MustangPEBuilder Basics

 

MustangPEBuilder is a program to allow you to build a fully customized WinPE 2.0 ISO. It includes the BSExplorer shell to provide a Windows like experience. The ISO will be built from a standard WinPE 2.0 provided in the free Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Server 2008 from Microsoft. The OPK can also be used in place of the WAIK. The WAIK can be downloaded from Microsoft. The WAIK is backwards compatible and can be installed on Windows XP SP2/SP3, any version of Vista, Server 2003 SP1/SP2 or Server 2008. The WAIK or OPK must be installed on the system before running MustangPEBuilder.

 

MustangPEBuilder will use the standard tools provided in the WAIK to build the WinPE ISO. A temporary WinPE build environment will be created at %SystemDrive%\winpe_x86. Boot.wim will be mounted at %SystemDrive%\winpe_x86\mount. After the ISO is created, %SystemDrive%\winpe_x86 will be deleted.

 

MustangPEBuilder includes a plugin format for adding applications to the WinPE build. Plugins can be written in any Windows programming language in executable format (.exe). This makes it easier to write plugins without learning a specialized scripting language. AutoIt3 (.au3) and standard Windows command (.cmd) scripts are also supported. Each plugin must be included in Plugins\Plugins.ini. See the separate doc for plugin format.

 

The MustangPEBuilder folder must be placed in the root folder (C:\) in a Vista system. It may be placed in any folder in a WinXP system.

 

Windows drivers may be added to the build if needed. Just place the full path to the driver .inf file in AddDrivers.ini.

 

WinPE Packages may be added to the build. Just place a line with the package abbreviation in AddPackages.ini. See the WinPE.chm help file in the WAIK documentation for a list of package abbreviations (like *XML*).

 

There are many other options that can be done with peimg.exe in MustangPEBuilder. See the Advanced Options button in MustangPEBuilder.