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Configure EWF RAM Mode (Standard 7 SP1)

  • Article

7/8/2014

EWF RAM mode stores overlay data in system memory. Because the overlay is stored in RAM, your device may require additional RAM, depending on how many write operations are made to the system. Also, because the data cache is stored in volatile memory, the data cache is lost when the system restarts.

To configure EWF RAM mode

  1. Create a working configuration by using Image Configuration Editor.

  2. Add the following packages to your configuration:

    • Enhanced Write Filter with HORM
    • Enhanced Write Filter Boot Environment

  3. On the Validate menu, click Add Required Packages.

  4. Resolve any errors listed in the Messages pane.

    Important

    The Enhanced Write Filter with HORM package depends on the Enhanced Writer Filter Boot Environment, which conflicts with the Windows Boot Environment. If you have the Windows Boot Environment in your configuration, you must replace it with the Enhanced Write Filter Boot Environment to use EWF.

  5. In the Answer File pane, expand the Embedded Enabling Features node, and then select Enhanced Write Filter with HORM. The EWF configuration settings appear in the Settings pane.

  6. Change the following default settings for Enhanced Write Filter:

    1. In the Filter view by box, select 4 Specialize.
    2. In the EWFMode box, select Ram.
    3. Right-click the ProtectedVolumes setting, and then click Insert New Volume.
    4. Expand the Volume node.
    5. Set the Key value to any unique number.
    6. For the DiskNumber property, type the disk number that contains the volume that you want to protect.
    7. For the PartitionNumber property, type the partition number for the volume that you want to protect.

    Important

    If you do not specify any volumes in the ProtectedVolumes setting, the EWF configuration defaults to EWF RAM Reg mode.

    Note

    You can protect multiple volumes by adding additional volumes to the EWF configuration.

  7. Save the answer file.

  8. Make sure that there is additional space on the media that you plan to deploy your run-time image to. During the EWF installer phase, EWF creates the EWF volume on the media that will contain metadata information about the EWF configuration.

    The media that you deploy to cannot have more than three partitions and must support partitioning.

    Warning

    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.

  9. Deploy the run-time image and start the device. The EWF installer adds the EWF Components to the device. The Ewfcfg.exe tool is a proxy to Ewfcfg.dll, which handles EWF setup. Ewfcfg.dll reads and applies the configuration settings from the answer file.

  10. After the install process is complete, verify the status of EWF by typing the following command line.

    ewfmgr -all

    By default, EWF should report that it is disabled on all drives.

  11. Enable EWF by typing the following command line:

    ewfmgr c: -enable

  12. Restart the system.

  13. Verify that EWF is correctly configured by typing the following command at a command prompt:

    ewfmgr c:

    Ewfmgr.exe should report that EWF is enabled and provide a current status of the EWF RAM overlay.

See Also

Other Resources

EWF Modes
Troubleshooting EWF
EWF Performance Considerations