Windows PE3 64-bit Version

I've submitted the following help request to Paragon support (srs+3246198 AT ticket.paragon-software.com) but thought some experienced user here might have found an answer already and be willing to pass it along.

Any relevant discoveries, advice or suggestions from fellow users would be gratefully received.

 

WinPE doesn't support 32-bit to 64-bit conversion of applications like the full blown Windows does. It's just like there is a seperate 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Repair Disc because it use WinRE which is part of WinPE or WinPE is part of WinRE.

 

Never mind. Problem solved. It requires WinSCard.dll (32-bit version) to be included in the \Windows\SysWOW64\ folder of course. Other than that, and also the need to extract and include the qtp-mt334.dll, wnaspi32.dll and prgiso.dll files, everything works fine under both 32-bit and 64-bit WinPE1, WinPE2 and WinPE3 builds.

Sorry about the needless help request. My own stupidity. D'Oh!

If anyone else needs help with it, let me know and I'll post more details.

 

It's been some time since I played with creating my own WinPE disc with two Paragon products but using 64-bit WinPE with Paragon's 32-bit was my first mistake or so I was told here by the author of the DISMGUIx64 or SIW2. Or at least that's the way I remember it! Maybe WinPE didn't allow that then but does now?

I don't remember much of this but don't you have to use/add, etc. a specific 32-bit operation for creating a WinPE source/image? I might be using the wrong terms though.

You can always create an 32-bit WinPE disc from a 64-bit machine.

 

Because I'm very lazy, I use a scripted WinPE builder (WinBuilder from http://reboot.pro/ ) just to make it a bit easier to include a wide range of "rescue utility" applications. But all of my WinPE builds use the actual Windows RTM source, either 32-bit or 64-bit as the case may be. The latter therefore support 32-bit applications in exactly the same way as a normal full 64-bit Windows OS installation does.

In that respect, I guess my PE builds do differ from what may be possible in a pure recovery environment build. I could be wrong, but I don't think Mickeysoft's own x64 WinRE build supports WOW64 at all. I include all kinds of stuff in my PEs, some of which actually does run as 64-bit applications in the 64-bit environment and much of which doesn't but relies on WOW64 instead.

The 32-bit apps can be a bit tricky, expecially those that require CurrentControlSet services with WOW64=1 configurations. But that's no problem at all with Paragon's HDM 11 Suite. Having got rid of those nasty device class filter services and drivers that I think were used in some earlier versions, Paragon seems to have made their current stuff very "portable." So, if you extract the application from their own "rescue disk" along with a few required DLL inclusions, it's almost as simple as adding a menu shorcut.

The same might be possible using the HDM proggy as installed, but I haven't tried it that way so far. Nor have I tried the free version. No reason I can think of why it wouldn't also work in the same way, except that program data writes could be an issue in some situations.

 

Yes, that's right.

The standard MS 64 bit winpe/winre/boot.wim doesn't support 32 bit apps at all.

You have to make your own 64 bit pe and include everything you need for 32 bit app. support.

It has taken me 3 years to get a build that I am happy with.

It works beautifully now.

That is a bit tricky for most people to attempt, tho.




Luckily, it is quite simple to get hold of a 32 bit wim - eg from the win 7 recovery discs., etc.

Very easy to pop any of the Paragon apps. in there as they are happy to run pretty much portably .

 

I'm sure it would take me at least three years if I were to try myself to create from scratch a 64-bit Windows Preinstallation Environment with WOW64 support for 32-bit applications. But by using the contributions of the hundreds of volunteers who have created and continue to develop Winbuilder PE, PE2 and PE3 projects like Win7PE SE, it's as simple as checking the boxes for whatever elements one wishes to include. I even write a few scripts myself as I did in this case. But mostly I'm quite lazy and just freeload on other people's work.

Have you ever tried Winbuilder yourself? It can actually be a lot of fun to experiment with.

 

Yes, I had a quick look at it.

I prefer to build my own - that way I get exactly what I want - not what someone else dictates (I know there are a few options , but that's not the same thing).

Not sure I iunderstand the point of it really - seems unnecessarily complex.

What we are doing is gathering the needed files - either from the dvd - or from your own installation, and also of course adding the registry entries.

I don't why you would want to convert all that into some sort of script, then convert it back again in a temp directory during the build.

Seems to me if you wanted to make it available to other people - it would be more simple - and much more transparent - to simply include the reg files and a file list - then use something like a batch file to run the build.

 

All valid points, I suppose. But as MS has continued to move forward from its WinXP/PE1 days, Winbuilder, despite its many admitted imperfections, seems to have become the most popular successor to BartPE for "automating" the creation of WinPE builds. Like many others, I just followed the rest of the crowd to its http://reboot.pro/ home. For better or worse, the new Paragon scripts have certainly attracted some attention there, more than here locally in fact.

To be completely honest about it, I guess I'm so PO'd with Acronis at the moment, I'm quite happy to see any extra attention Paragon can get anywhere at all. And, clunky or not, Winbuilder has a pretty big following with many offshoots.

 

I am not knocking - in fact it's great people get together and contribute to a project - especially one that is available to all.

It is just the methodology seems convoluted - I always prefer the most straightforward way of doing things.

Agree with you re the Paragon stuff - they make some excellent software.

It is immensely irritating the paragon apps. do a minor version check and refuse to run on Win 8.

That will annoy a lot of people.

It is a huge marketing error.

I understand they want you to buy the new version- and they can't "officially" say it works on new o/s - but they should remove that check and let it run regardless.

 

Whoever said "First thing we do is hang all the lawyers" (Shakespeare, I think) would have added another line if writing today: "And the next to the gallows are the marketeers."

Some of them seem to lack any farsighted perceptiveness whatsoever, but perhaps that's just a reflection of the currently prevalent "quick buck" school of business generally.