Integrate Current Win PE Pre Boot version

First, a current Win PE preboot version must be integrated. There are two ways to do this:
The first option - via Matrix42 Management Console - automatically downloads the latest Win PE support package, unpacks it into the Empirum structure and integrates the packages into the Matrix42 Management Console.
The second option - via Marketplace - requires all steps to be carried out manually.

{
  "Disks": [
    {
      "Comment_Disks": "----------- 1. Additional Disk -----------",
      
      "Comment_PartitionSizeAsPercentage": [
        "PartitionSizeAsPercentage specifies if the partition size values should be interpreted as percentage values or GB values:",
        "- true: Interprets the partition size values as percent values",
        "- false: Interprets the partition size values as GB values"
      ],
      "PartitionSizeAsPercentage": true,
      
      "Comment_PreserveMode": [
        "The PreserveMode value specifies the handling of already existing partitions:",
        "- 0: All partitions will always be removed and recreated",
        "- 1: The partition will be keeped if it was made by empirum (or will be created if not exists).",
        "     Partition sizes and labels must match the configuration to be retained."
      ],
      "PreserveMode": 0,
      
      "Comment_Partitions": "The list of all partitions of the first disk",
      "Partitions": [
        {
          "Comment_Partitions": "----------- 1. Partition -----------",          
          "Comment_PartitionSize": "Partition size in GB value or percentage",
          "PartitionSize": 33,
          "Comment_PartitionLabel": "Label of the partition",
          "PartitionLabel": "Data2-1"
        },
        
        {
          "Comment_Partitions": "----------- 2. Partition -----------",          
          "PartitionSize": 33,
          "PartitionLabel": "Data2-2"
        }
        
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Importing operating system sources and language packs

Before the Windows operating system files (ISO) can be imported, the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (WADK) 10 (2004) | 11 (22H2 from September 2023) must be installed on the (master) server.

The procedure for importing operating system files is described here.
The procedure for importing language packages is described here.

Create boot configuration

Boot configurations can be used to create a WinPE based PXE boot image based on the Windows ADK installed on the Empirum Master Server.

1. Switch to Configuration > Boot Configurations.
   

   
   To be able to create or change a boot configuration, the logged in user requires the EMP_I_DISK_CONFIG role, which can be assigned via Matrix42 DBUtil in the user administration. If the logged in user does not have the role, the content of the boot configuration is grayed out.

    
2. Create a new boot configuration using the New button.
   
   Symbol definition:

• One or more critical details are missing or incorrect.
• Information or data has been changed but not yet saved.
• The job is in the queue.
• The boot configuration is currently being created in the background.
• The boot configuration has been created successfully.
• An error has occurred during the creation of the boot configuration.
• The configuration was changed in the background and can no longer be saved. An update is required to load the changes.
• The boot configuration was deleted in the background and can no longer be saved. A refresh is required to remove the configuration from the list.

3. Enter a descriptive name and description according to your requirements.
   

   Only alphanumeric characters (a-z, A-Z and 0-9) are allowed for the name.
   Names must be unique. The use of reserved names is prevented.
   This includes names that are already used in the boot diskette configuration (EPE).
   The symbol indicates that the entry is not allowed.

    
4. Select Win PE as the configuration type to create a Win PE-based PXE boot image-if not already selected.
   

   If you select Win PE as the configuration type, the selection of the Empirum PE source and the dynamic server detection are hidden and are not available in the configuration. These properties are only available under the EPE4 configuration and are not necessary in the case of a Win PE Preinstallation Environment. Win PE is selected by default for new configurations.

    
5. Select the desired agent template from the Agent Template drop-down field.
   If at least one agent template is configured, this is entered directly. If several Empirum agent templates have been created, the first one - sorted alphabetically - is always displayed directly.

5. To select which platforms are to be supported, you must either check EFI x86 or EFI x64 or select one of the platforms from the BIOS drop-down field. Several platforms can be selected at the same time. For BIOS, however, only one of the platforms can be selected at a time - either 32 bit or 64 bit. To create a configuration, at least one of the platforms must be selected. EFI x64 (64 bit) is selected by default.
6. From the drop-down menu, select the Microsoft certificate that is appropriate for this boot image to sign the PXE image.
   
   

   Starting with Empirum version 25.4.0, including the hotfix installer dated November 1, 2025, at the latest, a new CA2023 certificate can also be used to sign the PXE image.
   The CA2011 (standard) certificate is still available for older hardware.

    

   The information in the selected agent template determines how and with which server an attempt is made to connect during OS deployment.
   If no entry is displayed in the selection under Agent Template, first create an Empirum Agent Template via Configuration > Software Management > Empirum Agent.
   In addition to the user name, password and server name, the settings for the DHCP options are also transferred to the PXE boot image, provided it has been configured in the agent template. The selection can then be updated using the Refresh button. The overview on the left is updated in real time. However, changes are only permanently applied after confirmation with Save.

    
7. You can make the settings for TFTP Block Size, Self Provisioning and Driver Directories via Advanced Properties. Click the button to show the fields.
   
   With the help of the TFTP block size setting, the transfer of the Win PE boot image can be adjusted to make it either more stable or faster.
   

   A higher TFTP block size value usually leads to a faster transfer of the boot image. However, a larger block size can also lead to transmission interruptions.
   An optimal value depends on the existing network infrastructure and its utilization. For a newly created boot configuration, the default value for the TFTP block size is 4 KB.

    
   Self Provisioning is described in detail here.
8. To include additional drivers into the Win PE boot image, click on the button below the list of additional driver folders.
   
   The Browse for Folder window opens, which can be used to select a directory.
9. Confirm the selection with OK.
   The selected directory is added to the list of additional driver folders.

8. If several drivers need to be integrated, repeat the procedure from point 8.
    
   If you want to remove a driver directory, click on the button to the right of the driver directory entry.
9. Once all settings have been made, confirm with Save and answer the security question with Yes.
   The configuration is saved in the database, the PXE boot image is created directly.
   

After saving the Empirum Preinstallation Environment configuration, the automatic creation of the PXE image is taken over by the Backend Task Queue extension.

Once the PXE boot image has been successfully created, it is displayed with the specified name in Management > Administration under PXE-Boot Images in the right-hand tree and can be assigned as usual using drag & drop.

Create variables configuration

To simplify the initial configuration, you can download a set of variable configurations for the OS Installer from the Matrix42 Marketplace (Add-ons button) and customize them for your environment. For this example, we use the variable configuration from this package from the folder ".\24.0.0 - SDK\04 OS-Install - Win PE".

1. Download the variable configuration package here and unpack it into a directory (e.g. Temp) on the Empirum Master Server.
2. In the Matrix42 Management Console, go to Configuration > Variable Configurations and click the Import button at the bottom right.
   
3. Change to the directory (Temp) where you have unpacked the variable configuration package. Select the template from the folder ".\24.0.0 - SDK\04 OS-Install - Win PE" and click on Open.
4. Confirm the successful import with OK.
5. A description of which variables you need to adapt for your environment can be found here. In this case, this only affects the "OS-Install - Win PE" variable configuration. A description of the variables used can be found here: Disk Partitioning | Domain Join | MX42_AGENT_PUSH_PACKAGE_FOLDER / FQDN | OS_Regional Settings | Windows Installation
6. Once you have checked all variables in the "OS-Install - Win PE" variable configuration and adapted them to your environment, click Save at the bottom right corner.
   

After saving, this variable configuration is displayed in Management > Administration under Variable Configurations and can now be assigned using drag & drop. On the configuration side, all preparatory measures have now been completed.

Create configuration group

In order for a computer to run the OS deployment via Win PE, the settings must now be made in the administration.

1. In the Matrix42 Management Console, go to Management > Administration.
2. Create a new configuration group.
3. If you have created a view for the Matrix42 PreOS packages, drag it to the newly created configuration group.
   Otherwise, under Software Packages > Matrix42 PreOS Packages, drag the Matrix42 PreOS packages
   • Disk Partitioning,
   • Windows Installation,
   • Pxe Off And Reboot,
   • Domain Join,
   • Empirum Agent Setup
     to the configuration group.
     When using language package imports, the Language Installation package must also be assigned.
     If additional drivers are to be integrated into the operating system, the Driver Integration package must also be assigned.
     The Matrix42 PreOS package Hardware Info is only required if you also want to read out the hardware information for the assigned client (log).
4. In the tree on the right, under Software Packages > Matrix42, drag the current Matrix42 UEM Agent Windows software package onto the newly created configuration group.
5. On the right-hand side of the tree, drag the variable configuration (OS Install) imported under Variable Configurations onto the newly created configuration group.
6. On the right-hand side of the tree, drag the desired edition of the operating system under Operating System Imports > Microsoft > Windows 10 > x64 > "<your operating system import>" > e.g. Windows 10 Enterprise onto the newly created configuration group.
7. On the right-hand side of the tree, drag the desired language pack(s) under Language Pack Imports onto the newly created configuration group, If language packs are required.
8. On the right-hand side of the tree, drag the newly created Win PE boot image (Win PEx64) under PXE-Boot Images onto the newly created configuration group.
9. In the tree on the right under Agent Templates, drag the agent template required for this configuration onto the newly created configuration group.
10. In the tree on the left under Unassigned Computers, drag a computer onto the newly created configuration group. 
    The configuration group you have created will then look something like this:
    
    

    In general, it is possible to assign several Matrix42 PreOS packages, which are then executed one after the other when booting the Win PE-based PXE image.
    As with other software packages, the execution order of these packages can be controlled globally via the order of the packages in the depot.

     
    The options marked in green must be specified in the properties of the assigned client! Either the UUID and/or the MAC address must be specified.
    
    Once all assignments have been made, the computer can be activated via the context menu.
11. Right-click on the configuration group and select Activate. In the Activation Wizard that opens, activate the options PULL via DDS/DDC (Software packages only) and Enable PXE (Reinstall Computer). Click on Next. Click on Finish.
12. Start the assigned client - the operating system is installed via the Win PE boot image.
    
    If the assigned Win PE boot image is started on the computer, the Matrix42 Universal Agent Framework starts automatically and executes the assigned packages one after the other.

When the Windows Installation package is executed, the Windows installation is also executed.

Once the various installation phases have been completed, the operating system is installed on the computer.