I made a personalized Windows 10 Setup disk by integrating AOMEI Windows Preinstallation Environment which has Windows Explorer, to make it capable of installing Windows 10 Home and Pro version 1607 and also for recovery purposes. I updated the existing boot.wim on the iso with the files from AOMEI Preinstallation Environment on index 2, and I replaced some files with a SYSTEM command prompt to avoid a permissions error. I made 32-bit and 64-bit versions but want to add more software that only has 32-bit versions. However, the Windows Preinstallation Environment doesn’t support SysWOW64 support by default, so I need to find a way to add this to version 1607. I used version 1607 because the AOMEI Preinstallation Environment is also version 1607.
One major problem I’m facing is that the 64-bit version of QtWeb in AOMEI Preinstallation Environment doesn’t support secure connections (https) but the 32-bit version does. So, I want to install the 32-bit version to the 64-bit media but haven’t been successful.
3 Answers
Introduction
The Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) is a lightweight version of Windows that is designed to be used for installation, recovery, and diagnostic purposes. WinPE is typically used to create bootable media, such as a CD or USB drive, that can be used to install or repair Windows. However, the default version of WinPE that is included with Windows does not support SysWOW64, which can cause issues when trying to run 32-bit applications on a 64-bit version of WinPE.
In this blog post, we will discuss how to add SysWOW64 support to Windows 10 Preinstallation Environment. We will cover the steps required to integrate SysWOW64 support into a customized version of WinPE, which will allow you to run 32-bit applications on a 64-bit version of WinPE. Additionally, we will discuss some common issues that you may encounter when trying to add SysWOW64 support to WinPE, and provide solutions to these issues.
Step 1: Download and Install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK)
To add SysWOW64 support to Windows 10 Preinstallation Environment, you will need to download and install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK). The ADK is a collection of tools and documentation that is designed to help IT professionals deploy Windows. The ADK includes the necessary tools to create customized versions of WinPE, including the Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment (DITE) and the Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE).
To download the ADK, go to the Microsoft website and search for “Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit.” Once you have downloaded the ADK, run the installer and select the components that you want to install. Make sure to select the “Deployment Tools” and “Windows Preinstallation Environment” components, as these are required to create customized versions of WinPE.
Step 2: Create a Customized Version of WinPE
Once you have installed the ADK, you can use the Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment (DITE) to create a customized version of WinPE. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Open the Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment (DITE) by clicking on the Start menu and searching for “Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment.”
2. In the DITE, create a new folder for your WinPE files. For example, you could create a folder called “WinPE” on your desktop.
3. Navigate to the “C:Program Files (x86)Windows Kits10Assessment and Deployment KitDeployment Tools” directory and copy the “amd64” and “x86” folders to your WinPE folder.
4. Navigate to the “C:Program Files (x86)Windows Kits10Assessment and Deployment KitWindows Preinstallation Environment” directory and copy the “en-us” folder to your WinPE folder.
5. Open the “Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment” command prompt by right-clicking on the icon and selecting “Run as administrator.”
6. In the command prompt, navigate to your WinPE folder by typing “cd C:Users
7. Type the following command to create a 64-bit version of WinPE:
copype amd64 C:Users
8. Type the following command to create a 32-bit version of WinPE:
copype x86 C:Users
Step 3: Add SysWOW64 Support to WinPE
Now that you have created a customized version of WinPE, you can add SysWOW64 support to it. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Open the 64-bit version of WinPE by navigating to the “C:Users
2. In the WinPE command prompt, type the following command to mount the Windows image:
dism /mount-image /imagefile:C:Users
3. Type the following command to add SysWOW64 support to the Windows image:
dism /image:C:Users
4. Type the following command to unmount the Windows image:
dism /unmount-image /mountdir:C:Users
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for the 32-bit version of WinPE (located in the “C:Users
Step 4: Test Your Customized Version of WinPE
Once you have added SysWOW64 support to your customized version of WinPE, you should test it to ensure that everything is working correctly. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Create a bootable USB drive or CD/DVD using your customized version of WinPE.
2. Boot your computer from the USB drive or CD/DVD.
3. Open a command prompt in WinPE and type “set” to view the environment variables.
4. Look for the “ProgramFiles(x86)” variable. If it is present and set to “C:Program Files (x86)”, then SysWOW64 support has been successfully added to WinPE.
Step 5: Troubleshooting
If you encounter any issues when trying to add SysWOW64 support to WinPE, there are a few things that you can try to resolve the issue. Here are some common issues and solutions:
1. “Error: 0x800f081e – The source files could not be found.”
This error occurs when the DISM tool cannot find the required files to add SysWOW64 support to WinPE. To resolve this issue, make sure that you have installed the “Deployment Tools” and “Windows Preinstallation Environment” components of the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK).
2. “Error: 0x800f081e – The update could not be found.”
This error occurs when the DISM tool cannot find the update that is required to add SysWOW64 support to WinPE. To resolve this issue, make sure that you are using the correct version of the update for your version of WinPE.
3. “Error: 0x80070003 – The system cannot find the path specified.”
This error occurs when the DISM tool cannot find the specified path. To resolve this issue, make sure that you have specified the correct path to the Windows image and the WinPE files.
Conclusion
In conclusion, adding SysWOW64 support to Windows 10 Preinstallation Environment is a relatively simple process that can be accomplished with the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK). By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can create a customized version of WinPE that supports 32-bit applications on a 64-bit version of WinPE. Additionally, we have discussed some common issues that you may encounter when trying to add SysWOW64 support to WinPE, and provided solutions to these issues.
It is not possible to add SysWOW64 support to the Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE). SysWOW64 is a system folder that is specific to the 64-bit version of Windows and it is not available in the PE environment.
The PE environment is a minimal operating system that is used for installation, deployment, and recovery purposes. It is based on the Windows kernel and includes a limited set of features and components. It does not include all of the features and components that are available in the full version of Windows.
If you want to install 32-bit software on a 64-bit version of Windows, you can use the built-in support for running 32-bit applications on a 64-bit system, which is provided by SysWOW64. However, this is not possible in the PE environment because SysWOW64 is not available.
To install 32-bit software on a 64-bit version of Windows, you will need to boot into the full version of Windows, rather than the PE environment. You can then install the software as you would normally do on a 32-bit version of Windows.
If you want to include additional software in your custom Windows Setup disk, you will need to find a way to package the software in a way that can be installed during the setup process. One option is to use a tool like the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) to create a custom installation package that includes the software you want to install. You can then include the installation package in your custom Windows Setup disk and use it to install the software during the setup process.
In summary, it is not possible to add SysWOW64 support to the Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE). The PE environment is a minimal operating system that is used for installation, deployment, and recovery purposes, and it does not include all of the features and components that are available in the full version of Windows. If you want to install 32-bit software on a 64-bit version of Windows, you will need to boot into the full version of Windows and install the software as you would normally do on a 32-bit version of Windows. To include additional software in your custom Windows Setup disk, you can use a tool like the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) to create a custom installation package that includes the software you want to install, and then include the installation package in your custom Windows Setup disk.
You will find a detailed description for creating such a WinPE environment
in the article Adding WoW64 to WinPE 10 for 32-bit app support – V2.
The described procedure requires the 64-bit Win10PE SE image by The Oven, but does not link to it.
You will find this image at the Win10PE SE Downloads Page.