---
name: "mkwinpeimg"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "wimlib"
version: "1.14.5-4"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mkwinpeimg"
---

# mkwinpeimg(1)

Make a customized bootable image of Windows PE

## NAME

mkwinpeimg - Make a customized bootable image of Windows PE

## SYNOPSIS

**mkwinpeimg** \[*OPTIONS*\] *IMAGE*

## DESCRIPTION

**mkwinpeimg** is able to make a bootable image of Windows PE by taking files from a mounted Windows installation ISO image (Vista or later) or the mounted ISO image for the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) or the WAIK supplement.  The **--windows-dir** and **--waik-dir** options are used to specify the locations of these mounted ISOs.  You only need one or the other. The files that **mkwinpeimg** will retrieve are *boot.wim*, *bootmgr*, *boot.sdi*, and *bcd*.  If making an ISO image, the file *etfsboot.com* is also retrieved.  Microsoft owns the rights to these files and they are not distributed with wimlib.

**mkwinpeimg** can make two types of bootable images.  The default is to make a bootable disk image.  The image is not partitioned and is formatted into a FAT filesystem.  [**syslinux**(1)](/syslinux/1.md) is required to make this type of image, as it is used to chainload *bootmgr*. Also, [**mtools**(1)](/mtools/1.md) is required so that the FAT filesystem can be created without root privileges.

The other type of bootable image that **mkwinpeimg** can make is a bootable ISO image.  To make this type of image, give the **--iso** option. [**mkisofs**(1)](/mkisofs/1.md) is required to make this type of image.  In **--iso** mode, you can specify *IMAGE* as "-" to write the ISO image to standard output.

If you make a disk image, you could put it on a USB drive, and if you make an ISO image, you could put it on a CD.  In addition, both types of images can be loaded by the SYSLINUX or PXELINUX bootloaders using the MEMDISK module.

Windows PE itself is contained in the *boot.wim* file.  **mkwinpeimg** can modify this file before embedding it in a bootable image.  The most useful modification is to specify an executable or batch file for Windows PE to execute as soon as it starts up.  Use the **--start-script** *FILE* option to specify such a file.  You may also add arbitrary files to *boot.wim* by putting them in a directory, then specifying the **--overlay** *DIR* option.  However, for more extensive modifications, consider modifying the *boot.wim* file separately using [**wimmountrw**(1)](/wimmountrw/1.md) or [**wimupdate**(1)](/wimupdate/1.md), then providing it to **mkwinpeimg** using the **--wim** option.

**mkwinpeimg** can also make only a modified *boot.wim*, rather than a bootable ISO or disk image, if the **--only-wim** option is given.

## OPTIONS

- **-i**, **--iso**

  Make an ISO image instead of a disk image.

- **-o**, **--only-wim**

  Make neither a disk image nor an ISO image; instead, only make a modified *boot.wim* file.

- **-W**, **--windows-dir**=*DIR*

  Use DIR as the location of the mounted Windows installation ISO image.  If neither **--windows-dir** nor **--waik-dir** is specified, then the script looks for the mounted ISO in the following default locations: /mnt/windows, /mnt/windows7, /mnt/windows8, and /mnt/windows10.

- **-A**, **--waik-dir**=*DIR*

  Get the boot files and boot.wim from the ISO of the Windows Automated Installation Kit mounted on DIR instead of from a Windows installation ISO. This also works if the mounted ISO is for the WAIK supplement rather than the WAIK itself.

- **-s**, **--start-script**=*FILE*

  Add FILE to the root directory of Windows PE image and adjust \\Windows\\System32\\winpeshl.ini to execute FILE when Windows PE starts up.

- **-w**, **--wim**=*WIM*

  Use WIM as the "boot.wim" file.  This defaults to the appropriate WIM file from the Windows ISO, WAIK, or WAIK supplement.

- **-O**, **--overlay**=*DIR*

  Adds all the files in DIR to the Windows PE image.

- **-t**, **--tmp-dir**=*DIR*

  Use DIR for temporary files.  Defaults to a directory made using "mktemp -d".

- **-a**, **--arch**=*ARCH*

  Use the Windows PE version from the Windows Automated Installation Kit (or the WAIK supplement) that has the CPU architecture *ARCH*.  Only valid with **--waik-dir**.  Possible values: "x86" or "amd64".  Default is "x86". Note: the WAIK also contains a Windows PE image for the ia64 (Itanium) architecture; however, this is not supported by this script.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Display help.

- **-v**, **--version**

  Show version information.

## EXAMPLES

Create a bootable disk image of Windows PE from the Windows (Vista or later) installation media mounted on /media/windows:

mkwinpeimg --windows-dir=/media/windows winpe.img

Create a bootable ISO of Windows PE from the WAIK (or WAIK supplement) mounted on /media/waik, and add all the files in "winpe\_overlay" to Windows PE's filesystem:

mkwinpeimg --iso --waik-dir=/media/waik --overlay=winpe\_overlay winpe.iso

Create a bootable image of Windows PE from the Windows installation media mounted on /media/windows, add and make it execute "install.cmd" when it starts up.  In this example the image is created in the root directory of the TFTP server for network booting.

mkwinpeimg --start-script=install.cmd --windows-dir=/media/windows /var/tftpboot/winpe.img

## NOTES

Microsoft's licenses may limit the things that Windows PE can be used for, and they may limit your rights to redistribute customized versions of Windows PE.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to *https://wimlib.net/forums/*.

## SEE ALSO

[**wimlib-imagex**(1)](/wimlib-imagex/1.md)