Windows SIM is failing to open a .wim with a System.BadImageFormatException

Question

I'm trying to validate my Answer file using Windows System Image Manager. To do this, I need to open the Install.wim off of the .iso provided by my vendor, however when I try to open both the x64 and x86 versions of the install.wim, I get the same error. I've included the error dialog and the text from the log file below.

Windows System Image Manager

---

Windows SIM was unable to generate a catalog.  For troubleshooting assistance, see the topic: 'Windows System Image Manager Technical Reference' in the Windows ADK User's Guide.

Details: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformImplementation, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35' or one of its dependencies.  An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format.

^{[Click to see an image of Windows System Image Manager Error Dialog]}

14:40 : 
14:40 : Windows SIM was unable to generate a catalog. For troubleshooting assistance, see the topic: 'Windows System Image Manager Technical Reference' in the Windows ADK User's Guide.
14:40 : 
14:40 : System.BadImageFormatException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformImplementation, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35' or one of its dependencies. An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format.
File name: 'Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformImplementation, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'

Server stack trace: 
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformInterface.Cpi.CreateOfflineImageInstance(OfflineImageInfo imageInfo)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformInterface.OfflineImageCatalog.Serialize(OfflineImageInfo imageInfo)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformInterface.OfflineImageInfo.CreateCatalog()
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformInterface.CatalogCreatorImpl.CreateCatalog(OfflineImageInfo offlineImageInfo)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink._PrivateProcessMessage(IntPtr md, Object[] args, Object server, Object[]& outArgs)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg)

Exception rethrown at [0]: 
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.ComponentPlatformInterface.ICatalogCreator.CreateCatalog(OfflineImageInfo offlineImageInfo)
   at Microsoft.ComponentStudio.CatalogGenerator.CreateCat(ProgressDialog pd, Object o)

WRN: Assembly binding logging is turned OFF.
To enable assembly bind failure logging, set the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog] (DWORD) to 1.
Note: There is some performance penalty associated with assembly bind failure logging.
To turn this feature off, remove the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog].

Can anyone help me figure this out?

Solution

I might have just hit this error.

I was still on Windows 10 1809, but installed the Windows 10 1903 ADK.

Once I removed the 1903 ADK then installed 1809's ADK, install.wim was successfully cataloged.

Comments

[JW0914]

An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format. This is indicative of a problem with the WIM file. Are you certain it was a WIM file and not an ESD file? If it was the latter, convert it to WIM with DISM. Otherwise, verify the images contained within the WIM: DISM /get-wiminfo /wimfile:z:\install.wim (for index info, add /index:<#>). Outside of that, I'm not sure how to troubleshoot, as it's an issue with the image, other than using a different image if unable to determine what the issue is with the image.

[Catachan]

The extension on the install.wim is ".wim" can an esd file have a .wim extension? I've also already used the install.wim to install a base image on a device, and it is working there.

[JW0914]

No, an ESD file is a different image format that utilizes a compression algorithm that's ~33% more efficient than WIM's (ESD from Windows 10 forward is only allowed on WIMboot and one other type of image). IIRC from when I had a similar issue a few years back, the install.wim is missing a file from it's Windows directory. This was a common issue with most of the Windows 8 & 8.1 images, but I can't recall what file it was that needed to be added.

[Catachan]

Any chance you remember how you figured out the missing file? I can go off on the google hunt myself, but if you have any suggestions for search starting points, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[JW0914]

I'm sorry, I don't... I looked through my bookmarks before posting my previous reply, as I was hoping I had bookmarked it, but it appears I either did not, or I deleted it once I upgraded to Windows 10 years ago.

[Catachan]

That's okay, I appreciate the clue!

[Daniel B]

BadImageFormatException actually is totally unrelated to the WIM file. The “image” refers to a DLL the application is trying to load. It means the installation of SIM or Windows itself is somehow corrupted.

[trindflo]

Also found I needed to install the ADK on a 32-bit version of Windows 10 if I want to configure a 32-bit target installation.