How to Add HTA and Scripting to WinPE

Published: 24 July 2014 | Written by some jerk | Print | Email | Hits: 805

WinPE has several addon packages you can install into the standard boot.wim file. These packages add features such as HTA support and Sripting Engines.

Here are a few:

Package Name	Description
WinPE-HTA-Package	HTML Application support
WinPE-MDAC-Package	Microsoft Data Access Component support
WinPE-Scripting-Package	Windows Script Host support
WinPE-SRT-Package	Windows Recovery Environment component
WinPE-XML-Package	Microsoft XML (MSMXL) Parser support

Here's an example of how to add HTA support:

Optional components are included in the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK), in the C:\Program Files\Windows Kits\8.1\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\ folder.

Get the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit with Windows PE tools

Install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) Technical Reference, including the Windows PE feature.

Create a set of either 32-bit or 64-bit Windows PE files

Click Start, and type deployment. Right-click Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment and then select Run as administrator.
In the Deployment Tools and Imaging Environment, copy the Windows PE files for the PCs you want to boot.
- The 64-bit version can boot 64-bit UEFI and 64-bit BIOS PCs.
  copype amd64 C:\WinPE_amd64
- The 32-bit version can boot 32-bit UEFI, 32-bit BIOS, and 64-bit BIOS PCs.
  copype x86 C:\WinPE_x86

Mount the Windows PE boot image

Mount the Windows PE image.

 
Dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:"C:\WinPE_amd64\media\sources\boot.wim" /index:1 /MountDir:"C:\WinPE_amd64\mount"

Add optional components (packages or .cab files)

Add the optional component into Windows PE. To add optional components, you need to add both the optional component and its associated language packs.

 
Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\WinPE_amd64\mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files\Windows Kits\8.1\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\WinPE-HTA.cab"  

Dism /Add-Package /Image:"C:\WinPE_amd64\mount" /PackagePath:"C:\Program Files\Windows Kits\8.1\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs\en-us\WinPE-HTA_en-us.cab"

Important
Some optional components have prerequisites that must be installed in order. See the list of optional components on this page.

Verify that the optional component is part of the image:
Dism /Get-Packages /Image:"C:\WinPE_amd64\mount"
Review the resulting list of packages and verify that the list contains the optional component and its associated language pack.

Unmount the Windows PE image and create media

Unmount the Windows PE image.

Dism /Unmount-Image /MountDir:"C:\WinPE_amd64\mount" /commit

Create bootable media, such as a USB flash drive.

 
MakeWinPEMedia /UFD C:\WinPE_amd64 F:

You can also use the following to create an iso:

MakeWinPEMedia /ISO c:\WinPE_amd64 c:\WinPE_amd64.iso

Boot the media. Windows PE starts automatically. After the Windows PE window appears, the wpeinit command runs automatically. This may take a few minutes. Verify your customizations.

List of Optional Components

Area	Optional component name	Description
Database	WinPE-MDAC	WinPE-MDAC supports Microsoft® Open Database Connectivity (ODBC), OLE DB, and Microsoft ActiveX® Data Objects (ADO). This set of technologies provides access to various data sources, such as Microsoft SQL Server®. For example, this access enables queries to Microsoft SQL Server installations that contain ADO objects. You can build a dynamic answer file from unique system information. Similarly, you can build data-driven client or server applications that integrate information from a variety of data sources, both relational (SQL Server) and non-relational.
File management	WinPE-FMAPI	WinPE-FMAPI provides access to the Windows PE File Management API (FMAPI) for discovering and restoring deleted files from unencrypted volumes. The FMAPI also provides the ability to use a password or recovery key file for the discovery and recovery of deleted files from Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption encrypted volumes.
Fonts	WinPE-Fonts-Legacy	WinPE-Fonts-Legacy contains 32 font files for various languages/writing scripts. Some of these fonts are no longer used as UI fonts. For example, scripts such as Bengali, Devanagari, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Tamil, Telugu, and Sinhalese were covered by Mangal, Latha, Vrinda, Gautami, Kalinga, artika, Raavi, Shruti, and Tunga, but in Windows 8, they were all unified under Nirmala UI, a single, pan-Indian font. The following list shows the fonts and languages included in this optional component: estre.ttf Estrangelo Edessa (Syriac) mvboli.ttf MV Boli (Thaana) KhmerUI.ttf Khmer UI (Khmer UI) KhmerUIB.ttf Khmer UI Bold (Khmer UI) Laoui.ttf Lao UI (Lao) Laouib.ttf Lao UI Bold (Lao) daunpenh.ttf DaunPenh (Khmer) moolbor.ttf MoolBoran (Khmer) dokchamp.ttf DokChampa (Lao) Himalaya.ttf Microsoft Himalaya (Tibetan) monbaiti.ttf Mongolian Baiti (Mongolian) MSYI.ttf Microsoft Yi Baiti (Yi Syllables) nyala.ttf Nyala (Ethiopic) sylfaen.ttf Sylfaen (Armenian & Georgian) euphemia.ttf Euphemia (Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics) plantc.ttf Plantagenet Cherokee (Cherokee)
Fonts	WinPE-Font Support-JA-JP	WinPE-Font Support-JA-JP contains two Japanese font families that are packaged as TrueType Collection (TTC) files. MS Gothic is the Windows Japanese user interface font in versions of Windows before Windows Vista®. MS Gothic contains a large character set and embedded bitmaps to ensure legible rendering at small sizes. Meiryo, a font that was introduced in Windows Vista, is designed specifically for use in a Microsoft ClearType® rendering environment. Meiryo does not include embedded bitmaps. Instead, Meiryo relies on hinting instructions to produce legible characters at small sizes. In addition, the module contains two Japanese bitmap fonts, App932.fon and Vga932.fon. The module also contains a bitmap-only TrueType font, Jpn_font.ttf. This font is used on boot screens.
Fonts	WinPE-Font Support-KO-KR	WinPE-Font Support-KO-KR contains three core Korean font families: Gulim, Batang and Malgun Gothic. Gulim is the legacy UI font and, as a TTC file, contains Gulim, GulimChe, Dotum and DotumChe. Batang is the legacy text font and is also a TTC file, containing Batang, BatangChe, GungSuh and GungSuhChe. Malgun Gothic, a font that was introduced in Windows Vista, is designed specifically for use in a ClearType rendering environment. Malgun Gothic does not include embedded bitmaps and instead relies on hinting instructions to produce legible characters at small sizes.
Fonts	WinPE-Font Support-ZH-CN	WinPE-Font Support-ZH-CN contains two Chinese font families that are packaged as TTC files. Simsun is the Simplified Chinese user interface font in Windows versions before Windows Vista. Simsun contains embedded bitmaps to ensure legible rendering at small sizes. The other TTC font is MingLiu. MingLiu has embedded bitmaps and provides support for the Hong Kong Supplementary Character Set (HKSCS). YaHei, a font that was introduced in Windows Vista, is designed specifically for use in a ClearType rendering environment. YaHei does not include embedded bitmaps. YaHei relies on hinting instructions to produce legible characters at small sizes. In addition, the module contains one bitmap-only TrueType font, Chs_boot.ttf. This font is used on boot screens.
Fonts	WinPE-Font Support-ZH-HK and WinPE-Font Support-ZH-TW	The Hong Kong and Taiwan optional components contain two Chinese font families that are packaged as TTC files. Simsun is the Simplified Chinese user interface font in Windows versions before Windows Vista. Simsun contains embedded bitmaps to ensure legible rendering at small sizes. MingLiu has embedded bitmaps and provides support for the HKSCS. JhengHei, a font that was introduced in Windows Vista, is designed specifically for use in a ClearType rendering environment. JhengHei does not include embedded bitmaps. JhengHei relies on hinting instructions to produce legible characters at small sizes. In addition, the module contains one bitmap-only TrueType font, Cht_boot.ttf. This font is used on boot screens.
HTML	WinPE-HTA	WinPE-HTA provides HTML Application (HTA) support to create GUI applications through the Windows Internet Explorer® script engine and HTML services. These applications are trusted and display only the menus, icons, toolbars, and title information that you create.
Microsoft .NET	WinPE-NetFX	WinPE-NetFX contains a subset of the .NET Framework 4.5 that is designed for client applications. Not all Windows binaries are present in Windows PE, and therefore not all Windows APIs are present or usable. Due to the limited API set, the following .NET Framework features have no or reduced functionality in Windows PE: Windows Runtime .NET Framework Fusion APIs Windows Control Library event logging .NET Framework COM Interoperability .NET Framework Cryptography Model Dependencies: Install WinPE-WMI before you install WinPE-NetFX.
Network	WinPE-Dot3Svc	Adds support for the IEEE 802.X authentication protocol on wired networks. For more info, see WinPE Network Drivers: Initializing and adding drivers.
Network	WinPE-PPPoE	WinPE-PPPoE enables you to use Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) to create, connect, disconnect, and delete PPPoE connections from Windows PE. PPPoE is a network protocol for encapsulating Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) frames inside Ethernet frames. PPPoE enables Windows users to remotely connect their computers to the web. By using PPPoE, users can virtually dial from one computer to another over an Ethernet network, to establish a point-to-point connection between the computers. The computers can use this point-to-point connection to transport data packets.
Network	WinPE-RNDIS	WinPE-RNDIS contains Remote Network Driver Interface Specification (Remote NDIS) support. WinPE-RNDIS enables network support for devices that implement the Remote NDIS specification over USB. Remote NDIS defines a bus-independent message set and a description of how this message set operates over various I/O buses. Therefore, hardware vendors do not have to write an NDIS miniport device driver. Because this Remote NDIS interface is standardized, one set of host drivers can support any number of bus-attached networking devices.
Network	WinPE-WDS-Tools	WinPE-WDS-Tools includes APIs to enable the Image Capture tool and a multicast scenario that involves a custom Windows Deployment Services client. It must be installed if you intend to run the Windows Deployment Services client on a custom Windows PE image.
Windows PowerShell	WinPE-PowerShell	WinPE-PowerShell contains Windows PowerShell–based diagnostics that simplify using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to query the hardware during manufacturing. You can create Windows PowerShell–based deployment and administrative Windows PE–based tools. In addition to deployment, you can use Windows PowerShell for recovery scenarios. Customers can boot in Windows RE and then use Windows PowerShell scripts to resolve issues. Customers are not limited to the toolsets that run in Windows PE. Similarly, you can build scripted offline solutions to recover some computers from no-boot scenarios. WinPE-PowerShell has the following known limitations: Windows PowerShell remoting is not supported. Any cmdlets that have remoting functionality will return an error. The Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE) is not supported. Windows PowerShell 2.0 is not supported. Dependencies: Install WinPE-WMI > WinPE-NetFX > WinPE-Scripting before you install WinPE-PowerShell.
Windows PowerShell	WinPE-DismCmdlets	WinPE-DismCmdlets contains the DISM PowerShell module, which includes cmdlets used for managing and servicing Windows images. For more info, see Deployment Imaging Servicing Management (DISM) Cmdlets in Windows PowerShell. Dependencies: Install WinPE-WMI > WinPE-NetFX > WinPE-Scripting > WinPE-PowerShell before you install WinPE-DismCmdlets.
Windows PowerShell	WinPE-SecureBootCmdlets	WinPE-SecureBootCmdlets contains the PowerShell cmdlets for managing the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) environment variables for Secure Boot. Dependencies: Install WinPE-WMI > WinPE-NetFX > WinPE-Scripting > WinPE-PowerShell before you install WinPE-SecureBootCmdlets.
Windows PowerShell	WinPE-StorageWMI	WinPE-StorageWMI contains PowerShell cmdlets for storage management. These cmdlets use the Windows Storage Management API (SMAPI) to manage local storage, such as disk, partition, and volume objects. Or, these cmdlets use the Windows SMAPI together with array storage management by using a storage management provider. WinPE-StorageWMI also contains Internet SCSI (iSCSI) Initiator cmdlets for connecting a host computer or server to virtual disks on external iSCSI-based storage arrays through an Ethernet network adapter or iSCSI Host Bus Adapter (HBA). Dependencies: Install WinPE-WMI > WinPE-NetFX > WinPE-Scripting > WinPE-PowerShell before you install WinPE-StorageWMI.
Recovery	WinPE-Rejuv	WinPE-Rejuv is used by Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE).
Recovery	WinPE-SRT	WinPE-SRT is used by Windows RE.
Recovery	WinPE-WinReCfg	WinPE-WinReCfg contains the Winrecfg.exe tool, and it enables the following scenarios: Boot from x86-based Windows PE to configure Windows RE settings on an offline x64-based operating system image. Boot from x64-based Windows PE to configure Windows RE settings on an offline x86-based operating system image. Before Windows 8, the Winrecfg.exe tool was included in the Windows 7 OEM Preinstallation Kit (Windows OPK).
Scripting	WinPE-Scripting	WinPE-Scripting contains a multiple-language scripting environment that is ideal for automating system administration tasks, such as batch file processing. Scripts that run in the Windows Script Host (WSH) environment can call WSH objects and other COM-based technologies that support Automation, such as WMI, to manage the Windows subsystems that are central to many system administration tasks. Dependencies: Install WinPE-Scripting to make sure that full scripting functionality is available when you are using WinPE-NetFX and WinPE-HTA. The installation order is irrelevant.
Scripting	WinPE-WMI	WinPE-WMI contains a subset of the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) providers that enable minimal system diagnostics. WMI is the infrastructure for management data and operations on Windows-based operating systems. You can write WMI scripts or applications to automate administrative tasks on remote computers. Additionally, WMI supplies management data to other parts of the operating system and products.
Setup	Winpe-LegacySetup	Winpe-LegacySetup contains all Setup files from the \Sources folder on the Windows media. Add this optional component when you service Setup or the \Sources folder on the Windows media. You must add this optional component together with the optional component for the Setup feature. To add a new Boot.wim file to the media, add the parent WinPE-Setup, either of the children (WinPE-Setup-Client or WinPE-Setup-Server), and Media optional components. Media Setup is required to support Windows Server® 2008 R2 installation.
Setup	WinPE-Setup	WinPE-Setup is the parent of WinPE-Setup-Client and WinPE-Setup-Server. It contains all Setup files from the \Sources folder that are common to the client and the server.
Setup	WinPE-Setup-Client	WinPE-Setup-Client contains the client branding files for the parent WinPE-Setup optional component. Dependencies: Install WinPE-Setup before you install WinPE-Setup-Client.
Setup	WinPE-Setup-Server	WinPE-Setup-Server includes the server branding files for the parent WinPE-Setup optional component. Dependencies: Install WinPE-Setup before you install WinPE-Setup-Server.
Startup	WinPE-SecureStartup	New for Windows 8. WinPE-SecureStartup enables provisioning and management of BitLocker and the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). It includes BitLocker command-line tools, BitLocker WMI management libraries, a TPM driver, TPM Base Services (TBS), the Win32_TPMclass, the BitLocker Unlock Wizard, and BitLocker UI libraries. The TPM driver provides better support for both BitLocker and the TPM in this preboot environment. Dependencies: Install WinPE-WMI before you install WinPE-SecureStartup.
Storage	WinPE-EnhancedStorage	New for Windows 8. WinPE-EnhancedStorage enables Windows to discover additional functionality for storage devices, such as encrypted drives, and implementations that combine Trusted Computing Group (TCG) and IEEE 1667 ("Standard Protocol for Authentication in Host Attachments of Transient Storage Devices") specifications. This optional component enables Windows to manage these storage devices natively by using BitLocker.