} osdevice ramdisk=[boot]\sources\bootx64.wim,{7619dcc8-fafe-11d9-b411-000476eba25f}

And it's almost done. Now we open the deployment tools command prompt (included in WAIK), and do thusly:

Code:

oscdimg.exe -l7_AIO -t10/22/2009:00:00 -m -u2 -bD:\AIO\DVD\Boot\etfsboot.com D:\AIO\DVD D:\7_AIO.ISO

And we're done!

EDIT: Okay, this may not be as useful as I thought, further testing must be done. Please try it and tell me what happens!
EDIT2: Okay, it seems to work fine, it's just that imagex really hates my face. I have WAIK for windows 7, the wims it generates should work! Also, don't install a 32 bit OS from within 64 bit mode. Don't ask me why, seems to be a driver issue.
EDIT3: Okay, it seems that installing from the 64 bit environment is a no-go. I think there's a driver on the 64 bit disk I'm missing. Watch this space....

 

Right, it is, apparently, working. A slight tweak had to be made, in that the entire sources folder, minus install.wim (~200MB) from the x64 DVD had to be copied over onto the DVD as sources 64. The BCD was adjusted accordingly, and both boot images remained being boot.wim.

This allows installation of all versions of vista from the x86 boot option, but recovery only from the x64 boot option. A good effort, I think. Good enough, anyway. I am doing further testing, if anyone wants the image, just tell me where I can upload a file this big.

Also, I'm tweaking the boot timeout to 3 seconds, so as not to adversely impact the user experience. If there's a way to "hide" the boot options, like with grub, I will do that.

EDIT: I've been outdone by Redmond. No matter how impossible it is for a given change to alter the performance of the setup, it manages it anyway! An entirely separate folder, containing x64 components, only accessed if the x64 recovery option is booted, yet it affects the operation of the install! What the hell, Redmond?!

EDIT2: Through what can only be described as witchcraft and wizardry, I have gotten it working. I'm not entirely sure what I did differently, but ultimate x86 just installed perfectly. I'm trying x64 now, once again, watch this space. I may seed a torrent. Probably not, would it be possible to put it on that ex.ua site?

 

I can confirm that my disk works. Only recovery options work in x64 mode, but that's ok as all OSs will install from the x86 PE.

Steps are:

• Create custom install.wim
  
• extract contents of x86 dvd, delete ei.cfg, all the .clg files, and replace install.wim
  
• copy sources folder from x64 dvd as sources 64
  
• alter BCD to add option to load sources64\boot.wim
  
• compile DVD