DISM Configuration List and WimScript.ini Files

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The Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool is a command-line tool that you can use to capture and apply Windows images. You can create a configuration list file to determine the following:

  • Which files and folders must be excluded from the capture process when you use the /Capture-Image option with the DISM tool.

  • Which folders, files, and file types must be excluded from the compression process when you use the /Compress argument.

The /ConfigFile argument enables you to customize specific compression, capture, and boundary alignment actions for each file and folder when you capture an image using DISM.exe. You can create a configuration list (.ini) file by using a text editor, such as Notepad.

Creating a Configuration List File

The following sections appear in the DISM configuration list file.

Section Description

[ExclusionList]

Enables you to define the files and folders to exclude when you use the /Capture-Image option.

[ExclusionException]

Enables you to override the default exclusion list when you use the /Capture-Image option.

[CompressionExclusionList]

Enables you to define the specific files and folders, and also to specify file types, to exclude when you use the /Compress argument.

Note

You can use file or folder matching to exclude a file from compression. You can provide a full path match, or you can use wildcard characters (). For example, you can use \WINDOWS\inf.pnf to match a specific type of file, or \WINDOWS\inf* to match a whole folder.

Default Exclusion List

By default, the DISM.exe tool will exclude the following files.

[ExclusionList]
\$ntfs.log
\hiberfil.sys
\pagefile.sys
\swapfile.sys
\System Volume Information
\RECYCLER
\Windows\CSC

[CompressionExclusionList]
*.mp3
*.zip
*.cab
\WINDOWS\inf\*.pnf

Exclusion List Guidelines

  • You can only use wildcard characters in the last component in a file path that does not begin with a backslash. For example:

    myfolder\*.txt

  • You can use a preceding backslash to limit file-matching and directory-matching relative to the root directory. For example, you can use this exclusion list:

    \myfolder
\folder\subfolder

    This list will exclude the following files and directories when you capture the "C:\" drive:

    C:\myfolder
C:\folder\subfolder

    However, DISM will not exclude files or directories that are contained in the following example.

    C:\main\myfolder
C:\data\folder\subfolder

  • You can override the default exclusion list by using the [ExclusionException] section. For example:

    [ExclusionException]
\pagefile.sys
\System Volume Information

  • If an explicit [ExclusionException] section is provided in the WIM configuration file, it will always take precedence over the [Exclusion List] section.

  • You cannot override the default compression exclusion list by using the [ExclusionException] section.

Using the Configuration File

If you create a custom-named configuration file and store it outside the DISM directory, you can use the DISM command to run the file. At a command prompt, open the DISM directory. For example:

Dism /Capture-Image /ImageFile:install.wim /CaptureDir:D:\ /Name:Drive-D /ConfigFile:<configuration list>

or

Dism /Append-Image /ImageFile:install.wim /CaptureDir:D:\ /Name:Drive-D /ConfigFile:<configuration list>

where <configuration list> provides the complete directory location for the configuration file. For example, c:\imaging\configuration_list.ini. You must use either the /Capture-Image option to create a new .wim file or the /Append-Image option to append an existing .wim file.

DISM Image Management Command-Line Options