winpe_vnc - How to integrate a VNC server into WinPE

Quick steps

I have pre-packaged the VNC server (TightVNC) files plus scripts needed to set up the server.

• Download for 32-bit boot image: winpe_vnc_files_x86.zip
• Download for 64-bit boot image: winpe_vnc_files_x64.zip

1. Download the correct zip file for the boot image architecture (above).
2. Unzip the files to a temporary directory.
3. Mount the WIM image with dism.
4. Move the deploy and VNC directories into the image root.
5. Delete setup.exe in the root of the image.
6. Move the startnet.cmd file to \Windows\System32, overriding the existing file.
7. Unmount the image and all finished.

Manual steps (to use latest version of TightVNC)

1. Mount WIM image with dism (if extracted from a boot.wim, it will be index:2).

2. Create two new directories: \deploy and \VNC.

3. Move \setup.exe to \deploy\setup.exe.

4. Download TightVNC 32 or 64-bit (architecture is important!!).

5. Install TightVNC on reference computer and configure the Service mode.

6. Export HKLM\SOFTWARE\TightVNC to \VNC\config32.reg`

7. (64-bit only) Export HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\TightVNC to \VNC\config64.reg

8. Copy the following files from the TightVNC install folder to \VNC:

   • tvnserver.exe
   • screenhooks32.dll (64-bit only):
   • hookldr.exe
   • screenhooks64.dll

9. Edit \Windows\System32\startnet.cmd and append the following line:

   \deploy\preinit.cmd

10. Create \deploy\preinit.cmd as follows (delete the config64.reg line if using a 32-bit image):

    @echo off
    
    wpeutil InitializeNetwork
    wpeutil DisableFirewall
    
    cd \VNC
    regedit /s config32.reg
    regedit /s config64.reg
    tvnserver -install -silent
    tvnserver -start
    
    cd \deploy
    copy setup.exe ..\
    cd ..\
    start setup.exe
    

11. Commit and unmount the image

12. Upload to WDS and voila

Some helpful commands

dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:<SRC> /index:2 /MountDir:<MOUNT_POINT>
dism /Unmount-Image /MountDir:<MOUNT_POINT> /commit
dism /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:<SRC> /DestinationImageFile:<NEW_FILE> /Compress:max /SourceIndex:2
dism /Get-ImageInfo /ImageFile:<SRC>

Note the image index will always be :2. Don't attempt to mount/edit index:1 as it does not contain the setup bootstrapper that is run on PXE boot.

Exporting the image will recompress it slightly and yield a smaller file.

Please note TightVNC is licensed under the GPL.