How to get WinPE to mount a wim file at its startup

Hi, please help: the second command below inside LoadShell subroutine of pecmd.ini does not work (but it works after PECMD command at command prompt; \Apps\Apps.wim at root of ISO/USB; same for MOUN command). So sorry if this question was solved before (my last two-day search finds no answer). Thank you.
IFEX R:\Apps,!path R:\Apps
Forx !\Apps\Apps.wim,pth,1,exec =!imagex.exe /mount %pth% 1 R:\Apps

You must verify that the Drive Path to \Apps\ is actually assigned R - as by default we assign Y to the USB Media used in projects
And what is the purpose of having to "Mount" a second wim that seems to contain Apps ??

Dear Grand Chef James :-) for your fast support. Yes, all were mounted well to Y:\ when booting the whole ISO (\apps\, \sources\boot.wim...). Reason of my request: external \Apps\apps.wim could be updated/extended further; Y:\ may not mount/need at USB boot. Winpe wim could be kept minimal for fast loading (R:\ is renamed from B:\).

If you where to extract the Apps.wim to the root of your USB inside say a "MyApps" folder - then the path to your Apps would be Y:\MyApps\** when WinPE loaded
As you do not need to compress your Apps into a wim file - thus also easy to update your Apps directly as they are on the USB in a folder

To save from having to format the USB everytime to write the media to USB after a build - just mount the Media ISO - delete everything from the USB (except "MyApps" folder) then copy contents of ISO to USB

Thank you very much James for your time and efforts. All your suggestions/alternatives works perfectly.
Anyway, could you suggest how to get winPE to mount [usb drive:]\apps\apps.wim to the ram drive B:\ (or R:\). This way keeps USB a bit tidy with a single apps.wim, instead of a large amount of portable folders and files on USB. Another alternative is via runme.cmd. But the same issue is: Which command(s) inside pecmd.ini or other *.ini help to run the runme.cmd at PE startup. So sorry again to take you time. Best Regards/Huy
 

What I do is use a vhd file instead of a wim. That way you can associate a differencing vhd mounted to x: instead of loading the whole of the vhd / wim into memory. You can do all that with diskpart.

I actually use an encrypted vhd these days.

This is the diskpart commands I used during pe boot ( I mount to b: as I don't use a ram drive ):

select vdisk file=y:\sources\programs.vhd
list volume
create vdisk file=x:\programs.vhd parent=y:\sources\programs.vhd
attach vdisk
select partition 1
assign letter=b

Note : you can only mount vhd files from ntfs formatted drives.

Dear Sandy, absolutely your solution work wells. For solution, I can mount the apps.wim and do other things with a batch script on winpe desktop.  I'm just wondering why the imagex.exe or the MOUN command of pecmd does not work inside pecmd.ini; or is there any way to get wWinPE to mount the wim at startup. Thanks again for your effort.

\Apps\Apps.wim at root of ISO/USB

[usb drive:]\Apps\Apps.wim

Equals

Code: [Select]

Y:\Apps\Apps.wim at root of ISO/USB

IFEX R:\Apps,!path R:\Apps

IFEX - (If  Exist) R:\Apps
In which R\Apps does not exist, but Y:\Apps does

R:\Apps > does not exist until > Y:\Apps\Apps.wim mounted to R (Ramdsik B:\)

Either way Boot.wim & Apps.wim all loading into System Memory
With that said normal logic suggests I back out of this conversation...

Dear James, many thanks for your time and efforts. I'll study and try it a little further. Wishing you and yours good health and stay safe. Huy

Hi pcpro,

If you want to mount .wim without using real disk, 2 things you need :

1) make wim.... driver working
2) create a disk fake vhd at boot -- we already have a plugin to create vhd disk at boot for another goal ...

so at startup via using a cmd file,
1) create vhd file at temp + mount to drive letter (M:) + format ntfs
2) find and mount wim file at vhd disk (M:)

**
Your idea is not new, For same Galapo wrote a plugin for what you write on Gena
(plugin is very old and not compatible with Win10PE things
.  instead of .vhd img used - instead of diskpart imdisk used - wim driver is from Vista times not good or compatible to use on Win10)

so yes, you can do that, only you need to spend time...

well I prefer mounting .iso or vhd like sandy instead of using .wim , life is simpler with that ...
Memo: there are also TrueCrypt, VeraCrypt ... which would be also easy to mount images ....






****
Well,
 It will be fine to have a standalone plugin to install wim... drivers (tip: GetWaikTools)
    so anyone can use a tool to mount wim files. 

Dear Lancelot, It's kind of my research to understand how PE works with wim, and thank again that you and James have just helped explaining :-). Thank you all again and take good care. Huy

Just wish to close this threat, with the update: mounting works well when running after Postshell or in an INI called by the "pecmd.exe load" command in the RunceOne registry. MOUN command of pecmd.exe or DISM of Windows can be used instead of ImageX. Thank again James, Sandy and Lancelot for your time and efforts.