Windows Preinstallation Environment
Windows Task Manager | |
| Developer | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Source model | |
| Released to manufacturing | 2002 |
| Latest release | 10.0.26100.1 / May 22, 2024 |
| Kernel type | Hybrid |
| License | Freeware |
| Official website | learn |
Windows Preinstallation Environment (also known as Windows PE and WinPE) is a lightweight version of
Windows Automated Installation Kit
(WAIK)).
Overview
WinPE was originally intended to be used only as a pre-installation platform for deploying Microsoft Windows operating systems, specifically to replace MS-DOS in this respect. WinPE has the following uses:
- Deployment of workstations and servers in large corporations as well as pre-installation by system builders of workstations and servers to be sold to end users.
- Recovery platform to run 32-bit or 64-bit recovery tools such as Windows Recovery Environment(Windows RE).
- Platform for running third-party 32-bit or 64-bit disk cloning utilities.
The package can be used for developer testing or as a recovery
forensics investigation to either capture a disk image or run analysis tools without mounting any available disks and thus changing state.[2]
Version 2.0 introduced a number of improvements[3] and extended the availability of WinPE to all customers, not just corporate enterprise customers by downloading and installing Microsoft's Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK).
It was originally designed and built by a small team of engineers in Microsoft's Windows Deployment team, including Vijay Jayaseelan, Ryan Burkhardt, and Richard Bond.[4]
Versions
The following versions are known to exist:
| Version | Description |
|---|---|
| 1.0 | The first release of Windows Preinstallation Environment, built from Windows XP RTM[5] |
| 1.1 | Built from Windows XP SP1[5] |
| 1.2 | Built from Windows Server 2003 RTM[5] |
| 1.5 | Built from Windows XP SP2[5] |
| 1.6 | Built from Windows Server 2003 SP1[5] |
| 2.0[6][7] | Built from the first edition of RAM disk since WinPE version 1.x only has a recordable RAM disk.
|
| 2.1[8] | Built from Windows Server 2008 |
| 2.2 | Built from Windows Server 2008 SP2[5] |
| 3.0[9] | Built from WAIK 2.0.[5]
|
| 3.1[10] | Built from Windows 7 SP1 code base. It is included in a WAIK supplementary update provided by Microsoft.
|
| 4.0[11] | Built from Windows 8 code base. It is included in WADK for Windows 8. |
| 5.0[12][13] | Built from Windows 8.1 code base. It is included in Windows ADK for Windows 8.1. |
| 5.1[14][13] | It is an update for version 5.0 that is applied manually.[15] |
| 10.0.10240.16384 | Built from Windows 10 code base. It is included in Windows ADK for Windows 10.[16][17] |
| 10.0.10586.0 | Built from Windows 10, version 1511 code base. It is included in Windows ADK for Windows 10, version 1511.[18] |
| 10.0.14393.0 | Built from Windows 10, version 1607 code base. It is included in Windows ADK for Windows 10, version 1607.[19] |
| 10.0.15063.0 | Built from Windows 10, version 1703 code base. |
| 10.0.16299.15 | Built from Windows 10, version 1709 code base. First version supporting ARM32 and ARM64 architecture. |
| 10.0.17134.1 | Built from Windows 10, version 1803 code base. |
| 10.0.17763.1 | Built from Windows 10, version 1809 code base. |
| 10.0.18362.1 | Built from Windows 10, version 1903 code base. |
| 10.0.19041.1 | Built from Windows 10, version 2004 code base. |
| 10.0.20348.1 | Built from Windows Server 2022 code base. |
| 10.0.22000.1 | Built from Windows 11 code base. Last version supporting x86 and ARM32 architecture. |
| 10.0.22621.1[20] | Built from Windows 11, version 22H2 code base. |
| 10.0.25398.1[21] | Built from Windows Server, version 23H2 code base. |
| 10.0.26100.1[22] | Built from Windows 11, version 24H2 code base. |
Derivatives
Windows Recovery Environment
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Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) is a set of tools based on Windows PE to help diagnose and recover from serious errors which may be preventing Windows from booting successfully. Windows RE is installed alongside Windows Vista and later, and may be booted from hard disks, optical media (such as an operating system installation disc) and PXE (e.g. Windows Deployment Services).[23] A copy of Windows RE is included in the installation media of the aforementioned operating systems. It is a successor to the Recovery Console.
Features
Windows RE features include:
- Automatic Repair: Automatically finds and fixes boot errors in the Master Boot Record, or Windows Registry, and issues caused by missing or damaged boot and system files, incompatible drivers, or damaged hardware. Prior to Windows 8, this mode was known as "Startup Repair."[24]The executable image for Automatic Repair is
startrep.exe - System Restore: Same as the System Restore that is included in Windows, it allows a system's settings to be restored to those of a previous state.
- System Image Recovery: Same as the Backup and Restore component of Windows, it allows restoring a previously created disk image.
- Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool: Analyses the computer memory (RAM) for defects (not available on Windows 8 and later). The program does not run inside WinRE, but instead reboots the system and executes
memtest.exeinstead of loading the operating system.memtest.execannot be run inside Windows. - DISM can be used to perform various system tasks like recovering or backing up files, managing partitions, and fix servicing-related issues respectively.[25]In order to use the command prompt, the user must sign into an administrator account.
Starting with Windows Server 2012/Windows 8, the following additional options are added:
- Windows Store apps (but not other programs), while "Reset" performs a factory reset of Windows, optionally formatting the hard drive and performing disk wiping.[26][27] The Reset function does not perform a full reinstall; it merely performs a factory reset from a WIMimage inside a hidden recovery partition. It is possible to create a custom WIM image based on which a Reset is performed.
- Startup Settings: Enforces a series of safe settings during the startup.
Windows 10 adds the following:
- Restore factory settings: Allows users who upgraded to Windows 10 to revert to their original operating system. Appears as Recover from the cloud on devices whose factory settings include Windows 10.[citation needed]
- Go back to the previous build: Windows 10 is an operating system for which Microsoft occasionally releases newer builds. In the event that installation of a new build of Windows 10 becomes problematic, this option allows the user to revert to the previous build. Only appears if the previous build's files are not deleted.
Volumes encrypted with
Bitlocker
can be mounted if a recovery key is available.
Windows Recovery Environment can also be installed to a hard drive partition by OEMs,Windows Vista SP1, users can create their own bootable CD containing the recovery environment.
REAgentC
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Type | Command |
| Website | docs |
Windows includes the REAgentC command which is used to configure a Windows RE boot image and a push-button reset recovery image. It allows administration of recovery options and various customizations. The REAgentC tool can either be used on an offline Windows image or on a running Windows system.[30] The command requires administrator privileges.[31]
Microsoft DaRT
Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT), sold as a part of Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, is yet another toolset based on Windows PE that performs diagnostic and recovery on an offline copy of Windows. It can manage files, edit Windows Registry, uninstall previously installed Windows updates, scan system for malware and restore deleted files. There is currently no Windows 11 version of Microsoft DaRT. It is currently unknown if there will be a DaRT11, or that DaRT will just stay on Windows 10.
See also
Related software
- BartPE
- nLite and vLite
- WinBuilder
- Windows To Go
References
- ^ "Network-booting Windows PE". Retrieved September 18, 2012.
- ^ "WinPE 3.0 & Forensics". Praetorian Prefect. April 12, 2010. Archived from the original on April 27, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
- ^ "Adding XML Parser support into WinPE". February 17, 2006. Archived from the original on April 28, 2006. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
- ^ US patent 6993642, Burkhardt, Ryan; Harikrishnan, Seetharaman; Yaryan, Tom; Bond, Richard; Shetty, Vijesh; Jayaseelan, Vijayachandran, "Method and system for creating and employing an operating system having selected functionality", published January 30, 2006, issued January 31, 2006, assigned to Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- ^ a b c d e f g "Windows PE Version Overview". TechNet Wiki. Microsoft. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ "What is Windows PE?". Previous Versions Documentation. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 2.0 is a minimal Win32 operating system with limited services, built on the Windows Vista kernel.
- ^ "Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK)". Download Center. Microsoft. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
- ^ "Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008". Download Center. Microsoft. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
- ^ "What is Windows PE?". Previous Versions Documentation. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
Windows® Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 3.0 is a minimal Win32® operating system with limited services, built on the Windows® 7 kernel.
- ^ "The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (AIK) Supplement for Windows® 7 SP1". Download Center. Microsoft. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
- ^ "Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows® 8". Download Center. Microsoft. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
- ^ "What is Windows PE?". Previous Versions Documentation. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
(WinPE) Windows PE 5.0 (WinPE) is a small operating system used to install, deploy, and repair Windows 8, Windows Server 2012 R2, and other Windows operating systems.
- ^ a b "Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) for Windows 8.1". Download Center. Microsoft. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
- ^ "What is Windows PE?". Previous Versions Documentation. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
WinPE for Windows 8.1: Windows PE 5.1
- ^ "Update WinPE 5.0 to WinPE 5.1". TechNet Library. Microsoft. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ^ Rhee, Yong (August 11, 2015). "Download: Windows 10 Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK)". Yong Rhee's Microsoft Technet Blog. Microsoft.
- ^ "Windows PE (WinPE)". Hardware Dev Center. Microsoft. October 2, 2018.
- ^ Rhee, Yong (December 1, 2015). "Download: Windows 10 Nov. 2015 update (version 1511) Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK)". Yong Rhee's Microsoft Technet Blog. Microsoft. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
- ^ O'Shea, Mark (August 3, 2016). "Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 1607 available for download". Microsoft Australia OEM Team. Microsoft. Archived from the original on November 11, 2016.
- ^ windows-driver-content. "What's new in the ADK for Windows 11, version 22H2". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ windows-driver-content. "What's new in the ADK for Windows 11, version 22H2 (updated September 2023)". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ windows-driver-content (May 22, 2024). "What's new in the ADK for Windows 11, version 24H2 (updated September 2023)". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ Parveen (September 18, 2006). "Introducing Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE)". Windows RE Notes. Microsoft. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ^ "How Windows RE Works". Windows Vista Technical Library. Microsoft. July 25, 2008.
- ^ Conway, Joseph (July 14, 2009). "The coolest new DISM command (to me at least)". The Windows Servicing Guy. Microsoft.
- ^ Lee, Desmond (January 4, 2012). Sinofsky, Steven (ed.). "Refresh and reset your PC". Building Windows 8. Microsoft.
- ^ Bright, Peter (September 19, 2011). "Making the lives of IT easier: Windows 8 Refresh, Reset, and Windows To Go". Ars Technica. Condé Nast.
- MSDN. Microsoft. January 11, 2007. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
- ^ "Customizing the Windows RE Experience". TechNet. Microsoft. Archived from the original on February 20, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
- ^ "REAgentC command-line options | Microsoft Docs". Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "How to enable Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) on Windows 10 | Windows Central". May 13, 2020. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
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