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I was given an assigment to create a clean install of Windows 7, take a system image of it and make it a bootable image, so it can be booted from our local server. I've readed a few tutorials, but only one worked so far that it created a .wim . But when I transferred it to the server (Windows 2008 Server), navigated to Boot Images --> Add a new boot image

But it says it's not bootable. So how would I create a .wim that is good for the server from a 64bit Windows?

I have Windows AIK installed.

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You can't create a boot.wim file from an install.wim. Boot.wim files are created with the Windows Automated Installation Kit. While a boot.wim file can be created from scratch using just the WAIK alone, you're better off using WAIK+MDT. Use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit in conjuction with the WAIK tools to build a boot disc painlessly, as you're really not supposed to use WAIK all by itself.

Once you have a boot wim, use WDS to boot to the boot.wim, which will pull the install.wim from the deployment share you build in MDT 2013.

There is mass confusion on this issue all around, so please try to remember that boot.wims are created from the WAIK, and you use MDT to push the install.wims.

How to Use MDT 2013 to build a boot image to install Windows 7 from WDS

Install MDT 2013 and ADK 8.1

  1. Download & Install MDT 2013 Update 1 - http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=25175

  2. Download ADK 8.1 - http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5753

  3. Create Deployment Share - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciT_YqLdcgk

  4. Import Drivers - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWdGBVyD1pM

  5. Upload boot image from MDT into WDS - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZa6-pJn12M

It takes time, and some real work, but MDT is by far the best way to build boot.wim files. Build your install.wim files in a VM enviroment, they'll be "hardware independent" and will run on everything regardless of make or model.

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A boot image is used to capture or deploy an image. OS images are INSTALL images. You cannot use WDS to "boot" windows off the network and run it for the end user. If you need to load a boot image for capturing or deployment of images, get a Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2 (or if you have access, Windows 8 or Windows 2012 Server) DVD and use the boot image from there. Once the boot image is loaded (that boot image will execute setup and allow you to deploy your install image) you can create a capture image by simply right clicking the boot image in the WDS management tool and selecting "Create Capture Image" - once created you need to add it to WDS th

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    Multiverse IT is correct. Please see the 'Steps for adding images' section in this article. You also may want to look into the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, as you can be much more flexible in your deployments than you can without it, and it works great with WDS. More info for deploying Windows 7 and the download link to MDT can be found on the Springboard Series on TechNet
    – dwolters
    Sep 4, 2012 at 18:15

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