Windows 10 How to install minimum WinPE onto USB-Flash drive PLUS portable program + auto-start?

tobwen · Feb 12, 2021

Assume I have a running portable program on my Windows 10 system.
Its works.

Now I want to run it from USB flash drive on various computers without leaving traces.
At first the USB flash drive should boot a Windows 10 system from it.
Then afterwards automatically start the target program (in full screen) from it.

The Win 10 system installed on the USB Flash drive should contain only the minimum (Legacy BIOS/UEFI) stuff needed (particularly drivers).
Any unnecessary overhead should be automatically removed. So I guess WinPE is the right choice.

How can I achieve this?

Is there an easy-to-use tool which does everything with a minimum of clicks?

When I for example install Windows 10 the traditional way on an USB flash drive then a lot of useless Windows 10 stuff is installed (Start menu, Taskbar,...)
Furthermore no immediate auto-start of the actual program can be setup.
I need just the core Windows 10 (from ISO).

Any recommendations for this scenario?

Neemobeer · Feb 16, 2021

It can be done with DISM, but it's best to use portable applications that don't require installation. For installable applications you install it with the scanstate tool in audit mode. This will allow you create a provisioning package you can then use DISM to inject into a WIM image file.

Packaging applications

Create a provisioning package with Windows desktop applications

How to add Windows desktop applications and other data by using audit mode.

docs.microsoft.com

You then would use Wpeinit to launch whatever menu application you choose or you could even create your own in a .NET language. You'll likely need to push .NET into the WIM file as well with DISM...

MikeHawthorne · Feb 13, 2021

Well I can't really help, but I can tell you it's possible.
I have a program that does exactly that, it's EaseUS Todo back up and restore it creates its own Boot disk or flash drive.

It can make a boot CD or Flash drive in either Windows PE or Linux that boots the computer and loads the restore program and runs it to restore the OS.

The problem is I don't know how to write the instructions so that it will load the program that you want.
If someone know what they are doing they could probably rewrite is to load the program desired instead of EaseUS.

Probably if you know what you are doing there is an easier way to do it.

Josephur · Feb 16, 2021

It's not enough to just have a portable program, it has to be capable of running under WinPE and not all programs are able to do this.

Neemobeer · Feb 16, 2021

It can be done with DISM, but it's best to use portable applications that don't require installation. For installable applications you install it with the scanstate tool in audit mode. This will allow you create a provisioning package you can then use DISM to inject into a WIM image file.

Packaging applications

Create a provisioning package with Windows desktop applications

How to add Windows desktop applications and other data by using audit mode.

docs.microsoft.com

You then would use Wpeinit to launch whatever menu application you choose or you could even create your own in a .NET language. You'll likely need to push .NET into the WIM file as well with DISM.

Wpeinit and Startnet.cmd: Using WinPE Startup Scripts

docs.microsoft.com

Windows 10 How to install minimum WinPE onto USB-Flash drive PLUS portable program + auto-start?

tobwen

Well-Known Member

Neemobeer

Create a provisioning package with Windows desktop applications

MikeHawthorne

Essential Member

Josephur

Windows Forum Admin

Neemobeer

Cloud Security Engineer

Create a provisioning package with Windows desktop applications

Wpeinit and Startnet.cmd: Using WinPE Startup Scripts

Similar threads