Adding updates for Vista/ Server 2008 into the OS WIM File

Q. How can I add updates for Windows Vista/Windows Server 2008 into the OS WIM file?

A. Updates for Vista and Windows 2008 come in the Microsoft Update (MSU) format. After you download the updates from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads and select the Vista family, you extract the content of the MSU to a folder (the folder must be created in advance), as this example shows:

D:temp>mkdir kb935806-x86D:temp>expand -f:* Windows6.0-KB935807-x86.msu d:tempkb935806-x86

Once the files are extracted, you mount the WIM file by using imagex in read/write mode:

C:Program FilesWindows AIKToolsPETools>imagex /mountrw "d:OS ImagesWindows Vistainstall.wim" 1 d:tempvista

Once mounted the update can be applied using the package manager (pkgmgr) utility. Ensure that you use the correct architecture version. For example, don't use the PETools folder version, instead use the Servicing version.

C:Program FilesWindows AIKToolsx86Servicing>start /w pkgmgr /n:"D:tempupdateWindows6.0-KB932246-x86.xml" /o:"d:tempvista;d:tempvistawindows" /l:d:tempinsert.log

Once installed check the log text file for return status 0x0:Pkgmgr: return code: 0x0Once complete, unmount the WIM file with the commit option.

C:Program FilesWindows AIKToolsx86Servicing>imagex /unmount /commit d:tempvista 

— John Savill