Update-OSDeployCoreRE

Export Windows Recovery Environment images and supporting Windows OS content from cached Enterprise ESD files.

Update-OSDeployCoreRE is the second stage run by Update-OSDeployCore. It reads verified Enterprise ESD files from the current OSDeploy catalog, exports Windows Recovery Environment images, and stages the supporting Windows setup, image, boot, metadata, and network-driver content.

The command does not download Windows. Run Update-OSDeployCoreESD first so the required ESD files are available locally.

Requirements

Run this command from an elevated PowerShell 7.6 or later session on Windows 11 25H2 build 26200 or later. PowerShell must be installed from the MSI package, and curl.exe, the DISM PowerShell cmdlets, and robocopy.exe must be available.

A valid Recast Software license is required when the command is called directly. If no valid license is found, the command displays license guidance and returns. The immediate call from Invoke-OSDeployHydration is the only license-gate exception.

The Core cache must contain at least one current-catalog Enterprise ESD with a matching SHA256 checksum.

This command does not download Windows media. If no verified current-catalog ESD remains after filtering, it writes a warning and returns. Run Update-OSDeployCoreESD first.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Accepted values and behavior
-Architecture	String	Automatic	Use amd64 or arm64. Omission processes every verified x64 and ARM64 ESD found for the newest bundled catalog.
-WhatIf	Common parameter	Not enabled	Read and hash current-catalog ESDs and resolve destinations, then skip each export at its destination-level ShouldProcess call. Core initialization occurs before that gate.
-Confirm	Common parameter	Not enabled	Prompt separately before exporting each destination that is not already complete.

Examples

Export every verified architecture

Update-OSDeployCoreRE

Export AMD64 content only

Update-OSDeployCoreRE -Architecture 'amd64'

Preview exports

Update-OSDeployCoreRE -WhatIf

The preview can still initialize and migrate Core paths, verify ESD hashes, apply architecture filters, and report existing destinations.

Export Process

For each verified ESD, the command:

1. Reads the build and architecture from the ESD filename.
2. Applies ShouldProcess to the destination.
3. Expands ESD index 1 as Windows Setup media.
4. Exports ESD indexes 2 and 3 as WinPE and Windows Setup images in boot.wim.
5. Selects the first Enterprise non-N image by image name and exports it as install.wim.
6. Mounts install.wim read-only to extract WinRE, boot files, registry hives, selected system files, and Ethernet and Wi-Fi drivers.
7. Writes metadata and creates the Windows OS and Windows RE cache layouts.

The selected install image is determined by image name, not a fixed ESD index.

Created Content

Supporting Windows OS content is written under:

%ProgramData%\OSDeployCore\cache\windows-os\<destination-name>\

The matching Windows RE content is written under:

%ProgramData%\OSDeployCore\cache\windows-re\<destination-name>\

Microsoft inbox network drivers are staged by architecture under:

%ProgramData%\OSDeployCore\boot-assets\winpedrivers-amd64\
%ProgramData%\OSDeployCore\boot-assets\winpedrivers-arm64\

The destination name combines the Windows build, architecture, edition, and language, such as 26200.8653-amd64-enterprise-en-us.

Image servicing can take several minutes and requires substantial free space. The operation is not transactional: a DISM, mount, export, or copy failure can leave partial content for troubleshooting or cleanup.

Existing Content

An ESD is treated as complete only when both its matching windows-os and windows-re destination directories exist. Complete exports are skipped without validating their contents and return no object. When only one destination exists, the command processes the ESD again to complete the pair.

WhatIf and Confirmation

ShouldProcess evaluates each destination after ESD verification and duplicate detection. -WhatIf suppresses expansion, export, mount, and copy operations, but earlier Core initialization and cache inspection still occur. -Confirm prompts once for each destination that requires processing.

Output

The command returns one System.IO.DirectoryInfo object for the supporting Windows OS destination created by each completed Windows RE export. Duplicate, declined, or skipped exports return no object.

$WindowsOS = Update-OSDeployCoreRE -Architecture 'amd64'
$WindowsOS | Select-Object Name, FullName

Continue with Build-OSDeployBoot, or see the Update-OSDeployCoreRE command reference for compact syntax.