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Using Matrix42 Empirum Windows PE

Larger companies and companies that use Matrix42 Empirum as their software distribution, usually refuel or install their computers with Empirum. In the earlier versions a Linux EPE was used for booting. In the newer versions, however, Windows PE can also be used in Empirum. Here you have a few configurations to set, but also has many advantages.

Using Windows PE in Empirum

Previously a Linux EPE was used in Empirum for booting. We’ve already had a post about how to upgrade EPE4. In the new Empirum versions it is possible to use a Windows PE system for booting. Of course, this has many advantages if you install Windows operating systems on the clients.

Advantages with Windows PE

There are many advantages to using a Windows PE. These would be, for example:

• Time for installation halved
• The PE already supplies the standard driver with
• Backwards compatibility for Windows systems

Empirum Windows PE Configuration

“You can’t use the PE just like that, of course. Some ice positions have to be hit anyway. The prerequisite for this is that the appropriate Windows 10 ADK is installed on the Empirum server.

Windows 10 ADK & Windows PE AddOn

If you want to install a “Windows 10 1903“, you also have to install the “Windows 10 1903 ADK” and the “Windows PE AddOn“. The nice thing here is that these are downward compatible. This means that Windows 10 1809 can be installed without problems.

Download Windows 10 ADK & PE Addon

If this ADK is not installed, Empirum will not be able to create the PE later in the background configuration.

Empirum Boot Configuration

Once the ADK has been installed, we can also configure Windows PE in Empirum. To do this, we proceed as follows:

1. Open EMC Console
2. Switch to “Configuration
3. “Open “Boot Configurations

Here we can click on the “+” in the lower area and a new configuration will be created. With a click on “Advanced Properties” in the upper right corner we get all available settings.

Select

Enable

A click on “Save” creates the PE in the background. This may take some time. Under “Management -> Administration” you can click on Info above. Here is the button “Back-end Tasks” which shows us the tasks running in the background. There you can check the status of the Empirum Windows PE creation.