Build an Answer File Using Image Configuration Editor
3/21/2011
You can build an image by using Image Configuration Editor. If you chose the advanced path for image development, this process will get you started with building an image. Although it takes more time to build an image by using Image Configuration Editor than by using Image Builder Wizard, this tool is the most flexible and versatile way to define your image requirements, especially when you need the image size to remain small. To learn more about the different paths you can take for image development, see Building Images.
Note
The first time you run Image Configuration Editor, you will be prompted to enter your Image Configuration Editor product key. If you do not enter a valid product key, Image Configuration Editor will enter a 180-day grace period and you will be prompted for your valid product key each time you start Image Configuration Editor. At the end of the grace period, Image Configuration Editor will no longer be usable until a valid product key is entered.
Note
The Standard 7 setup process performs several verifications, which rely on the target device's date and time settings. For optimal performance, confirm that the target device is set to the correct date and time.
Hardware and Software Assumptions
- You have a reference device. For more information, see Requirements for an Embedded Device.
- You have a development computer. For more information, see Requirements for a Development Computer.
Steps
| Step | Further Information |
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1. Install Windows Embedded Standard 7 Toolkit on the development computer. |
Install Windows Embedded Standard 7 Toolkit on a Development Computer |
2. If your device does not have a bootable DVD-ROM drive, then create a bootable utility disk or a bootable utility USB flash device (UFD). If your device has a bootable DVD-ROM drive, you can use the Standard 7 DVD appropriate to the architecture of your device as a bootable utility disk. If a storage drive on your device, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), requires you to load a third-party driver before it is visible in Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 3.0, then you must copy the driver to a location that your device can access when it runs Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 3.0. For example, you can do any of the following:
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3. Run Target Analyzer on the reference device to generate a .pmq file, a file that contains a list of device hardware. |
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4. Create an answer file by using Image Configuration Editor. |
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5. Import the .pmq file into Image Configuration Editor, and then use the Import PMQ window to add inbox drivers to the answer file. |
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6. Configure the answer file to be partially or fully unattended and then validate the answer file. You must configure the answer file to be unattended in the following cases:
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7. Add packages to the answer file, configure settings, and then validate the answer file. To get the specific level of functionality that you want into the image, you might need to add additional driver packs, feature packs, language packs, or Embedded Enabling Feature (EEF) packs to the answer file. For assistance with selecting the packages to include in your image, see the Packages Technical Reference. As you add packages Image Configuration Editor tracks the estimated size of the image. If your device requires an image with a small footprint, you might need to remove packages from the answer file. |
Add a Package to an Answer File in Image Configuration Editor Add Custom Files and Folders Using Image Configuration Editor and the $OEM$ Folders Windows Embedded Standard 7 Packages Technical Reference Configure Settings in an Answer File in Image Configuration Editor |
8. Add applications or scripts to the answer file and then validate the answer file. |
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9. Build and install the image on a reference device by using Image Builder and a Standard 7 bootable utility disk or UFD. |
Next Step
After you build the image, the next step is to customize it. For more information, see Customizing Images.