Skip to content

Create Custom Bootable Windows Media from Command Line

Source: Create Bootable USB For Windows 10 Install.wim Larger Than 4GB (winaero.com)

Contents

Format Flash Drive with Diskpart

Using Windows’ diskpart shell, run the following commands against a USB stick:

diskpart # enters diskpart shell

# find the disk # for the USB
list disk

# select it
select disk 1

# erase drive contents
clean

# create a new 1GB partition
create partition primary size=1000

# create additional primary partition using remaining space
create partition

# select the first partition
select partition 1

# format as FAT32
format fs=fat32 quick

# assign drive letter
assign letter=x

# make it bootable
active

# select second partition
select partition 2

# format as NTFS
format fs=ntfs quick

# assign drive letter
assign letter=y

# exit
exit

You are done with the flash drive layout. The drive X: is a bootable small partition, and the drive Y: is a large NTFS partition to host the install.wim file.  Now, let’s copy Windows files properly.

Copy Windows Setup Files

  1. Open your Windows setup files in File Explorer.
  2. Copy everything except the sources folder to the X: drive (the FAT32 one).
  3. Copy the sources folder to the Y: drive (the NTFS partition).
  4. On the X: partition, create a new sources directory. It will contain a single file, boot.wim.
  5. Copy boot.wim from Y:\sources to X:\sources.
  6. In the Y:\sources folder, create a new text file with the following contents:
[CHANNEL]  
 Retail
  1. Save it as ei.cfg

You are done. We have created 2 partitions: A FAT32 partition (X:) and an NTFS partition (Y:). We have placed the sources folder on Y:. On X: we store everything else of the original distro. We have also created a new sources folder on X: with a single file BOOT.WIM. The last step is required to start the setup program when booting from our USB drive.

Now you will be able to install Windows using the flash drive you just created without reducing the install.wim file size. This is useful when you have a customized large install.wim file.

Backlinks:

list from [[Create Custom Bootable Windows Media from Command Line]] AND -"Changelog"