Create Windows PE or Linux Bootable Media Easily

Updated on Jun 21, 2024 | by Kersten

How to create bootable Media:

1. Insert a blank CD-R/-RW, DVD-R/-RW disc or plug in an empty USB stick into your computer, making sure it is ready for the Qiling Disk Master Standard to create the bootable media. This will be used as the rescue media for emergency use.

2. Start Qiling Disk Master, click Tools, select Create Bootable Media.

Tips:

• You can also click the "Add Driver" button to add the "inf" files of that driver you need on your computer. This allows you to manually install drivers for your system, which can be useful for specific hardware or software requirements.
• Qiling Disk Master may not be able to create bootable media on a GPT (GUID Partition Table) type USB stick or external hard drive/SSD. This is because Qiling Disk Master is designed to work with MBR (Master Boot Record) type disks, which are the standard for older systems.
• The created bootable media supports both UEFI and Legacy BIOS boot modes. But Bootable disks made by 32-bit systems only support the traditional legacy boot mode. If you need to support UEFI boot mode, please first tick the "Download Windows Creating Environment from internet"option and then recreate the bootable disk.

Notes:

1. For older computers that may not support booting from a USB stick, creating a disc is a viable alternative. To ensure maximum flexibility, it is recommended to create both a USB stick and a disc. This way, you can cater to different hardware configurations and ensure that you have a bootable media option for all scenarios. Learn More: How to create a bootable USB drive.

2. After successfully creating the bootable media, you'll need to use it in case your current system fails to boot up. This can happen due to various reasons such as a corrupted operating system, a failed hard drive, or a virus attack. In such situations, the bootable media serves as a rescue tool, allowing you to boot up your system and access the necessary tools to troubleshoot and fix the issue.

3. When you use the bootable media to start the computer up, you have two primary options. On one hand, you can use it to back up the important data from the computer.

4. Qiling Disk Master is a comprehensive and robust system image creation and recovery software. Beyond its primary function of creating and restoring system images, it offers a range of additional features. These include backing up and restoring individual files or folders, partitions, and entire hard drives.

How to boot the crashed computer up using the bootable media

1. Insert the bootable media (CD, DVD, or USB stick) into the computer, turn the computer on and press the required key for your system to enter the BIOS/UEFI. NOTE: different computers use different keys to achieve this. Typically, it will either be the Del key or the F2 key. Press this key repeatedly immediately after power-up until you see the BIOS/UEFI screen.

2. Once in the BIOS/UEFI, locate the Boot menu and look for the "Boot Sequence" or something similarly named. Within this section, alter the boot priority/sequence to ensure the inserted CD/DVD or USB stick is at the top of the list. Save the changes (usually by pressing the F10 key and confirming) and the computer will automatically restart and will boot from the inserted bootable media.

If you haven't got a bootable media when accidents happen, don't worry, you can create one immediately on another healthy computer, no matter the type of PC, just as long as it has Qiling Disk Master installed on it (The free version is sufficient).

FAQs:

Q: You received the message: “Failed to create the bootable USB device...” when you clicking "Tools" -> "Create Bootable Media" to create the bootable media.

A: In the "Select Bootable Media" dialog box, choose "Export ISO File" instead of "Burn To CD/DVD" or "USB Boot Device" to create an ampe.iso file, and then burn the ISO file to USB, CD, or DVD via third-party burning tools.

Q: When selecting to create a WinPE bootable CD, a window "Detects that there is not any writable disc, please insert a writable disc. Click "yes" to continue, or "no"." prompts up.

A: Please just create a WinPE ISO with Qiling Disk Master and then manually burn the ISO to the CD with a third-party burning program. Please check the instructions here.

Q: The creation of a bootable CD process is stuck at 99%.

A: We advise you to create a WinPE ISO (Third option: Export ISO File), then burn it to your CD manually via the third-party burning tool (Such as Ultraiso, Rufus, ISOtoUSB, and so on ).

If you're experiencing issues with creating a bootable CD using Qiling Disk Master, you can consider an alternative option: creating a WinPE bootable USB drive.

Q: The program exits abnormally during the creation of bootable media.

A: If you're experiencing issues with creating a bootable CD using Qiling Disk Master, you can try a different approach.

Conclusion:

If you're facing issues with your computer not booting, creating a bootable disk can be a lifesaver. Here's a solution to help you create a bootable disk using Qiling Disk Master.