Creating a TeraByte WinPE Boot Disc Containing
Image for Windows (TBWinPE)

This tutorial is a guide to creating the standard WinPE boot media containing Image for Windows. The boot media is based on either the Windows ADK (Windows 8/8.1/10/11) or the Windows AIK (Windows 7).

Note: This tutorial covers using the TBWinPE/RE Builder Windows program. If you are using the TBWinPE.cmd script please click here to switch tutorials.

Requirements:

Before beginning, please review the following requirements for the project:

• Operating System:
  • Windows 11
  • Windows 10
  • Windows 8 / 8.1
  • Windows 7

  Note: The computer used to create the TBWinPE boot media can be running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of the supported operating systems. On either version you can create 32-bit or 64-bit versions of TBWinPE, as supported by the source WinPE. Starting with Windows 11 ADK version 22H2, creating 32-bit (x86) builds is no longer supported. If you need to create 32-bit TBWinPE media use the Windows 10 ADK version 2004 source.

• Windows ADK for Windows 11 or
  Windows ADK for Windows 10 or
  Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) for Windows 8.1 or
  Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 8 or
  The Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7
  
  

  The Windows 11 ADK creates a build based on Windows PE for Windows 11.
  The Windows 10 ADK creates a build based on Windows PE for Windows 10.

  The download size varies depending on which version of the ADK is selected and which options are selected. The minimum estimated disk space required is 3.4GB to 5.8GB (installed space ranges approximately 1.74GB to 3GB). A high-speed internet connection is recommended.

  The download page can be found here:
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/get-started/adk-install
  

  Run the downloaded setup program(s) to install the ADK (see Step 2B).

  Note: Starting with Windows 10, version 1809, the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) feature is a separate download (an add-on for the ADK). Both downloads are available from the above linked page. Install the ADK first and then the WinPE files.

  Note: Starting with Windows 11 ADK version 22H2, 32-bit versions of WIndows PE are no longer included. If you need to create 32-bit TBWinPE media use the Windows 10 ADK version 2004 source.

  The Windows 8.0 / 8.1 ADK is no longer available for download from Microsoft. However, if you already have the ADK installed or have the installation files for the ADK, it can still be used.

  The Windows 7 AIK creates a build based on WinPE 3.0. Since this is a very large download (approx. 1.6GB), a high-speed internet connection is recommended. Once downloaded, the Windows 7 AIK must be burned to a DVD and then installed (see Step 2A).

  The download page can be found here:
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5753

  Note: If multiple sources are installed (e.g. the Windows 7 AIK and the Windows 8 ADK) and the installation paths are found, the latest version will be selected. If desired, an older version can be used by specifying the path for it.

• TBWinPE/RE Builder Files:

  The TBWinPE/RE Builder files must be downloaded and extracted to a folder on the system you are using to create the build.
  https://www.terabyteunlimited.com/downloads/wp/tbwinpe.zip

  Note: TBWinPE/RE Builder v1.38+ files are required for builds using Image for Windows V4. Earlier versions do not support V4.

• Image for Windows:

  Image for Windows must be installed on the system which you are using to create the build. Version 2.71 or later is required if building a 64-bit version of TBWinPE. Using the most current version of Image for Windows is recommended.

  Note: If using the trial version of Image for Windows V3 or V4 in the build it is necessary to run Image for Windows at least once before creating the build. Otherwise, the trial version will not be activated in the build.

  Optional: The Image for Linux CD Boot files will be included if installed. The TBIView, TBIMount, TBIHD, and TeraByte OSD Tool Suite Pro (TBOSDTS) programs will also be included in the build if they are installed. Additionally, the standard TBOSDTS installed scripts and scripts in the public sub-folder will be included. TBOSDTS 1.47 or later is required to create the TBWinPE.bin boot file.

• Hard Drive Space:

  Space required depends on build source (WinPE version) and build options. It is recommended to have at least 2GB of free space available in addition to the space required by the AIK/ADK installation. Additional space is also required if creating the TBWinPE.bin boot file (approx. 500MB).

  Installing the Windows 10/11 ADK requires a minimum of 1.74GB to 3GB of free space. Installing the Windows 8/8.1 ADK requires a minimum of 1.6GB of free space. (ADK space requirements vary with version and may be higher than stated here.) Installing the Windows 7 AIK requires up to 1.5GB of free space.

• Memory (RAM):

  The target system requires a minimum of 512MB. Booting the TBWinPE build on a system with less than 512MB is not recommended or supported.

• Drivers:

  Depending on the system, it may be necessary to add storage controller drivers to the build to have access to the drives when booted to TBWinPE. Examples of other drivers that may need added include USB 3.0 drivers and NIC drivers. Refer to Appendix 2, if necessary.

  Note: Builds based on versions of the Windows 8.x/10/11 ADK include native support for USB 3.0 (adding USB 3.0 drivers is not necessary). Commonly used Windows 7 USB 3 drivers can be downloaded by TBWinPE/RE Builder and included in builds based on Windows 7.

  Important Note for Systems using Drives Larger than 2.2TB: The versions of the Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) drivers included in the Windows 7 & 8 (8.0 version) WinPE do not properly support drives larger than 2.2TB. As a result, when this driver is used, the drive will be reported with an incorrect size (e.g. a 3TB drive showing as 746GB) and the file system on the drive may be corrupted. If using large drives on a system utilizing Intel RST it's strongly recommended to download the current driver and include it in the TBWinPE build. Go to the Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) page, click the driver link in the Latest Downloads section, then download either the f6flpy-x64.zip (for 64-bit Windows) or f6flpy-x86.zip (for 32-bit Windows) file. Note: If you must use an older version of the driver, version 10.1 is required for AHCI and version 10.5 is required for RAID.

Step 1: Download and Extract the TBWinPE/RE Builder Files

Download the TBWinPE ZIP file from the link below:
https://www.terabyteunlimited.com/downloads/wp/tbwinpe.zip

The download will be in the form of a ZIP file containing the TBWinPE/RE Builder program, TBWinPE CMD script, and supporting files.

Important Note: Since this file comes from another computer, Windows may block it. Whether this happens or not depends on the version of Windows and the security settings. If the file is blocked, it won't work correctly. To check if the file is blocked, right-click on the downloaded file, select Properties from the pop-up menu, and see if an Unblock button or checkbox exists on the General tab. If it does, click the Unblock button or check the box, then click OK. An example of a blocked file is shown below:

Extract the contents of this file to the folder from where you want to run TBWinPE/RE Builder. It is recommended that you create a new folder in the root of a drive (C:\TBWinPE, D:\TBWinPE, etc.) and extract the files there.

An example of the files extracted to the C:\TBWinPE folder is shown below:

You can leave this Explorer window open for use in Step 3, if you wish.

Step 2: Install the Windows 7 AIK or Windows 8/8.1/10/11 ADK

Reference Step 2A if installing the Windows 7 AIK.

Reference Step 2B if installing the Windows 8/8.1/10/11 ADK.

Step 2A: Install the Windows 7 AIK

The Windows 7 AIK creates a build based on WinPE 3.0. Since this is a large download (approx. 1.6GB), a high-speed internet connection is recommended. Once downloaded, the Windows 7 AIK must be burned to a DVD and then installed.

The download page can be found here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5753

The Windows 7 AIK download from Microsoft will be an ISO file, approximately 1.6GB in size. Once downloaded, burn the ISO file to a DVD with a utility such as BurnCDCC. This utility is included with IFW and can also be downloaded from TeraByte Unlimited at the link below:
https://www.terabyteunlimited.com/downloads-free-software.htm

To start the install, insert the DVD and wait for the Windows 7 AIK welcome screen to appear. If the DVD doesn't autorun when inserted, you can open the DVD drive in an Explorer window and then double-click startcd.exe.

Select Windows AIK Setup from the welcome screen menu. After some initialization and the license agreement screen, the following dialog will come up:

The defaults shown above will work fine and it's recommended to keep them. If you are unsure if there is enough free space on the installation drive, check the required disk space before proceeding by using the Disk Cost button. When ready, click Next to start the install. At completion, the following screen will appear:

Note: The Windows AIK requires both the .NET Framework and MSXML 6.0 to be installed. If they are not already installed on the system, Windows AIK Setup will detect this and request that you install either/both of these items first. Both are available to install from the same DVD and appear on the welcome screen menu as .NET Framework Setup and MSXML 6.0 [SP1] Setup. Windows XP (in particular) will usually require the installation of these programs.

Step 2B: Install the Windows 8/8.1/10/11 ADK

Unless you have a specific need to use an older ADK, using the current version of the Windows ADK is recommended. The download size varies depending on which options are selected. The minimum estimated disk space required ranges from 3.0GB to 5.8GB (actual download size is usually less with an installed space of 1.6GB to 3.0GB). A high-speed internet connection is recommended.

To start the install, run the downloaded ADK setup program (adksetup.exe). For the Windows 11 ADK and the Windows 10 ADK (version 1809 or later), you will also download and run the Windows PE add-on installer (adkwinpesetup.exe).

You can select to have the installer download the selected items or you can download the ADK for installation on a separate computer. In this tutorial, the Install option will be used.

Select the Install the Assessment and Deployment Kit to this computer option and click Next .

On the next screen, select whether or not to join the CEIP and/or send anonymous usage data to Microsoft and click Next. On the License Agreement screen, click Accept.

The following screen will display the features of the ADK available for installation. To keep the download to a minimum it's recommended to limit the selection to the Deployment Tools and Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) features (if the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0/4.5 feature is available it must also be selected). If installing the Windows 11 ADK or the Windows 10 ADK (version 1809 or later), you will have the Deployment Tools feature available in the ADK installer and the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) feature in the Windows PE add-on installer.

Selecting Deployment Tools from the Windows 10 ADK (version 1809) installer:

Selecting Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) from the Windows 10 ADK (version 1809) Windows PE add-on installer:

Click the Install button. If you get a UAC prompt, click Continue or Yes to allow the program to run.

Allow the installation(s) to complete. This may take considerable time, depending on the speed on the internet connection.

Step 3: Running TBWinPE/RE Builder

Double-click the TBWinPE.exe file or right-click on it and select Open from the pop-up menu. On Windows Vista or later, if UAC is enabled (the default), click Continue or Yes at the UAC prompt to allow the program to run.

The TBWinPE/RE Builder program will run and display the Welcome screen.

Click Next. The Project Type screen will be shown.

Select the TBWinPE project type.

Note: Default settings will work for most standard builds. If you need to adjust the program or build settings click Settings. Details on the available settings can be found here.

Click Next. The License screen will be shown.

If necessary, enter your Image for Windows licensed name and product key. Leave the fields blank if using the trial version of Image for Windows. Enter the license information for the version of Image for Windows being included in the build. To skip this step in future builds if the format of the license information previously entered or imported appears valid, check the option. Click Next to continue.

Build requirements will be checked.

If no warnings are issued and no errors found the next screen will be displayed automatically. If there are errors or warnings (if not ignored) they will be displayed for review. To ignore warnings in the future check the Ignore warnings when checking requirements option. Click Next to continue.

By default, if the build is based on Windows 7 (Windows 7 AIK, in this case) and the USB 3 drivers aren't found you will be prompted to download them. It is recommended to include these drivers to support systems with USB 3. Click Download to start the process. Once downloaded, the license agreements will be displayed. Click to accept the licenses and then click OK to use the drivers.

Click Next to continue. The Build Type screen will be shown.

Select the desired build type to create. Options will be disabled if not available or not supported.

The following build types are available:

32-bit (x86) TBWinPE: Select this to create the 32-bit (x86) version of TBWinPE. If adding drivers or other programs they will need to be the 32-bit versions.

64-bit (AMD64) TBWinPE: Select this to create the 64-bit (AMD86) version of TBWinPE. If adding drivers or other programs they will need to be the 64-bit versions. This build requires Image for Windows 2.71 or later.

Create boot file TBWinPE.bin for use with TeraByte's BOOTFILE program: Select to enable/disable creating the TBWinPE.bin boot file for use with TeraByte's BOOTFILE program (supports booting directly to the file from Windows). When enabled, the selected build type will create the boot file instead of the standard boot media.

Select the desired build option and click Next to continue.

If plugins are enabled to be included in the build, the Plugins screen will be shown next and plugin requirements will be checked. This step will continue automatically if there are no warnings or errors. Otherwise, click Next to continue.

The Build Summary screen will be shown.

At this point you can either create the build by clicking Start or go back if you need to make changes.

The build process may take several minutes, depending on the speed of the computer.

Note: When the build's WIM file is being unmounted it may take several minutes. Some anti-virus programs may cause a slow unmount or an unmount error. If the unmount fails you will be prompted to try it again.

TBWinPE/RE Builder will stop if it encounters an error during the build process. A log file (TBWinPE.log) is also created by default and can be examined if there are issues (select View Log from the Help menu).

When the build has completed, if creating a TBWinPE CD, USB flash drive (UFD), or ISO file, click Finish to launch TeraByte's MakeDisk utility to create the desired TBWinPE boot media. Otherwise, just exit the program.

Note: If you have existing TBWinPE/RE boot media you wish to update, but don't want the media reformatted by MakeDisk (existing files would be lost), please refer to the following KB article: Manually Updating the TBWinPE/RE Boot Media

Click Next to start the process and then select the bootable media type you want to create. In the example below, a USB flash drive is selected.

Important: When creating a TBWinPE bootable USB flash drive (UFD), it's recommended to use a Partition USB Layout option (e.g. Partition - MBR FAT/FAT32 Partition). Using the No Partition mode may not allow the drive to boot correctly. For more information on the USB Layout options or if you have problems booting the UFD, please see this KB article:
Using a UFD (USB Flash Drive) as installation/boot media for TeraByte Unlimited products.

Click Finish to create the bootable media. If you wish to create another boot media (e.g. you created a CD and also want a UFD), you can run MakeDisk from the TBWinPE folder (it's not necessary to recreate the build unless you've updated the installed TeraByte programs or the TBWinPE/RE Builder files).

Step 4: Using TBWinPE

Booting into TBWinPE will typically take several minutes, depending on the system.

The TBWinPE desktop will look similar to the screenshot below. Please note that this type of build is a relatively plain WinPE build and does not include a taskbar or Windows-type shell. TBLauncher can be used to easily run the included programs, or shut down or restart the system.

To exit TBWinPE, remove the TBWinPE boot media and click either the Shut down or Restart button in TBLauncher.

Note: Some systems using TBWinPE created from the Windows 8 ADK may exhibit a delay when shutting down or restarting. If this happens you can hold down the Shift key when clicking the button to force the action.

The TeraByte programs included in the build can be also run from a Command Prompt window by typing the program name and pressing ENTER: imagew, tbiview, tbimount, tbosdtw, tbihd

 

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Appendix 1 - Using Custom Settings

By default, TBWinPE/RE Builder expects the TeraByte programs and the Windows AIK/ADK to be at their installed/default locations. If any of these programs are not installed or are not found automatically you will need to set the correct paths.

Details on settings and options available for the build can be found in Settings.

Appendix 2 - Adding Windows Drivers

Windows Drivers can be added to the build by placing them into the Drivers folder located in the build folder. In this example, which is using a custom C:\TBWinPE build folder, the Drivers folder is C:\TBWinPE\Drivers.

Important: If you are running TBWinPE/RE Builder from an Image for Windows installation, the Drivers folder would be at one of the following locations (assuming the default installation path was used):
In 32-bit Windows: C:\Program Files\TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore Suite\tbwinre\Drivers
In 64-bit Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore Suite\tbwinre\Drivers

To easily open the correct folder for adding drivers:

1. Run TBWinPE/RE Builder.
2. Do one of the following:
• Click Next > and then click the Settings... button
• Open the File menu and select Settings...
3. In Settings, select the Build Options tab.
4. In the Options section, following the Add drivers from "Drivers" folder option, click the Open drivers folder link.
5. The Drivers folder will open in Windows File Explorer.

The Drivers folder will be searched for drivers when the build is being created. Placing the files for each added driver into their own folder is usually the simplest method. For example, if you're creating the TBWinPE 64-bit build using the Windows 7 AIK and need to add 64-bit USB 3.0 drivers, you might place the driver files into C:\TBWinPE\Drivers\usb3x64 (as shown below):

Drivers must be of the INF type (.inf) and all supporting files (.cat, .pnf, .sys, .oem, .dll, etc.) must be included. All driver related files and sub-folders should be in the same folder with the .inf file. In most cases, the driver files are packaged together in a folder and you can just copy that folder into the Drivers folder (this will copy all the files and any sub-folders).

Windows installer (e.g. .msi files) or other driver package types (like .exe files) are not supported. In addition, INF files that are not valid driver packages will be ignored.

Drivers used should be 32-bit (x86) versions for 32-bit (x86) builds and 64-bit (AMD64) versions for 64-bit builds. Use Windows 7 drivers for builds based on the Windows 7 AIK. Use Windows 8 drivers for the builds based on the Windows 8 ADK. Use Windows 10 drivers for builds based on the Windows 10 ADK.

Appendix 3 - The "ISO" and Other Build Folders

The ISO folder contains the files used to create the build. When the build has completed and the boot media has been created, this folder can be deleted to regain the space (approximately 135-300MB, depending on the build). If deleted, the folder will be recreated when the program is run again. This folder is not automatically deleted by the script as it may be useful to advanced users.

The mount folder is used to mount the WinPE boot.wim file being modified.

The config folder contains the configuration files used by TBWinPE/RE Builder.

The Plugins folder contains the plugins and associated files used by TBWinPE/RE Builder.

The Drivers_Win7PEUSB3 folder contains the downloaded USB 3 drivers for builds based on Windows 7.

Appendix 4 - Directly Booting TBWinPE/RE WIM File in Windows 7 or Later

TBWinPE/RE Builder can configure Windows to directly boot the WIM file from a standard TBWinPE or TBWinRE build when using Windows 7 or later. This allows booting into the TBWinPE/RE environment with a simple restart of Windows with no boot media required.

Note: When creating a TBWinPE/RE WIM to boot it's recommended to use a standard boot media build type (e.g. TBWinRE CD/UFD/ISO option). If just creating the WIM for booting it's not necessary to create the boot media when the build finishes - the WIM file (boot.wim) is located in the build's ISO\sources folder.

Booting a WIM File

Run TBWinPE/RE Builder, select the File menu and then the Boot WIM file... item. Select the WIM file you want to boot. The WIM file can be a standard WIM or a TBWinPE/RE WIM (recommended).

If booting a TBWinPE/RE WIM file, you can optionally select a Run script or command file. The Run file can be a .cmd/.tbs/.run script or a text file (.txt/.ifw) with command line parameters for IFW. The file must be located on a partition accessible when booted to TBWinPE/RE. To specify a script file that is internal to the WIM, click on Additional options... and enable the Run file exists in WIM option, then type in the full path to the WIM, starting at root (e.g. \myscripts\backup.ifw). Using a Run file requires a TBWinPE/RE WIM configured to use TBLauncher v1.13+ (TBLauncher is used by default in these builds).

Keep in mind that when a Run file is specified that it will replace any TBLauncher auto-run option configured in the WIM when it was created. For example, if you had configured TBLauncher to run a RunScript.cmd file on startup, that script will not be run. However, if the InitScript.cmd script was configured it will still be run prior to the specified script.

With IFW 3.17+ you can easily create .cmd/.tbs/.ifw files for use with BOOTWIM. To do this, run IFW, go into Settings and enable the Show Save for TBWinPE on Summary option (General tab). Next, proceed through the operation steps normally. Finally, on the Summary step, click the Save for TBWinPE button. The extension you use for the filename will determine the output saved to the file. Additionally, the Disk ID will be used in the output even if that option is not enabled in Settings.

If you want to use a custom IFW.INI file for the BootWIM operation you can place the file in either the WIM's folder or the Run file's folder and it will be copied in before running Image for Windows.

Clear booting of WIM on next restart: If a WIM was previously configured to boot and the system was not restarted you can click this link to clear it.

Remove BOOTWIM BCD entries: Click to remove TBWinPE BOOTWIM entries from the BCD and clear booting of WIM on next restart if configured.

Additional options: Click this link (or right-click in the dialog) to display a pop-up menu with the following additional options:

• Clear WIM file: Clears the current WIM file selection.
• Show WIM details: Displays available information on the selected WIM file. Some older TBWinPE/RE WIM files may not have version information (requires Windows 8 or later).
• Clear Run file: Clears the current Run file selection.
• Open Run file in Notepad: Opens the Run file in Notepad for easy viewing or editing of the commands/parameters.
• Run file exists in WIM: Enable to allow entering the path to a Run file internal to the WIM.
• Prompt to restart: If enabled there won't be a prompt to restart after you click to boot the WIM.
• Force restart: Force system to restart. This may cause data loss if you have unsaved files.
• Ignore drive type: Allow unsupported drive types.
• Match Windows drive letters: Attempts to match the Windows drive letter assignments during initialization after booting the WIM. Note that some drives, especially non-fixed types, may still be assigned different letters. Additionally, some drives may not be assigned if the Windows partition is not accessible after booting (e.g. encrypted) and may require manually assigning letters. This option requires a TBWinRE/PE WIM configured to use TBLauncher v1.21+ (TBLauncher is used by default in these builds).

Booting a WIM File from the Command Line

To utilize this feature, run TBWinPE/RE Builder (TBWinPE.exe) from the command line and specify the /bootwim parameter. Usage information is detailed below.

BOOTWIM Command Usage

/bootwim wim_path  [ /run script_file ]  [ /noboot ]  [ /quiet ]  [ /force [ delay ] ]  [ /idt ]  [ /mdl ]  [ /dfw ]  [ /ini [section,]name=data ]
/bootwim /reset
/bootwim /remove
/bootwim /?

Boots the WIM file specified by wim_path. If path or filename includes spaces, surround with quotes. WIM path can be relative or absolute and can use a drive letter or volume GUID. The location of the WIM file cannot be read-only as several support files must be created in the WIM file's folder.

run - Runs the specified script or command file after booting. If path or filename includes spaces, surround with quotes. script_file can be a .cmd/.tbs/.run script or a text file (.txt/.ifw) with command line parameters for IFW. The file must be located on a partition accessible when booted to TBWinPE/RE. To specify a script file that is internal to the WIM, preface the path with [WIM] instead of a drive letter (full path must be used, starting at root). This option requires a TBWinPE/RE WIM configured to use TBLauncher v1.13+ (TBLauncher is used by default in these builds).

Keep in mind that when a script is specified to run that it will replace any TBLauncher auto-run option configured in the WIM when it was created. For example, if you had configured TBLauncher to run a RunScript.cmd file on startup, that script will not be run. However, if the InitScript.cmd script was configured it will still be run prior to the specified script.

With IFW 3.17+ you can easily create .cmd/.tbs/.ifw files for use with BOOTWIM. To do this, run IFW, go into Settings and enable the Show Save for TBWinPE on Summary option (General tab). Next, proceed through the operation steps normally. Finally, on the Summary step, click the Save for TBWinPE button. The extension you use for the filename will determine the output saved to the file. Additionally, the Disk ID will be used in the output even if that option is not enabled in Settings.

If you want to use a custom IFW.INI file for the BootWIM operation you can place the file in either the WIM's folder or the Run file's folder and it will be copied in before running Image for Windows.

noboot - Don't restart the system after configuring to boot WIM.

quiet - Don't display messages or prompt to restart.

force - Force system to restart. Applications with unsaved data will be forcibly closed, which may result in data loss. If a delay value (5 to 120 seconds) is specified the Windows shutdown message will be displayed.

idt - Ignore drive type (allow unsupported drive types).

mdl - Attempts to match the Windows drive letter assignments during initialization after booting the WIM. Note that some drives, especially non-fixed types, may still be assigned different letters. Additionally, some drives may not be assigned if the Windows partition is not accessible after booting (e.g. encrypted) and may require manually assigning letters. This option requires a TBWinRE/PE WIM configured to use TBLauncher v1.21+ (TBLauncher is used by default in these builds).

dfw - Disable Windows firewall. This is required to use multicasting. This option requires a TBWinRE/PE WIM configured to use TBLauncher v1.35 (or newer).

ini - Specify TBLauncher INI file option to set on startup. Surround with quotes if any value contains spaces. This option can be specified multiple times.

section   - Section name. The 'Options' section will be used if not specified.
name      - Name of option to set.
data        - Data value for option.

Example: /ini Log=1 /ini Style=1 /ini "Menu,DisplayCount=12"

This option requires a TBWinRE/PE WIM configured to use TBLauncher v1.35 (or newer). Depending on the mode used to boot the WIM, some options may not be overridden.

reset - Clears booting of WIM on next restart.

remove - Removes TBWinPE BOOTWIM entries from BCD and clears booting of WIM on next restart if configured.

? - Displays usage information.

Examples:

tbwinpe.exe /bootwim custom.wim /force

• Will configure the system to boot custom.wim, prompt user to restart, and force a restart.

tbwinpe.exe /bootwim offline.wim /run backup-c.txt /quiet

• Will configure the system to boot offline.wim and run IFW using the command line parameters in backup-c.txt. User will not be prompted to restart.
  
  
• Keep in mind that any scripts or IFW command files should reference disks and partitions as they will be when booted to TBWinPE/RE, which can be different from normal Windows. For example, backup-c.txt uses the GUID values instead of drive letters:
  
  /b /d:{6DC69B20-2C93-40AE-AE07-B3025C4E29D8}@0x4 /f:{363CA4D2-9012-47E0-A1B3-852AD9C4A27A}@0x2:"\Win10 Drive C" /v /desc:"Backup of Win10 partition" /hash
  
  

tbwinpe.exe /bootwim "\\?\Volume{3cdba6bf-0c87-993e-6bde-77590f490200}\IFW Offline\boot.wim"

• Will configure the system to boot boot.wim using the volume GUID (no drive letter assigned) and prompt the user to restart.

tbwinpe.exe /bootwim iso\sources\boot.wim /run [WIM]\myscripts\backupwin10.cmd

• Will configure the system to boot boot.wim and run the backupwin10.cmd script, which is included in the WIM in the \myscripts folder.

Manually Booting IFW WinRE and IFW BootWIM Builds

IFW WinRE and IFW BootWIM are custom TBWinRE builds designed to be booted directly from Image for Windows to perform an automated operation outside of Windows. IFW WinRE updates the installed WinRE to a minimal TBWinRE build, while IFW BootWIM is a full TBWinRE build saved in Builder's folder. While these builds are designed to be managed automatically, advanced users may wish to use them for performing imaging operations outside of Windows without needing to manually configure a normal BootWIM setup. These operations can be performed from the command line. For usage details, run TBWinPE.exe with the following parameters: /bootwim /ifw /?

Appendix 5 - Create Builds from the Command Line

TBWinPE/RE Builder v1.25 or later can be run from the command line to create or rebuild a TBWinPE or TBWinRE build. Assuming user interaction isn't required for the build, it can run unattended. To utilize this feature, run TBWinPE/RE Builder (TBWinPE.exe) from the command line and specify the /build parameter. If the build is unable to complete successfully, check the log for errors. Usage information is detailed below.

BUILD Command Usage

/build [ /tbwinre ]  [ /md ]

/build /tbwinpe [ /32 | /64 ]  [ /md ]

/build /?

Creates the specified build type (TBWinRE or TBWinPE). If build type is not specified, TBWinRE will be used. Default or preconfigured settings will be used.

tbwinre - Creates a TBWinRE boot media build.

tbwinpe - Creates a TBWinPE boot media build.

32 - Used with TBWinPE build to create 32-bit (x86) build.

64 - Used with TBWinPE build to create 64-bit (AMD64) build. This is the default if architecture is not specified.

md - Run MakeDisk after build completes.

? - Displays usage information

Examples:

/build

• Creates a TBWinRE build.

/build /tbwinpe /md

• Creates a TBWinPE build (64-bit) and then runs MakeDisk to create the boot media.
  

Manually Creating or Rebuilding IFW WinRE and IFW BootWIM Builds

IFW WinRE and IFW BootWIM are custom TBWinRE builds designed to be booted directly from Image for Windows to perform an automated operation outside of Windows. IFW WinRE updates the installed WinRE to a minimal TBWinRE build, while IFW BootWIM is a full TBWinRE build saved in Builder's folder. While these builds are designed to be managed automatically, advanced users may require forcing a rebuild to incorporate changes or wish to use them for performing imaging operations outside of Windows without needing to manually configure a normal BootWIM setup. These operations can be performed from the command line. For usage details, run TBWinPE.exe with the following parameters: /build /ifw /?

Appendix 6 - Adding Packages

Standard WinPE packages can be added by listing them in the WinPEPackages.txt file in the build's folder. The file should be plain text and the packages should be listed one per line using the filename only and in the order in which they should be installed. Lines beginning with ; or : will be ignored. The filename can be specified with or without the .cab extension (e.g. WinPE-HTA or WinPE-HTA.cab). The associated language package will be included automatically and should not be specified separately.

Note: If the Add BitLocker Support option is enabled, the WinPE-WMI, WinPE-SecureStartup, and WinPE-EnhancedStorage packages are already set to include in the build and don't need to be specified again. These packages will be added before those in the WinPEPackages.txt file.

For builds using the Windows 10 or higher ADK, compatible .msu packages can also be added by specifying the complete path to the files. In the case of a Cumulative Update, it should be last in the file (after any other standard packages as it may need to apply updates to those packages). Adding this type of package can substantially increase the time required to create the build as well as the build's final size. Additionally, due to the number of changes that can be made by these types of updates, testing the build is recommended to ensure the desired functionality is retained.

Example WinPEPackages.txt file contents (adding the WinPE-HTA standard package and a Cumulative Update package):

WinPE-HTA
E:\Cumulative Updates\windows11.0-kb5029263-x64_4f5fe19bbec786f5e445d3e71bcdf234fe2cbbec.msu