Introduction to the Windows Embedded Standard 2011 Toolkit

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The toolkit for Windows 7-based Windows Embedded Standard 2011 (formerly code-named “Quebec”) comes with two components: Image Builder Wizard (IBW) and Image Configuration Editor (ICE). IBW provides a simplified interface to allow for quick and easy creation and prototyping of images. ICE contains more advanced options for editing configurations in greater detail.

Image Builder Wizard

IBW is based on Windows Setup, which is used to install both client and server Windows. IBW supports both “attended” and “unattended” installations. “Attended” refers to using the actual wizard to design and build an embedded runtime, while an “unattended” install is one which uses either an answer file created in ICE or a previously created WIM.

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When booting into IBW, the first choice is whether you would like an attended installation (“Build an Image”) or unattended (“Deploy an Answer File or WIM”). The wizard (“Build an Image”) allows users to select the target language, feature packages such as Internet Explorer, inbox or out-of-box drivers, and EEFs such as File Based Write Filter or USB Boot. Deploying via an Answer File or WIM will deploy the predefined user-created configuration to the target device.

Image Configuration Editor

ICE is based on the Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM) tool used to create answer files for use with Windows Setup. Likewise, ICE is used to create answer files that are provided to IBW for more advanced configurations.

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ICE is used for the creation of answer files, which “answer” the dialogs presented in IBW to streamline the image creation process. All the options for customizing an image in IBW are also available in ICE, as well as the ability to customize SMI settings among other more advanced features.

See future blogs for more detailed information on using both IBW and ICE!

- -Ben

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