Microsoft KB Archive/932981

= Windows Vista does not support offline servicing of a mounted WIM image file if the OOBE has already been run =

Article ID: 932981

Article Last Modified on 3/30/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Windows Vista Business
 * Windows Vista Enterprise
 * Windows Vista Home Basic
 * Windows Vista Home Premium
 * Windows Vista Starter
 * Windows Vista Ultimate

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Introduction
Windows Vista does not support offline servicing of a mounted Windows Imaging Format (WIM) file of a system on which the Out Of Box Experience (OOBE) has already been run. Windows Vista supports offline servicing of a WIM file only if the following conditions are true:
 * You prepare the WIM file by using the Sysprep.exe tool together with the /generalize option.
 * You image the WIM file by using the ImageX.exe tool.



MORE INFORMATION
Windows Vista does not support offline servicing of a mounted WIM file of a system that has already been started for the first time. If you install a hotfix to a mounted WIM file after the OOBE has already been run, the original files in the image are not replaced by the files in the hotfix.

The original files in a WIM file are replaced by the files in the hotfix if the following conditions are true.
 * You prepare the WIM file by using the Sysprep.exe utility together with the /generalize option.
 * The system has not yet been started for the first time. That is, the OOBE has not been run.
 * The WIM file is specialized for the particular system that it is applied to.

To work around this behavior, service a WIM file only of a system that is generalized, not of a system that is specialized. If you must apply a hotfix to a WIM file after the OOBE has already been run, manually replace the files in the mounted specialized image with the files that the hotfix updates. To determine which files are updated by a particular hotfix, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for the article that documents the hotfix that you want to install. To search the Knowledge Base, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com

Note If you intend to install driver updates to a WIM file that was prepared by using the Sysprep.exe tool together with the /generalize option, make sure that you install the driver updates offline.

