...
The 'Advanced' button opens options to change PE version and choose additional features for the rescue media build.
What version of Windows PE should I choose?
...
| OS | Default Rescue Environment |
|---|---|
| Windows XP/Server 2003 | Windows PE 3.1 |
| Windows 7/Server 2008 | Windows RE if available otherwise Windows PE 3.1 |
| Windows 8.0/8.1/Server 2012/R2 | Windows RE if available otherwise Windows PE 5 |
| Windows 10/Server 2016./17 | Windows RE if available otherwise Windows PE 10 |
| Windows 11 | Windows RE if available otherwise Windows PE 11 |
You should ensure that your rescue media can access your System drive and also your backup location. The default option selects Windows RE if available. If Windows RE is not supported or cannot be located then the Windows PE version is selected that is the best match for your Windows operating system (see table above). This enables the rescue media wizard to automatically copy any required drivers for Network, USB or SATA controllers. However, versions of Windows PE that are more recent than your Windows OS may already contain compatible drivers and also offer additional support for USB 3.0.
...
| PE version | Description | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows RE | This is the default choice for Windows 7 and above. Windows RE is pre installed with Windows. If available, this option is best suited for your computer, includes WiFi support if built with Windows 10 and requires no further component downloads.
| ||||
| Windows PE 11.0 | Based on Windows 11. Supports UEFI / secure boot, USB 3.0, Hyper-V Gen 2 VMs and Windows overlay file systems. This is a good choice for Windows 11 systems if Windows RE is unavailable.
| ||||
| Windows PE 10.0 | Based on Windows 10. Supports UEFI / secure boot, USB 3.0, Hyper-V Gen 2 VMs and Windows overlay file systems. This is a good choice for Win 8, 8.1, 10, Server 2012, 2012R2 systems if Windows RE is unavailable. Windows PE 10 supports Windows 8.1 WIMBoot technology and Windows 10 'Compact Install'. Both of these installation types are rare but may be used on Windows Tablet PCs with limited disk space.
| ||||
| Windows PE 5.0 | Based on Windows 8.1. Supports UEFI / secure boot, USB 3.0 and Hyper-V Generation 2 virtual machines. This is a good choice for Windows 8/8.1 or Windows Server 2012 systems if Windows RE is unavailable. You may also consider this for older systems requiring default USB3.0 support.
| ||||
| Windows PE 4.0 | Based on Windows 8. Similar to Windows PE 5.0, but based on the Windows 8.0 kernel. This is a legacy option that is provided if you have used previous versions of Macrium Reflect before PE 5.0 was included. Includes support for USB 3.0. We recommend that you use PE 5.0/10 unless your require PE 5.0 features on Windows XP or Server 2003. | ||||
| Windows PE 3.1 | Based on Windows 7. This is the best option for Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Server 2003, Server 2008, 2008R2 operating systems if Windows RE is unavailable.
|
...