Introduction
Microsoft Windows Pre-installation Environment (Windows PE) 2.0 is a boot tool developed by Microsoft, which provides operating system functions for installation, troubleshooting, and recovery. Windows PE is not a general-purpose operating system but is dedicated to three special tasks:
• Installing Microsoft Windows Vista. Every time Windows Vista is installed, Windows PE runs. During the installation phase, the graphical tool that collects configuration information runs within Windows PE. In addition, the information technology (IT) department can customize and extend Windows PE to meet their unique deployment needs.
• Troubleshooting. Windows PE also helps with automatic and manual troubleshooting. For example, if Windows Vista fails to start due to a corrupted system file, Windows PE can automatically start the "Windows Recovery Environment". You can also manually start Windows PE to use built-in or customized troubleshooting and diagnostic tools.
• Recovery. "Original Equipment Manufacturers" (OEM) and "Independent Software Vendors" (ISV) can use Windows PE to generate custom, automated solutions to recover and regenerate computers running Windows Vista. For example, users can boot their computers from a Windows PE recovery CD or recovery partition to automatically reformat their hard drive and reinstall Windows Vista with original drivers, settings, and applications.
This article is for IT professionals, describing the installation and troubleshooting functions of Windows PE, but does not discuss how OEMs and ISVs use Windows PE for recovery.
Basically, creating a standardized method that administrators can use to effectively track problem areas and make repairs can save valuable time spent interpreting complex error logs. Administrators can use the information in this article as tools and checklists to reduce the time spent on resolving failed connections. It can also help administrators solve their own problems before seeking help from "Microsoft Product Support Services".
