Pecos SWW<>Detailed Instructions for Reverse Integrating SP1 and SP2 into Vista

Detailed Instructions for Reverse Integrating SP2 into Vista

Welcome to the Pecos Buffet where you will find a little bit of this and a little bit of that! Grab a plate and help yourself. On the buffet line today are detailed instructions for reverse integrating Vista.

Overview

This is a companion article to the Use Reverse Integration to slipstream Windows Vista SP1 and SP2 article at Tech Republic. Please read this article first if you have not already done so.

I always get frustrated when trying to accomplish a task and I search the Web for information only to find instructions that assume you understand some not so basic skills. For example, I might read - "install Windows Vista on a non-boot drive" and ask myself "just exactly how do you determine which drive is the boot drive?"

I will show you how to find the boot drive on your system. This article also details other tasks mentioned in the Use Reverse Integration to slipstream Windows Vista SP1 and SP2 article.

Please Note: While I have been careful to verify the accuracy and completeness of the information in this article, there may be errors in the information provided or it may not be appropriate for your specific system configuration. Use the information at your own risk. If you do find an error, please take the time to report it to me immediately.

The Pecos Buffet

How to determine which Drive is the Boot Drive
How to format a partition
How to Search for and Run an Application Using Start -> Search programs and files in Vista and Windows 7
How to export and import the MountedDevices registry key
How to Burn an ISO File to a Disc
How to repair the Boot Configuration Data store

How to determine which Drive is the Boot Drive

The terminology is confusing and inconsistent but the 'boot drive' as discussed in the Reverse Integration article is the partition where the Windows Boot Manager and the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store reside. Microsoft calls this partition the system drive. The 'boot/system drive' is usually, but not always, Disk 0 and Partition 1 as shown in Disk Management.

Here are three ways to determine which partition on your computers drive or drives is the 'boot' partition. All methods assume that you have booted your system into Vista.

Method One:

Search for the Disk Management window by typing diskmgmt.msc in the Start -> Search programs and files text box. Right Click diskmgmt.msc and then Left Click Open to open the Disk Management window.

Expand the Status column in the top pane so you can see the full status for each partition. The status of System means that this is the partition that contains the Windows Boot Manager and the BCD store. Because the system partition must be both active and a primary partition, you will always see the status items (System, Active, Primary Partition) listed together.

Method Two:

Search for the DOS Command Prompt utility by typing comm in the Start -> Search programs and files text box. Right Click Command Prompt and then Left Click Run as administrator to open the DOS Command Prompt window with administrative rights.

Type bcdedit at the command prompt and press the [Enter] key.

A list of items in the BCD store will be returned. The first item, Windows Boot Manager details the partition where the boot manager resides as highlighted in the image below. This is the boot drive for your computer.

The BCD Entries Shown Using Bcdedit

The two Windows Boot Loader items detail the Vista Ultimate and the Windows 7 installations. Each OS uses its own Winload.exe program to start Windows.

Method Three:

Search for a folder named \boot in the root directory. Use Explorer to open the folder. There are two files in the \boot folder, BCD and BCD.LOG that will have a modified date consistent with the latest system boot. Because there can be more than one \boot folder on more than one logical drive, you should verify that the modification date matches the date and time of the most recent system start. You will need to select the Show hidden files and folders radio button and uncheck hide protected operating system files in the Tools -> Folder Options... -> View tab in Explorer to view the files.

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How to Format a Partition

Almost everyone knows how to format a partition. It can be done easily from Explorer or Disk Management. But how do you format an active system partition? How do you format the System partition containing the Boot Configuration Data if it is not allowed in Windows?

It is best to do a full format from within Windows. If you can't format a partition in Windows, the simplest way to format a partition is during the Windows Vista installation process. When you get to the screen that asks "Where do you want to install Windows?" Select Disk options (advanced). Go to the column containing the name of the partition and enlarge it to see the full name of the partitions. Select the partition that you want to format and click the Format button.

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How to Search for and Run an Application Using Start -> Search programs and files in Vista and Windows 7

To find and run an application in Vista and Windows 7 simply Left Click the Start button and type the name of the application. You don't even need to select the Search programs and files text box. The programs matching the search text will appear at the top of the window. Stop typing the search text when you see the program that you want to run. Right Click the program and select Open or select Run as administrator if the program needs administrative rights.

diskmgmt.msc - open the Disk Management window
regedit - open the Registry Editor
comm - open a DOS Command Prompt or the Windows PE Tools Command Prompt

Search for and Run a Program in Vista and Windows 7

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How to Export and Import the MountedDevices Registry Key

If you want to use the Alternate method discussed in the Use Reverse Integration to slipstream Windows Vista SP1 and SP2 article, you will need to follow the steps below to export and import the MountedDevices registry key.

If you do not do this you will likely see the following error when trying to start the new Vista install.

System Registry File Paths Error

Here are the steps you need to perform:

Open the Registry Editor
Export the MountedDevices registry entry to a file
Perform the Sysprep by selecting Enter System Out-of-Box, checking the Generalize check box and selecting Quit from the System Preparation Tool 3.14 window. Click the OK button to start the Sysprep process.
Import the MountedDevices file you exported earlier
Shutdown Vista and boot into the Working OS

Step by step instructions:

Left Click Start and type regedit.
Right Click regedit and Left Click Open.
Open the tree under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and the tree under SYSTEM.
Right Click MountedDevices and select Export.
Type MountedDevices.reg into the File name: text box and Left Click Save.
Go to the System Preparation Tool 3.14 window and if Enter System Out-of-Box Experience is not selected in the System Cleanup Action drop-down box, select it. Check the Generalize check box to select it and select Quit from the Shutdown Options drop-down box. Press OK. If all goes well, the Sysprep is working window will appear and close when the sysprep is completed.
Go back to the Registry Editor window and Left Click File -> Import.
Left Click the MountedDevices.reg file.
Left Click the Open button.
You should see a window stating that the key was successfully added to the registry.

Open Regedit

Right Click regedit and Left Click Open

Expand Tree to Get to MountedDevices Registry Key

Open Regedit and open the tree under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and then the tree under SYSTEM

Export MountedDevices Registry Key

Right Click MountedDevices and select Export to export the MountedDevices registry key to the default folder \Windows\Users\Administrator\Documents.

Enter MountedDevices.reg File Name

Enter MountedDevices.reg in the File name text box and Left Click the Save button to export the registry key.

Sysprep and Quit to Make Registry Changes

Select System Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE)/Generalize/Quit in the System Preparation Tool 3.14 window. Click the OK button to perform the Sysprep.

Import a Registry Key

Left Click File -> Import.

MountdDevices Registry Key Selected

Left Click the MountedDevices registry key, MountedDevices.reg, from the default folder \Windows\Users\Administrator\Documents. Left Click Open.

MountdDevices Registry Key Successfully Imported

If the MountedDevices registry key was successfully imported, you will see this window

Why you need to perform the registry import and export MountedDevices entry:

For more information about this error, please read Knowledge Base article KB947245. This Microsoft TechNet forum also discusses this issue. jballgame at the Microsoft TechNet forum for the Sysprep error workaround.

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How to Burn an ISO File to a Disc

Almost every optical disc burning application available today can burn an ISO file to a disc. You should understand that burning an ISO file to a disc does not create an ISO file and then burn that file to the disc. It does take an existing ISO file, unpack the files contained in the ISO file and then write those files to the disc.

I use DeepBurner. The free version does almost everything that I need.

Download the free version from the DeepBurner Web site.

Will the disc be bootable?

There are two basic ways to make a bootable disc. You can create an ISO file that is bootable and then burn that ISO to disc or you can use burning software that has the capability to burn a bootable disc. Most free disc burning software cannot burn a bootable disc, including DeepBurner. Free Create-Burn ISO is supposed to be able to burn a bootable disc, but you will have to register to use it.

You can use any disc burning software that can burn an ISO file to create a bootable slipstreamed disc because the ISO file we will be creating will be bootable.

Assuming you already have your Vista slipstreamed ISO file created, let's burn it to a DVD using DeepBurner. This screen shot shows how to burn an ISO file to disc using DeepBurner:

Select Burn ISO Image

If you are burning a R/W disc, you can erase it by clicking the Erase button. Select the ISO file to burn by clicking the ... button next to the blank Image File: box. Navigate to the ISO file you want to burn and select it. Change the Drive: or Write Speed: settings, if you need/want to. Finally, click the Burn button.

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How to Repair the Boot Configuration Data store

If you are unable to repair the Windows Boot Manager and BCD store using the Repair Your Computer at the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) screen, try this method to recreate the BCD store:

Boot your computer using the latest version of Windows installation DVD.
At the Install Windows screen, select the language, time and currency format and keyboard or input method and Left Click the Next button.
Left Click Repair your computer at the second Install Windows screen located in the lower left.
Left Click No if a System Recovery Options window pops up.
Select the operating system to repair if asked and Left Click the Next button.
From the System Recovery Options menu, Left Click Command Prompt.
From the command prompt, type bootrec and then press the [Return] key.
Type bootrec command followed by a space and a / and the appropriate switch command (see example below). The / switch option you choose will depend on the problem you are having.
Close the Command Prompt window and Left Click Shutdown or Reboot.

bootrec examples:

Fix the Master Boot Record

bootrec /FixMbr

Fix the BCD store

bootrec /FixBoot

Bootrec Options

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