🖥️ Deploying a Windows Image to a Physical Workstation via netboot.xyz and Windows PE

This guide explains how to deploy a captured Windows image to a physical workstation using the netboot.xyz PXE service to boot into Windows PE, then apply the image using DISM. The image is stored in a network share on the ELDERBRAIN hypervisor at Ridgebrook.

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1. 🌐 Boot the Physical Workstation via PXE (netboot.xyz)

Requirements:

• The physical machine supports UEFI PXE boot
• The network allows access to boot.netboot.xyz
• The system has a clean or blank disk attached

Steps:

1. Power on the physical workstation.
2. Enter BIOS/UEFI and ensure PXE boot is enabled (UEFI preferred).
3. Set PXE (network boot) as the first boot device.
4. Reboot — the system should fetch netboot.xyz via DHCP and TFTP.
5. In the netboot.xyz boot menu:
   • Navigate to: Utilities → Windows → Windows PE
   • Select architecture: e.g., amd64

✅ This will load Windows PE into memory via cloud boot.

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2. 🔌 Connect to the Ridgebrook Image Share

Image Location:

\\elderbrain\images\ridgebrook-industrial\wim\windows.wim

In Windows PE:

1. Press Shift+F10 to open Command Prompt.
2. Map the file share:

net use Y: \\elderbrain\images\ridgebrook-industrial\wim /user:DOMAIN\username password

✅ You should now have access to Z:\windows.wim

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3. 🧹 Prepare the Workstation Disk

Format and initialize the target drive:

list disk
select disk 0
clean
convert gpt

create partition efi size=4096
format quick fs=fat32 label="System"
assign letter=S

create partition primary size=4096
format quick fs=ntfs label="Recovery"
set id=de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac
gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001

create partition primary
format quick fs=ntfs label="Windows"
assign letter=C

exit

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4. 📦 Apply the Captured Windows Image Using DISM

Apply the .wim captured image to the C drive:

dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:Y:\windows.wim /Index:1 /ApplyDir:C:\

💡 Make sure the index is correct if the .wim contains multiple images.

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5. 🥾 Make the Workstation Bootable

bcdboot C:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI

🔧 If using a dedicated EFI partition, update /s accordingly.

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✅ Final Notes

• After deployment, shut down the workstation.
• Remove PXE boot from the first boot device.
• The workstation will now boot into Windows.
• Optionally, run sysprep before capture to generalize the image.

Let me know if you'd like to bundle this with your VM deployment guide for a unified imaging SOP.