How to Create Qiling Bootable USB, CD/DVD, and ISO Image with Qiling Backup

PAGE CONTENT:

Part 1. How to Make a Bootable USB/CD/DVD/ISO with Qiling (3 Ways)
Part 2. Create WinPE Bootable Disk with Windows ADK

Why Need to Create a WinPE Bootable Disc or Qiling Bootable USB

When the operating system can't boot or migrate the system from a backup image to another HDD/SSD, a WinPE bootable disc may be needed. Under the Pre-installation Environment, Qiling Backup can be run without system boot partitions, allowing for system and data recovery from the backup. Qiling Backup supports creating rescue CDs or bootable DVDs using either a Linux-based bootable disk or a WinPE-based bootable disk, but most functions are not available under the Linux-based option, making a WinPE bootable CD the recommended choice.

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Part 1. How to Make a Bootable USB/CD/DVD/ISO with Qiling

The latest version of Qiling Backup has improved compatibility with Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 and UEFI, making it easier to create WinPE bootable media, and also saves time by eliminating the need to download AIK/WAIK.

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In a situation where a computer is unbootable, a rescue disk or emergency disk can be used to boot into the system. This disk, usually created on another working PC, contains a minimal operating system that allows users to access and repair their unbootable computer.

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1 - How to Create Qiling Bootable USB

Qiling Backup provides a bootable disk function based on both Linux and WinPE, allowing you to boot into your PC in case of a system disaster. It can be installed on your computer, and then you can create an emergency bootable USB by following a few simple steps.

Step 1. Prepare a USB drive with enough space which can be written and read. Connect the USB drive to your PC.

Step 2. Open the tool and click "Tools" > "Create bootable media".

Step 3. Select a bootable media type: here we choose USB drive.

To ensure a smooth Qiling backup process in the WinPE environment, it's recommended to add the necessary drivers for your bootable disk, such as disk, RAID, and network card drivers, via the Add Driver option. This helps avoid potential issues with recognizing your hard disk or network drive.

Step 4. Click "Proceed" to create a bootable disk.

To boot from the bootable USB drive, follow these steps:

Connect your USB drive to your computer.
Start your computer and press F2/DEL to enter the BIOS.
To boot from a removable device, select the option for "Removable Devices" and press the "F10" key to save and exit the BIOS settings.

If you're a single user, you can create a bootable USB with the Qiling Backup Home version.

2 - How to Create the Bootable CD/DVD

Creating a bootable CD/DVD is similar to creating a bootable USB, where you replace USB with CD/DVD. To do this, you'll need to set the CD-ROM as the first boot device in your BIOS settings. That's the basic process.

3 - How to Create the Bootable ISO Image with Qiling

Step 1. Launch Qiling Backup, click "Tools" > "Create bootable media".

Step 2. Select "Create ISO", browser the specific location to save ISO files. Click "Proceed".

Step 3. After making the ISO image, burn it to CD/DVD with Nero.

To burn an ISO file using Nero Burning ROM, open the software, go to the "Recorder" menu, select "Burn Image", and then choose the "image.iso" file.
To burn the DVD, select the "Determine maximum speed" and "Write" options in the Burn menu, and then click "Burn > Done".

Part 2. Create WinPE Bootable Disk with Windows ADK

The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) allows you to create a WinPE bootable disk, which can be used to customize Windows images for large-scale deployment and test the quality and performance of systems, components, and applications. To create a bootable USB with ADK, follow the steps outlined in the guide.

Step 1. Download the Windows ADK (Assessment and Deployment Kit). It contains the CopyPE and MakeWinPEMedia command-line utilities.

Step 2. Launch the ADK tool, select the "Install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit-Windows 10 to this computer" and click "Next". On the subsequent page, click "Next" and "Accept" to install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit on your computer.

Step 3. Choose the "Deployment Tools" and "Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)" options and click "Install".

Step 4. Close the installation process when it's finished. Open the Start menu, go to "Windows Kits", right-click "Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment", and select "More" > "Run as administrator".

Step 5. When it runs, execute the command: copype amd64 G:\WinPEx64 (replace G:\ with your drive letter).

Step 6. To create a WinPE ISO file, execute the command: MakeWinPEMedia /ISO G:\WinPEx64 G:\WinPEx64\WPE64.iso. This command creates a WinPE ISO file in the specified location, and upon completion, you can find the ISO file on the G drive or the specified location, indicating a successful creation of the WinPE files.

To make a target disk bootable, you can connect it to a computer running Windows 10 Education/Enterprise/Pro or Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, and use the Windows To Go feature to burn ISO files onto it, making it bootable.

Step 7. Type "Windows To Go" in the search box to launch this tool.

Step 8. The tool will automatically search for all inserted USB drives. Choose the destination USB drive and click "Next" to continue. You can also add a search location to find the Windows installation ISO file and choose the mounted ISO file.

Step 9. On the next window, you can set a BitLocker password to encrypt your Windows To Go workplace.

Conclusion

To create a bootable USB drive for business or personal use, you can download and install Qiling Backup Server or Qiling Backup Home respectively. Alternatively, you can install Windows ADK for a free bootable USB creation tool.

Qiling Bootable USB Frequently Asked Questions

What is a bootable USB drive? A bootable USB drive is a USB drive that contains a bootable operating system, allowing a computer to boot from it instead of its internal hard drive.

Why is my bootable USB not booting?

If the USB isn't booting, you need to ensure it's bootable. This can be achieved by selecting it from the Boot Device list or configuring BIOS/UEFI to prioritize USB booting over the hard disk.

How do I force BIOS to boot from USB?

Press the Power button for your computer.
During the initial startup screen, press any of the function keys (F1, F2, F8, F10, ESC) to access the BIOS settings.
When you choose to enter the BIOS Setup, the setup utility page will appear.
Select the BOOT tab using the arrow keys on your keyboard.
Move the USB drive to be the first in the boot sequence, and press F10 to save and exit.

How do I make an Qiling bootable USB?

To make a bootable USB

Connect your USB to your computer.
Run Qiling Backup, and click Tools > Create Emergency Disk.
To create a WinPE emergency disk, select the "Create WinPE emergency disk" option and then choose to create the rescue media on a USB drive.
Click Proceed to create a bootable USB drive.

Can I burn ISO to USB or DVD?

Yes, you can. To burn an ISO:

Find the location where the ISO file is saved
Right-To change how ISO files are opened on your computer, follow these steps: click on the ISO file, select its Properties, then click on the General tab, and finally, click on the Change button, selecting Windows Explorer as the program to use to open ISO files and applying the changes.
Right-click the ISO file and select Burn disc image.