Force PXE next boot

I have a need to periodically tell all my validation machines to reboot to
PXE so I can re-imagine them with ImageX/WinPE to a new test run.

Problem is I can't find an easy way to utilize BCDedit or other tools (tried
making changes with Diskpart but that didn't go well

I'm trying to avoid having to set PXE as the primary boot option and then
turn PXE on or off in my infrastructure. I'm also trying to avoid coding
around it at the TFTP server.

Does anyone know how I can set the Vista Boot Loader to reboot to PXE from
the active OS?

Again the scenario is:
1) System is booted to Vista and running my automated tests
2) Automated Tests are complete and a new image is needed
3) My automation tells Vista to reboot to PXE
4) My imaging automation reimages the system
5) System reboots to the new install

I don’t believe this is possible. This is something that happens in BIOS,
before the OS is loaded; so any OS options would come after the computer has
already decided to boot the OS instead of other hardware.

"Chad Skinner" <> wrote in message
news:2F8F929D-60BC-417C-A86C-...
> I have a need to periodically tell all my validation machines to reboot to
> PXE so I can re-imagine them with ImageX/WinPE to a new test run.
>
> Problem is I can't find an easy way to utilize BCDedit or other tools
> (tried
> making changes with Diskpart but that didn't go well
>
> I'm trying to avoid having to set PXE as the primary boot option and then
> turn PXE on or off in my infrastructure. I'm also trying to avoid coding
> around it at the TFTP server.
>
> Does anyone know how I can set the Vista Boot Loader to reboot to PXE from
> the active OS?
>
> Again the scenario is:
> 1) System is booted to Vista and running my automated tests
> 2) Automated Tests are complete and a new image is needed
> 3) My automation tells Vista to reboot to PXE
> 4) My imaging automation reimages the system
> 5) System reboots to the new install
>
>

I know I can do it in Linux just by telling the boot loader what to do. I
was hoping the same could be done with the Vista Boot Loader. These are also
EFI based systems, there should be a way for the boot loader to communicate
via GPT..... I'll keep looking.


"Richard G. Harper" wrote:

> I don’t believe this is possible. This is something that happens in BIOS,
> before the OS is loaded; so any OS options would come after the computer has
> already decided to boot the OS instead of other hardware.
>
> "Chad Skinner" <> wrote in message
> news:2F8F929D-60BC-417C-A86C-...
> > I have a need to periodically tell all my validation machines to reboot to
> > PXE so I can re-imagine them with ImageX/WinPE to a new test run.
> >
> > Problem is I can't find an easy way to utilize BCDedit or other tools
> > (tried
> > making changes with Diskpart but that didn't go well
> >
> > I'm trying to avoid having to set PXE as the primary boot option and then
> > turn PXE on or off in my infrastructure. I'm also trying to avoid coding
> > around it at the TFTP server.
> >
> > Does anyone know how I can set the Vista Boot Loader to reboot to PXE from
> > the active OS?
> >
> > Again the scenario is:
> > 1) System is booted to Vista and running my automated tests
> > 2) Automated Tests are complete and a new image is needed
> > 3) My automation tells Vista to reboot to PXE
> > 4) My imaging automation reimages the system
> > 5) System reboots to the new install
> >
> >