Can I add my own files to Aomei WinPE?

aiArtisan

After creating an Aomei (Win)PE Builder 2.0 stick, can I safely add my own files to the stick? What errors will doing this cause? Thank you.

SIW2

Yes if you want to make use of the free space on the usb stick. You could also put portable programs on the usb stick and navigate to them from booted pe.

aiArtisan

Thank you, SIW2. Please reply with a screenshot successfully opening a portable app while booted into Aomei (Win)PE Builder 2.0 using the link below. I am not asking for a screenshot from your own personal Windows ADK WinPE, or from Hasleo, or Hirens, or any other WinPE.

Aomei WinPE Builder USB
https://www.ubackup.com/pe-builder.html

SIW2

Why did you ask me to waste time doing this? The aomei winpe environment supports 64 bit programs.

There are some running here

aiArtisan

Thank you SIW2, we appreciate your work. A lot of us are new and learning, and things that are easy for you are not easy for others. I have watched Aomei Forums for years, and you are the first to do that and post it.

After seeing your example, I was able to start some portable apps, but not others. I was able to start portable apps Microsoft Safety Scanner, Rufus. Validrive is a non-installable app, therefore it is a portable app, but it does not start. Why not?

How is your work in the Pale Moon project going? Thanks.

SIW2

I expect it supports most 64 bit portables. For more support, the wim would end up being bigger.

aiArtisan

Thank you SIW2, I was able to confirm your instructions. Portable x64 apps will work. I wish someone would have told me that years ago.

I spent hours trying to find more native-portable x64 apps of good quality, but I could find very few. To get more, I would like to use the PortableApps platform, which uses non-native-portable apps that they have converted. How do I install or use the PortableApps platform in Aomei (Win)PE Builder 2.0? How do I do that? Once I have that working, I will have hundreds of good quality non-native-portable apps.

https://portableapps.com/

SIW2

One simple way is to make a folder on the usbstick called somthing like usbprograms. Than put your portables in that folder. the next thing is to create a text file with a unique name on the usbstick E.G uniquename.txt then you can add a couple of lines to pecmd.ini like this: envi fDrive= FORX \uniquename.txt,&&fd,0,TEAM# FDRV &&fp=%&fd%# FIND~ $X:=%&fp%, ~envi fDrive=%fDrive%%&fp% FIND# $X=X%fDrive%,! LINK %Desktop%\USBPROGRAMS,%fDrive%\USBPROGRAMS

aiArtisan

Thank you SIW2. I tried to follow these steps, but I failed. I could not find any pecmd.ini file in the .iso of aomei winpe, nor could I find any such file when booted into it, using file explorer, and Everything.exe search tool. Where does the pecmd.ini file exist?

I am not a programmer. Your code seems like it may load programs during startup?

"your portables"

Do you mean the native-portable-apps that I confirmed work on their own already, such as MS Safety ScannerX64? Do you mean the non-native-portable-apps from PortableApps platform, such as Chrome browser?

Please reply with 1 specific app that does not normally work in Aomei (Win)PE Builder 2.0 that will work after I execute your instructions, thank you.

SIW2

boot.wim \windows\system\pecmd.ini 

you can do it with 7-zip

RT click pecmd.ini and select edit

add the lines below

Save the changes

OK to save it in the archive

aiArtisan

Please reply with 1 specific app that does not normally work in Aomei (Win)PE Builder 2.0 that will work after I execute your instructions, thank you.

SIW2

It wont make extra programs work. 

The point of the code is to link a folder on the usb stick to the desktop of booted winpe media.

When you have decided which programs run in winpe you can put them in folder on the usb stick. Then that folder is linked to the desktop of your booted winpe so you can access them easily.

I can't tell you every program that will run in aomei pe.You will have to try them for yourself.