If you are using the USB tool , you may see a "WimBoot" option when selecting a Windows 11 ISO [17, 34].
Compact OS to achieve similar storage savings. Below is a paper outlining the transition from the legacy WIMBoot method to modern Windows 11 deployment techniques. Modern Deployment: From WIMBoot to Windows 11 Compact OS 1. Abstract This paper explores the evolution of file-based Windows booting, specifically the transition from the Windows Image File Boot (WIMBoot) architecture of the Windows 8.1 era to the Compact OS mechanisms used in Windows 11. It details why WIMBoot was phased out and how IT administrators now leverage the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool to optimize storage on modern devices. 2. Introduction to WIMBoot WIMBoot was designed for devices with limited storage (such as 16GB or 32GB tablets). Instead of extracting all system files to the drive, the OS stayed compressed within an wimboot windows 11
You usually do not load install.wim into wimboot (RAM). The Windows Setup environment ( boot.wim ) will map a network drive to find the install.wim later. If you are using the USB tool ,
Then manually fix bootloader — but again, Windows 11 will likely crash or fail to start. Modern Deployment: From WIMBoot to Windows 11 Compact OS 1