Table of Contents

Boot Windows disklessly with AoE (ATA over Ethernet)

HowTo:

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1 - Preparing Windows to Boot Diskless with VirtualBox/Virtual PC/Vmware

Install Windows 7/8/2003/2008 on a Virtual Machine ( create a disk type .vhd with fixed size ) open a cmd as administrator and type two commands:

C:\>bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING ON

C:\>bcdedit -set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS

- reboot the virtual machine

- Download and Install WinAoE Driver as Storage Controller

- Download and Install CCBoot Client without options

- Shutdown Virtual Machine

2 - On Server

- Copy .vhd to server (if is the same dont need)

- Install a DHCP Server with option bootfilename: grldr

- Install a TFTP Server and set tftp-root folder

- Download grub4dosand extract 'grldr' and 'menu.lst' files to the tftp-root folder

- Edit menu.lst file with this content:

title === MENU BOOTS ===

()

title

()

title Windows 7 Diskless

map –mem (pd)/ipxe.iso (0xff)

map –hook

chainloader (0xff)

- Create a text file 'conf.ipxe' with this content:

#!ipxe

dhcp net0

set keep-san 1

sanboot aoe:e0.0

Download ipxe.iso and with UltraISO, open the ipxe.iso with UltraISO and edit ISOLINUX.CFG with this content:

SAY iPXE ISO boot image

TIMEOUT 30

DEFAULT ipxe.lkrn

LABEL ipxe.lkrn

KERNEL ipxe.krn

INITRD conf.ipxe

- Update the ISOLINUX.CFG on UltraISO with new content

- Drag the file 'conf.ipxe' to inside UltraISO and save the file.

- Put ipxe.iso on the tftp-root folder

- Start DHCP Server

- Start TFTP Server

- Download and install WinPCAP and vBlade Target System ( AoE ) and export the target of .vhd:

- First find the Device Name of your Network Card with bogus caracters (xxx).

vblade -b 65 0 0 xxx “d:\path_to_you_vhd\windows.vhd”

after copy and paste the \Device\{value}

vblade -b 65 0 0 “\Device\{value}” “d:\path_to_you_vhd\windows.vhd”

Ready ! Boot one machine by LAN Boot, or create a VirtualBox/Vmware Virtual Machine without Disks !

You can boot a lot of Machines creating a specific ipxe.iso for each one, dont forget to edit 'conf.ipxe' with diferent targets ( e0.0, e0.1, e0.01), create respective ipxe-e0.0.iso for each workstation, add the menu.lst entry too for each ipxe-e0.x.iso

have fun !

More detailed Configuration with Video Tutorials in Oficial How-To.

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