Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) RTM is a minimal operating system, based on the Windows XP kernel and contains the minimal functionality you need to run and automate Windows Setup.
WinPE lets you create (diskpart.exe) and format (format.com) disk partitions, and gives you access to both NTFS file system partitions (with some constraints) and your internal network. The environment supports all mass storage devices that use Windows 2000 or Windows XP drivers, and you can incorporate additional drivers as new devices become available.
To prevent its use as a pirated operating system, the Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) reboots automatically after 24 hours of continuous use.
Using WinPE allows you to port your existing MS-DOS-based tools to a subset of the 32-bit Windows APIs, so you can more easily maintain these applications in a standard development environment, such as Microsoft Visual Studio. These hardware diagnostics and other preinstallation utilities can then use the same signed Windows XP drivers in the computers you manufacture, and you will no longer need to request 16-bit drivers from independent hardware vendors (IHVs).
While WinPE is too large to fit on a floppy disk, you can place your customized version of WinPE on any bootable media, including a CD-ROM, DVD (ISO formatted), a Remote Installation Server (RIS), or on a machine?s hard disk.


More info : _http://www.osbetas.com/readme-WinPE.htm

Slideshow of Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE)

_http://www3.sympatico.ca/betatest/winpe/default.htm


PittPull



Last edited by pittpull at Jul 23 2002, 08:37 PM

Very cool but the question is.... is it worth the down grade? been reading up on this and was wondering myself.. as well as would it be best to go back to 98se??

luckily they didn't incorporate the auto reboot after 24hrs of continous usage in the normal windows version.