[Other] [Tutorial] How to compile an install file of the latest build of Windows 10

How to compile an install file of the latest build of

Windows 10 for a Chuwi tablet

I would like to reveal the essence of the problem in a few words first.
As you know, Microsoft usually releases its Windows 10 updates every half year. Updating process lasts an infinitely long time and often ends in a failure on your tablet with too small eMMC disk space and minor CPU performance.
Therefore, it’s very important to have a ready-made package for a clean Windows installation. But now customers have to face up to other an unpleasant surprise. Every Chuwi’ official install file is based on an old Windows build. As soon as you use this file, you will get a new headache as your “new” but obsolete Windows will repeat the painful updating process immediately after clean installation.
It’s also problematic to use official Microsoft ISO for a clean installation since it does not contain tablet drivers.
There are two ways to break this vicious circle at least.
Here’s the simplest way for those who absolutely do not want to update Windows. Set your Wi-Fi connection as metered in its Properties and you could always keep running the old version of Windows 10 on your tablet without updates. And anyway, while you can’t update your tablet, you can still get security patches. You can read more about this.

Advanced Windows 10 users who want to have the latest version of Windows 10 with new features can create the compiled install file with their native language and all tablet’ drivers by themselves. This requires a bit of patience and skill to use the Windows command prompt.
Here’s how to create a Windows installation package that’s up to date, auto-installing, more compact and far less time-sucking than your original.
First of all, you need to get all currently installed drivers and some OEM files of the factory Windows.

Getting DriverPack of your tablet

  1. Create a folder in the root directory of drive C and name it as Drivers.

  2. Run PowerShell with Administrator rights (as Admin) and perform the following command (enter the following command and press Enter)

  3. Export-WindowsDriver –Online -Destination C:\Drivers

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3. Just wait patiently until this operation is completed.

Then close the PowerShell and move the Drivers folder to the external media.
If you have no suitable drivers in your current Windows 10 or you can’t run Windows on your tablet, then you can download drivers from the [).

Getting Chuwi’ OEM files from the factory Windows

  1. Just read How to Show Hidden Files and make Windows 10 show hidden files in File Explorer.
  2. Find the following folders (Recovery, Panther, OEM):
    C:\Recovery
    C:\Windows\Panther
    C:\Windows\OEM
  3. Copy these folders to an external media.
    That’s it. Next steps take on your external PC with Windows 10. You need enough free space on the drive of the PC. It is desirable for at least 15 GB of free space.

Getting an official install.esd file of Microsoft
You can get the install.esd file in different ways. You can download it using direct links or extract it from a previously downloaded ISO file.
After all, you can create an ISO file using the Microsoft Media Creation Tool.
How To Download Latest Windows 10 ISO Without Media Creation Tool
Select your native language and Home Edition (Core) of Windows 10. You need to choose carefully either a 64-bit or 32-bit Windows architecture appropriate to the version of your earlier obtained drivers. Take a look at your drivers. If there is “x86” in the names of the driver folders, then you should choose a 32-bit architecture. Otherwise, select a 64-bit one.
Usually, some Chuwi tablets with 2GB RAM, like Hi8 pro, Vi8, Vi8 plus , need 32-bit Windows 10.
On the other hand, tablets with 4GB RAM, like Hi10 pro and Hi12 , require 64-bit Windows.

  1. Double click the ISO file to mount it in File Explorer. The extracted image appears.
  2. Find the largest install.esd file in Sources folder and copy it in the root directory of drive X.
  3. As operation completed you have to “unmount” the ISO file. Just eject it from a virtual DVD drive.
    Alternatively, you can find links and download All-in-One ESD file directly from Microsoft website with full download speed. Rename the downloaded ESD as install.esd and move it in the root directory of drive X.

Create two temporary folders on the root of the drive X and name them as 1, 2 ;
Move all previously received drivers from the USB media to the X:\2 folder.


NB. Hereinafter, X is a letter of your local drive. Do not forget to replace it with your real drive letter in each DISM command.

Compiling your install file
Now you need to get the index number for Windows 10 Home Edition.

  1. Run the Command Prompt as Admin and find details for the all-in-one install.esd file with the following DISM command.
    Do not forget to put your real drive letter instead of X here and further!

  2. Dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:X:\install.esd

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For example, I found that.
Index: 6
Name: Windows 10 Home
Description: Windows 10 Home

2. Export the Windows 10 Home edition only and convert ESD to WIM file. So, perform this:

  1. DISM /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:X:\install.esd /SourceIndex:6 /DestinationImageFile:X:\install.wim /compress:fast

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Just wait patiently for the end of the action. As operation completed you can delete the install.esd file in the root directory of drive *X:* Do not confuse it with the install.wim file!

  1. Check the correctness of the previous step by this command

  2. Dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:X:\install.wim

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It must be like that:
Index: 1
Name: Windows 10 Home
Description: Windows 10 Home


Mount the image in X:\1 folder with the following DISM command

  1. Dism /Mount-Wim /index:1 /WimFile:X:\install.wim /MountDir:X:\1

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Just wait patiently for the end of the action. As operation completed do not close the Command Prompt window.


5. Copy the Chuwi OEM files in the mounted image. Just copy the Recovery folder in X:\1 . Copy the OEM and the Panther folders in X:\1\Windows .

It must be like that
X:\1\Recovery
X:\1\Windows\OEM
X:\1\Windows\Panther


Do not forget it must be your real drive letter instead of X here and further!

  1. Add your drivers in your image with the following DISM command

  2. DISM /image:X:\1 /Add-Driver /driver:X:\2 /recurse /ForceUnsigned

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Just wait patiently for the end of the action.


7. As operation completed you can save and unmount your image with the following DISM command

  1. Dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:X:\1 /Commit

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Just wait patiently for the end of the action.

As operation completed you can close the Command Prompt window.

You got your compiled install.wim file. Just copy it in the images folder of the original Chuwi install package and replace its original file.
If you have no an original Chuwi install package yet, just download one of these Chuwi WinPE files and unzip it on your external PC.

Chuwi_WinPE_x64.zip

Chuwi_WinPE_x86.zip

Choose carefully either an x86 or x64 version, appropriate for your Windows architecture. Copy the install.wim file from the root of drive X in the images folder of the Chuwi WinPE.

Congratulations! You have got a compiled install package for your tablet.
https://chuwiinnovationtechnologyshenz.box.com/s/qekl99asdsx9j31q5vta6mtiewjee6u5

1 Like

Hello!

Thanks for the tech tips on how export, pick windows versions and slipstream drivers with PowerShell.

I wonder if I can use Hi8 drivers in a Hi10 plus fresh install. I have an ASUS T100TA 2GBRAM Z3775 and got lucky enough to have support drivers for 32 bits Windows8.1/10 and I feel it right. It doesnt make any sense, at all, using 64bit, unless 32 bits kernel won’t add support for instance, full RAM usage, but it seems there are drivers available since Hi8 comes with same SoC chip.

I’m currently using Windows 10/64 which came with the equipment but it’s kinda sluggish. Windows8.1 32bits would be my goal.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT1: It seems AMI UEFI won’t run 32 bit .efi file (bootia32.efi), not even renaming to bootx64.efi. Case closed.

EDIT2: Can I slipstream these Windows10 extracted drivers to a Windows 8.1 64 install? Or even better… is there a install wizard to these drivers? Manually installing is not working as expected.

EDIT3: I did not make a copy of Panther and OEM folders. What’s up with these folders?

1 Like

How can i download chuwi_WinPE_x64.zip file? Google drive says mi, that i dont have permission

Hi10 Q64G42160400337

Management,

Are there installers for the drivers rather the .INFs and .DLLs?

I would like to know if I can slipstream drivers through NTLite (nLite like program) to Win8.164 install

Many thanks

Sorry we don’t have installers for the drivers.

The thing you need is a boot file that you don’t need for your Hi10 device.

BTW,do you want to reinstall the system?

@Management>: many thanks. It seems Intel is hasty in dropping Windows 8.1 support pretty soon.

I gave up of Win8.1 and installed Win10 found on this thread: [Hi10 Plus] [Official Version] [4G/64G] Chuwi Hi10 Plus Remix OS, Windows, Bios Download and forced an update through Windows Update Assistant Tool, it downloaded a newer OS base version and update the whole system (https://support.microsoft.com/pt-br/help/3159635/windows-10-update-assistant) and sometimes the graphic driver crashes, everything goes black for some time, and then it manage to restores by itself. Any driver updates available?

I cant download the [Chuwi_WinPE_x64.zip] it ask me for an google account … can you please up it on mediafire?