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How to create a UEFI bootable WinPE USB with Dell Command Configure

Summary: Resolve UEFI boot issues with a step-by-step guide for creating a WinPE USB using Dell Command | Configure (DCC). Ensure smooth deployment on UEFI BIOS computers.

This article applies to   This article does not apply to 
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Symptoms

Affected Products:

  • Dell Command | Configure

The following article deals with how to resolve an issue with being unable to boot into a WinPE (Windows Preinstallation Environment) USB. It does not boot with Dell Command | Configure installed and connected to a computer with a UEFI BIOS.

The computer cannot boot to a WinPE USB with DCC when the operating system is installed on a UEFI BIOS

If you are wanting to deploy changes, using the Dell Command software before the operating system is imaged onto a Dell personal computer. Then you are probably having to boot into the computer and change the BIOS from UEFI mode to Legacy. This is so that the USB can be detected before boot. This is because people cannot boot into a UEFI WinPE environment as it is configured. The sections below take you through how to complete each part of creating a USB tool that works with a UEFI BIOS.

Note: This article is for your information only. Remember that Dell ProSupport agent's do not support third parties putting images on our computers. We are not able to provide training over the phone on how to accomplish this under warranty.

Cause

Not Applicable

Resolution

Creating a WinPE USB with DCC that boots on a UEFI BIOS

Note: The latest Dell computers may not work correctly with older Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) builds. Starting with Windows 10, version 1809, WinPE is an add-on to the ADK. Older versions had it in the ADK download.

The following section takes you through a series of guides. Leaving you with a Bootable WinPE USB with Dell Command | Configure installed that does work on a computer with the UEFI BIOS loaded.

Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) is a collection of tools and documentation that are used to customize, assess, and deploy Windows operating system to computers. It enables Windows deployment and Windows assessment. Now that WinPE is an add-on part, you only require the Deployment Tools section from the ADK.

Follow the instructions on the following external link and install the Deployment Tools:

Windows PE/WinPE (Windows Preinstallation Environment) is a lightweight version of Windows. It is used for the deployment of computers, workstations, and servers, or troubleshooting an operating system while it is offline.

Use the following link to download the WinPE addon setup file:

Dell Command | Configure is a packaged software application that provides BIOS configuration capability to business-client platforms. It allows you to use either a Command-Line Interface or a Graphics User Interface to configure the client computers. (Formerly the CCTK - Client Configuration ToolKit)

Install the latest revision to a computer that already has an Operating System installed.

  1. Go to the Dell Support page.
  2. Under Which product do you need help with, enter the Service Tag of your supported Dell device and click Submit, or click Detect PC.
  3. On the Product Support page for your Dell device, click Drivers & Downloads.
  4. Click Manually find a specific driver for you [model].
  5. Check the System Management checkbox under the Category dropdown.
  6. Locate Dell Command | Configure in the list and select Download on the right side of the page.
  7. Locate the downloaded file on your computer (in Google Chrome, the file appears at the bottom of the Chrome window) and run the executable file.
  8. Follow the on-screen instructions.

For installation instructions, Dell Technologies recommends getting the latest information from the most current Installation Guide that is located here: https://www.dell.com/support/home/product-support/product/command-configure/docs

  1. To open Command-Line Interface (CLI), click Start > All Program > Dell > Command Configure > Command Configure Command Prompt.
Note: Right Click the Command Configure Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator from the menu.
  1. Run the following command:
cctk_x86_64_winpe_10.bat C:\winpe_x86_64 C:\Progra~2\Dell\Comman~1
Note: Ensure that the path C:\Progra~2\Dell\Comman~1 is that of the Dell Command | Configure folder.
  1. This extracts files and creates an ISO at C:\winpe_x86_64\WIM.
Note: This process does not create a bootx64.efi file in the ISO.

To make the USB work in UEFI

  1. Open the Windows Command Prompt. Right-click Start and select Command Prompt with Admin.
  2. Insert the Blank USB and Run each of the following commands:
Diskpart
List disk
Select disk 1 (If 1 is the USB location)
Clean
Create partition primary
Select partition 1
Active
Format fs=fat32 quick

The next section is to add the EFI folder and the ISO files to the USB.

Note: It is best practice to copy the EFI folder from within a Windows 10 image. If you cannot copy the folder from an image, you can use Diskpart to make the USB an Active partition and Assign a drive letter to the USB.
  1. Copy the EFI folder from C:\winpe_x86_64\media to the USB location.
  2. Go to the ISO location C:\winpe_x86_64\WIM.
  3. Right-click the ISO Command_Configure_x86_64_10 and choose Mount.
  4. Copy all the files to the USB location.

The USB is now ready to use.

The USB should now boot successfully into the Dell Command Configure WinPE Environment.

You can now:

  • Continue to write each command, or you can create a full configuration set. You can then export it and save the configuration as an .ini file.
  • Run the following command to apply this configuration file:
cctk 1- <c:/cctk>/filename.ini

While this is not a service Dell ProSupport can provide, remember that this information is supplied as is and is used at your discretion.