Image Explorer (imgexp.exe)

Use the Image Explorer utility at a Windows workstation to view or modify workstation images, create add-on images, compress image files, and split images.

Imgexp.exe is located in the sys:\public\zenworks\imaging folder in your Desktop Management installation (on the Imaging server).

To start the Image Explorer as a standalone utility (from Windows), double-click the imgexp.exe file. There are no command line parameters.

To start the utility from ConsoleOne® from the server, click Tools > ZENworks Utilities > Imaging > Image Explorer.

IMPORTANT:  Do not exclude BPB files from a base image or the workstation won't be able to boot the new operating system after receiving the image.

Non-Windows partitions, such as NetWare® partitions, are visible when you open an image, but their contents are not.

To use Image Explorer to open images larger than 4 GB that are stored on a NetWare server, the workstation must be running the Novell ClientTM 4.9 or newer and the NetWare server must be running NetWare 5 or newer with Novell Storage Services® (NSS) installed.

Although the ZENworks Imaging Explorer looks, and in most situations, functions like the Microsoft Windows Explorer, the two programs are different and some functionality differences exist. The following list describes key differences between how the ZENworks Image Explorer and Microsoft Windows Explorer function:

The following sections describe the tasks that you can perform using the Image Explorer:


Opening Image Explorer (Imgexp.exe)

  1. To start the Image Explorer as a Windows standalone utility, double-click the imgexp.exe file (located in the zenworks\imaging folder on the Imaging server).

    or

    To start the utility from ConsoleOne if you are running it from the server, click Tools > ZENworks Utilities > Imaging > Image Explorer.


Opening an Image

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Click Open button. on the toolbar, browse for the image (.zmg) file, then click Open.

    Large image files might take a few moments to open.


Adding a File or Folder to an Open Image

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. In the left pane, browse to the partition or folder where you want to add the file or folder.

  3. Click Add File button. or Add Directory button. on the toolbar, browse to the file or folder, then click Add or OK.


Creating a Folder in an Open Image

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. In the left pane, browse to the partition or folder where you want to create the folder, click Create Directory button., type the name of the folder, then click OK.


Adding Specific Windows Registry Settings That Are to Be Applied After the Open Image is Laid Down

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Select a partition in the left pane, click Image, then click Add Registry File.

  3. Select the registry (.reg) file that contains the settings, then click Add.

The registry file is added to a fixed, known area of the partition and is applied when the workstation reboots after receiving the image.


Excluding a File or Folder from the Open Image

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Select the file or folder, click Edit, click File Sets, then select the filesets (variants of the image) that you want the file or folder to be excluded from.

    This image has 10 possible variants, labeled Set 1, Set 2, and so on. The files and/or folders that you selected in the main window will be excluded only from the variants that you select in this dialog box.


Marking a File or Folder for Deletion in the Open Image

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Select the file or folder, click Image, then click Delete.

NOTE:  Deleting a file in the Image Explorer merely marks it for deletion, it can still be retrieved. A deleted file is not purged from the image, but it is not added to the restored image.


Purging Files and Folders Marked for Deletion from the Open Image

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Ensure that the open image has been saved, click File, then click Purge Deleted Files.

  3. Browse to the image filename or specify a new image filename, then click Save


Extracting a File or Directory from the Open Image to a Folder

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Click the file or directory, click the File menu, click Extract, click As Files, browse to and select a folder, then click OK.


Extracting a File or Directory from the Open Image as an Add-On Image

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Click the file or directory, click Extract, click As Add-on Image, type the name of the new add-on image, then click OK.


Viewing a File from the Open Image in its Associated Application

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Click the file, click the File menu, then click Extract and View.


Saving Your Changes to the Open Image

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Click Save button. on the toolbar.


Creating a Workstation Add-On Image

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Click New button. on the toolbar, open Windows Explorer, browse to the files and folders you want the add-on image to contain, drag the files and folders into the right pane from Windows Explorer, then click Save.


Adding a Partition to a New Add-On Image

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Click New button. on the toolbar, click the root of the image, click Image, then click Create Partition.

    You cannot add a partition to an existing add-on image or to any base image.


Compressing a Workstation Image

You can set compression options so that it takes less time to restore the image file and less space to store the file on your Imaging server. You can compress an uncompressed image (including images created by previous versions of ZENworks Desktop Management) by 40 to 60 percent of the original file size.

The ZENworks Desktop Management Image Explorer provides the following types of image compression:


Compressing an Open Image

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Click File > Compress Image.

  3. Browse to a folder, specify a new image filename, then select a compression option:

    • Optimize for Speed: Takes the least amount of time to compress but creates the largest compressed image file.

    • Balanced (Recommended): Represents a compromise between compression time and image file size. This option is used by default when an image is created.

    • Optimize for Space: Creates the smallest image file but takes longer to compress.

  4. Click Compress.

    Files marked for deletion in the image will be removed during the compression operation.


Compressing Any Image without Waiting for the File to Fully Load into Image Explorer

You can set compression options to quickly compress an image file without waiting for the file to fully load into Image Explorer.

To use QuickCompress:

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Click Tools > click QuickCompress.

  3. Browse to the image file, browse to a folder, specify a new image filename, select a compression option:

    • Optimize for Speed: Takes the least amount of time to compress but creates the largest compressed image file.

    • Balanced (Recommended): Represents a compromise between compression time and image file size. This option is used by default when an image is created.

    • Optimize for Space: Creates the smallest image file but will take longer to compress.

  4. Click Compress.

    If you have used Delete to hide files in the image, they are removed from the image during compression.


Splitting a Workstation Image

You can split an image file into separate files so that you can span the entire image across several CDs or DVDs.

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Click Tools > Image Split.

  3. Specify an existing base image file to split, specify the directory in which to store the split images, specify the maximum file size of each split-image file.

    Because images are split by placing individual files into different images, an image cannot be split if it contains any single file that is larger than the specified maximum file size.

  4. Click Split.

When you split a workstation image and span it across several CDs or DVDs, you are essentially creating a base image on the first CD or DVD. The remaining CDs or DVDs are add-on images.

To restore a workstation image that has been spanned across several CDs or DVDs you should restore the first CD or DVD before restoring the remaining CDs or DVDs containing the add-on images. For more information, see Manually Putting an Image on a Workstation.

NOTE:  Restoring Split Images is a manual task and can only be automated by scripted imaging.


Resizing a Partition in an Image

For workstation (base) images, you can edit the value in the Original Size text box to allow you to change how big the imaging engine will make the partition when the image is restored.

For example, suppose you create a workstation (base) image of a workstation with a 20 GB hard drive and you want to then put that image on a new workstation with a 60 GB hard drive. If you do not increase the size of the partition, the partition will be 20 GB, thus making the remaining 40 GB unusable.

However, if you increase the number in the Original Size text box to match the size of the new hard drive, the imaging engine will expand the partition when the image is restored so that you will be able to use the entire drive.

To resize a partition:

  1. Open Image Explorer (imgexp.exe).

  2. Right-click a partition in the left frame, then click Properties.

  3. Increase or decrease the value in the Original Size text box.

    You cannot decrease the number in the Original Size text box to a smaller value that what is in the Minimum Size text box.

NOTE:  The Original Size field is not applicable for add-on images and cannot be modified.