Windows 8 - UEFI Install - File more than 4 GB - How?

Well... sort-of.

If you split them and the licensing information is not found in system32 for the particular split it's looking at, it will give a licensing information error and fail out of setup.
I've ran into this problem a lot splitting large wims with many indexes.

It's possible that a single large index would work fine...

 

Yep.

There's a lot of incorrect information in this thread so here is a summary...

1. Booting from a USB drive in UEFI mode *requires* FAT32. and Win8 must be installed in UEFI mode to take advantage of UEFI features.
2. Slipstreaming Win8 updates causes install.wim to be greater than FAT32's 4GB file limit.
3. Splitting install.wim to install.swm etc. using Dism causes "windows cannot find the Microsoft software license terms" during Windows set up.

Is it possible that using a magic figure for the split size avoids this error? If so, is there anyway to guarantee that this error won't occur other than trial and error with install.wim split sizes?

 

That's a decent idea, but do you have any exact instructions ppl can use to prep the hd, like diskpart offsets and boot partition commands and stuff.
I would love to get a good idea of all the various ways to use the UEFI GPT booting and install methods since I constantly have people bugging me about uefi installs on large images...

 

lmao, that's what I suggested in another thread, some guy said about "tons of ways, etc" and nobody gave it a thought. I enjoy reading this thread where people is still trying to figure out split wim's.


In a windows uefi mode, it boots into a small FAT partition, the boot manager then launches winload in a multi-G or even TB size NTFS partition, simple as that.

 

I boot into WinPE, either in bios(legacy) or UEFI mode. Then just run my batch file...

 

I like your method, so i am looking to set up the following configuration...

Code:

sel dis 0
cle
con gpt

rem == 1. Windows RE tools partition ===============
cre par pri size=300
for fs=ntfs label="Windows RE tools" quick
set id="DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC"
gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001
assign letter="T"

rem == 2. System partition =========================
cre par efi size=100
rem    ** NOTE: For Advanced Format 4Kn drives, change this value to size = 260 ** 
for fs=fat32 label="System" quick
assign letter="S"

rem == 3. Microsoft Reserved (MSR) partition =======
cre par msr size=128

rem == 4. Windows partition ========================
cre par pri
for quick fs=ntfs label="Windows7"
shrink desired=300
assign letter="W"

rem == 5. Windows partition ========================
cre par pri
for quick fs=ntfs label="Windows8"
shrink desired=300
assign letter="X"

rem == 6. Data partition ========================
cre par pri
for quick fs=ntfs label="Data"
shrink desired=1300
assign letter="X"

lis vol

does this look correct

 

I've got a 32gb usb key formatted as fat32/active primary partition. It's got a 32bit & 64bit Winpe on it.
Both \boot\BCD & \EFI\Microsoft\boot\bcd point to my wims.
When I boot my key in bios/legacy mode, I can select 32 or 64bit.
When I boot in UEFI, it boots Winpe 64bit...

Here my batch that I ran once to fix the BCD on my USB Key:

Code:

@echo off
Title Multi-Boot BCD
:: Must be run on USB Key, WinPE_x86.wim & WinPE_x64.wim located in \boot\


:: ------------------------- BIOS --------------------------

:: Copy of the default loader
FOR /F "delims={} tokens=2" %%I IN ('bcdedit /store boot\bcd /copy {default} /d "WinPE 4.0 32bit BIOS"') DO SET OSGUID=%%I
SET OSGUID={%OSGUID%}

:: Set the new loader to load the 32bit WinPE
bcdedit /store boot\bcd /set %OSGUID% device ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\WinPE_x86.wim,{7619dcc8-fafe-11d9-b411-000476eba25f}
bcdedit /store boot\bcd /set %OSGUID% osdevice ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\WinPE_x86.wim,{7619dcc8-fafe-11d9-b411-000476eba25f}


:: Copy of the default loader
FOR /F "delims={} tokens=2" %%I IN ('bcdedit /store boot\bcd /copy {default} /d "WinPE 4.0 64bit BIOS"') DO SET OSGUID=%%I
SET OSGUID={%OSGUID%}

:: Set the new loader to load the 64bit WinPE
bcdedit /store boot\bcd /set %OSGUID% device ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\WinPE_x64.wim,{7619dcc8-fafe-11d9-b411-000476eba25f}
bcdedit /store boot\bcd /set %OSGUID% osdevice ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\WinPE_x64.wim,{7619dcc8-fafe-11d9-b411-000476eba25f}

bcdedit /store boot\bcd /displayorder %OSGUID% /addfirst

:: Delete default Entry
bcdedit /store boot\bcd /delete {default}

:: Set Winpe 64bit as the default to boot
bcdedit /store boot\bcd /default %OSGUID%

:: Alter the boot timeout
bcdedit /store boot\bcd /timeout 10


:: Boot menu will be displayed! Progress bar is now shown too!
bcdedit /store boot\bcd /deletevalue {default} bootmenupolicy

:: Delete memdiag from tools
bcdedit /store boot\bcd /deletevalue {bootmgr} toolsdisplayorder

bcdedit /store boot\bcd /enum



:: ------------------------- UEFI --------------------------


:: Copy of the default loader
FOR /F "delims={} tokens=2" %%I IN ('bcdedit /store EFI\Microsoft\boot\bcd /copy {default} /d "WinPE 4.0 64bit UEFI"') DO SET OSGUID=%%I
SET OSGUID={%OSGUID%}

:: Set the new loader to load the 64bit WinPE
bcdedit /store EFI\Microsoft\boot\bcd /set %OSGUID% device ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\WinPE_UEFI.wim,{7619dcc8-fafe-11d9-b411-000476eba25f}
bcdedit /store EFI\Microsoft\boot\bcd /set %OSGUID% osdevice ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\WinPE_UEFI.wim,{7619dcc8-fafe-11d9-b411-000476eba25f}

bcdedit /store EFI\Microsoft\boot\bcd /displayorder %OSGUID% /addfirst

:: Delete default Entry
bcdedit /store EFI\Microsoft\boot\bcd /delete {default}

:: Set Winpe 64bitas the default to boot
bcdedit /store EFI\Microsoft\boot\bcd /default %OSGUID%

:: Alter the boot timeout
::bcdedit /store EFI\Microsoft\boot\bcd /timeout 0


:: Boot menu will be displayed! Progress bar is now shown too!
bcdedit /store EFI\Microsoft\boot\bcd /deletevalue {default} bootmenupolicy


:: Delete memdiag from tools
bcdedit /store EFI\Microsoft\boot\bcd /deletevalue {bootmgr} toolsdisplayorder

bcdedit /store EFI\Microsoft\boot\bcd /enum

 

diskpart, make your pendrive GPT instead of MBR,
format it as NTFS, ( will support > 4GB install.wim )

turn on bios support UEFI boot,

boot from pendrive, make sure it is UEFI boot.

 

If it was that simple, I wouldn't have started a new thread with 2 consecutive long posts.

 

On my Ativ Smart PC (32bit UEFI): format two USB sticks, one FAT32 and the other NTFS. Copy on the FAT32 one all Windows 8 setup files except the install.wim! On the NTFS stick (lager than 4gb) copy all setup files including the large install.wim.
Now insert both sticks and boot from FAT32 one. If there is an error in Setup like "no install files found" or so, remove the FAT32 stick and press Setup again.
Now the Setup runs from the NTFS Stick!

 

it is just that simple,
those approaches are what i did with my install.wim > 6GB.

 

Please open CMD(admin) and enter : bcdedit /enum ; and post a screen-shot, tks.

 

To install windows 8 in UEFI with a file over 4GB is simple,you just need two usb sticks,first one FAT32 with all windows setup files on it except install.wim,second NTFS with all windows setup files including over 4gb install.wim,boot from the FAT32 one,and when you are prompted to press the big INSTALL button,swap the stick with the NTFS one,simple and noob friendly ,just make sure you have the windows setup files on a FAT32 stick to boot into UEFI,then swap and install from the NTFS stick

 

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Nice idea. Doesn't work though.

Using Dism or GImageX is a pretty messy solution.

 

Using split wims (install.swm) for Windows 8 Setup from USB

I have successfully made a single partition FAT32 Windows 8.1 OEM USB drive with split wims that works in both MBR\CSM and UEFI mode.

The secret is that you need to add a \sources\ei.cfg file which allows you to choose which version (e.g. Core or Pro) you want and it also bypasses the Product Key request. Then you do not get the 'Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms. Make sure the installation sources are valid and restart the installation.' error just after entering in the 5x5 Product Key.

This perhaps explains why it works for some but not others. It depends on if they added an ei.cfg file or not when they made the USB drive

 

Simple.
Install Windows as MBR then convert disk to GPT using AOMEI Partition.
Deactivate CSM and done. You're using Windows as uefi without other partitions. Just System Reserved.

 

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