Microsoft Windows 7 installation

[Binchen]

Hello,
I proceeded to the Microsoft Windows manual.
http://erpxe.org/Microsoft_Windows
But where the files from the Windows 7 DVD or stored on the TFTP Samba and linked?
Operation System Installations > Microsoft Windows
--> TFTP download failed.

[RaveMaker]

Hi
First of all there was a mistake in that Wiki page, I've fixed it and it is up to date.

I did not understand your problem but here is the general process of Windows installation using ERPXE:

First you need to create a Windows PE boot-able ISO and then use the ERPXE plugins you need: WinPE 1/3.

If you are using Windows PE for Windows Installation you need to share your installation using a samba share.
We have supplied a place in /tftpboot/er/shares/windows/ so you can share it via SAMBA/NFS/HTTP.
You also need to create a login script or use net command to mount the installation share in WinPE.
Note that we have used WinPE 3 for windows Vista/7 and WinPE 1 for Windows XP.

A better solution is using an image of your Windows and simply deploy it using Ghost, Clonezilla or something similar,
this way you can install office and other products to be included in the deployment process.

the MSWin plugin is just another copy of the WinPE 1.0 plugin and it was removed from the database along with it corresponding menu link.

[commguy]

On the subject of Windows 7 installation, I have an ERPXE server running on a raspberry pi with debian installed. I've managed to get hiremsminixp working nicely and I have the winpe 3 plugin installed. My problem is with the windows 7 installation specifically. I've followed the guide here > but so far have been unable to get this working. in fact winpe only works so so most of the time. I get tftp download failed on my virtual box and an acer I've tried. One other system loads the winpe1 but fails on 2 and 3, and a Toshiba I have loads 1 and but 2 and 3 errors at \Windows\System32\boot\winload.exe.

[edit] I just realized 2 and 3 are for 64bit systems, so yeah not going to work on either of those systems. I'm sure they work fine. [edit]

on the the technical stuff.

I've used the bcd and bt.exe files from winpe1 and edited them according to the guide, I had to install win7 on a vm in order to use the bcd editor but the messages all say completed successfully when I run the bcdedit program. (by the way the guid use /store and /set which I found I had to change the / to a - in order for it to work. I have made two custom windows 7 installation disks with complete list of installation options for x86 and 64 bit systems, both of the isos work perfectly. I used one to install win7 on my VM even. What I cant seem to figure out is why when I set it all up on my erpxe system they fail at boot.

I could use some help.

[RaveMaker]

You can't load Windows installation ISO via PXE.
You have to load WinPE3 (x64 - for x64 installation), mount the shared folder containing the setup files and run setup.exe.

Also we have included the configured BCD files with WinPE3 plugins so do not have use bcdedit.

[commguy]

I've seen it done, perhaps it will take more work that I want to do right now. I did get winpe3 installed and it boots. However, I seem to be having an issue with the net use command at the admin prompt when the client boots. I can connect to the samba share with other computers and the guest, root, and erpxe accounts work as desired. When I issue

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 net use y: \\pxepi\windows 

I get "System error 67 has occured. The network name cannot be found" Ive enven tried using the ip address instead of the machine name and I get no where. If I issue

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 net use \\pxepi 

I get "the command completed successfully" but the map shows no local mount and the address becomes \\pxepi\IPC$

I'm thouroghly confused.

[commguy]

nevermind, I feel stupid now. Apparently I missed something

When booting from erpxe to winpe3 I have to use

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net use y: \\pxepi\erpxe\other\shares\optional\

I finally got net view \\pxepi to work and it listed the shares. when I connected to it from my other machines it didn't even blink at just connecting to the samba share and I never noticed I had to go into erpxe or root before it asked for login.

I'm just going to walk away for a while. I think I've been staring at the screen too long.

[RaveMaker]

You need to supply a user and password for the share:

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net use <driver letter> \\<servername/ip>\<sharename> /user:<username> <password>

Example:

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net use x: \\pxepi\erpxe /user:erpxe erpxe

Also don't forget to set the password for user erpxe to "erpxe":

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smbpasswd -a erpxe

[commguy]

You can specify one but it isn't explicitly needed unless you disable guest in samba. Right now you can access the shares without it.