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To create rescue media:

  1. Insert your blank CD, DVD or USB stick.

  2. From the Backup tab of the task pane, below Other Tasks, click Create bootable Rescue media.



  3. Accept the default Windows PE environment selected by Macrium Reflect.

    Click 'Change PE Version' to use a different version of Windows PE for your rescue media:

    You can change the version of Windows PE by choosing from the options in this dialog

    What version of Windows PE should I choose?

    You should choose a version of Windows PE that can access your System drive and also your backup location. The default option selects the Windows PE version that is the best match for your Windows operating system. 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 versionDescription
    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. USB 3.0 support is not included.

    Note: Some very early Windows XP systems may not meet the minimum requirements to boot Windows PE.

    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 5.0

    Based on Windows 8.1. Supports UEFI / secure boot, USB 3.0 and HyperV Generation 2 virtual machines.

    This is a good choice for Windows 8/8.1 or Windows Server 2012 systems. You may also consider this for older systems requiring default USB3 support. 

    Note: The Windows PE 5.0 download option is not available if you are running Windows XP or Server 2003.
    Windows PE 10.0

    Based on Windows 10. Supports UEFI / secure boot, USB 3.0, HyperV Gen 2 VMs and Windows overlay file systems.

    This is the best choice for Win 8, 8.1, 10, Server 2012, 2012R2 systems. Windows PE 10 is a requirement if your system uses Windows 8.1 WIMBoot technology or if your system is a Windows 10 'Compact Install'. Both of these installation types are rare but may be used on Windows Tablet PCs with limited disk space.

    Note: The Windows PE 10.0 download option is not available if you are running Windows XP, Vista or Server 2003/2008




  4. Click Next and add device drivers if required.

    Note: You can find driver install packages in several places. Most manufacturers create a driver folder on the hard drive of a new PC, often named after the manufacturer. If this is not present, you can download drivers from the device or PC vendor's website. For older PCs, manufacturers of devices and motherboards included driver CDs in the packaging, however, these may not be the latest.
    For more information see Adding device driver software to Windows PE.

    This dialog enables you to add drivers for any Network and Disk controllers that are unsupported in Windows PE.
    Unsupported devices will be indicated with a warning icon. Click the 'Update Driver' button to locate driver files.

  5. Click Next to prepare and build the Windows PE image

    OptionDescription
    PE ArchitectureEither 32 bit or 64 Bit. The default option is selected to match the architecture of the host Windows OS.
    Include optional componentsSelect this option to add BitLocker Encryption and iSCSI support to the rescue media. Please note that adding these components may several minutes to the creation process.
    See Adding iSCSI support to Windows PE for more information on using iSCSI in Windows PE
    See Adding BitLocker support to Windows PE for more information on using Windows PE to access BitLocker encrypted drives.
    Default base WIMUse the standard Microsoft Windows PE base installation. Macrium Reflect executables will be added to this to crate the rescue media,
    Custom Base WIMUse your own customized WIM for the rescue media. This is an advanced topic not covered in this help.

    Click Next to begin the WIM build process. If necessary, files will automatically be downloaded from Microsoft to complete the build process.

    A detailed log of the build process is saved to: 'C:\ProgramData\Macrium\waik\waiklog.txt'



  6. Once complete you can choose where to burn the media

    To save the rescue media to an .ISO image file for burning with any burning software. Click the dropdown list of burners and select 'Create an ISO image file':




  7. Click Finish.

  8. To complete the process, boot from your Rescue media to ensure it works correctly.

    After Windows PE loads, Macrium Reflect runs. The Windows PE user interface for Macrium Reflect is identical to that of the main application and offers the same core functions.

  9. If you are using USB media, you can make the Macrium Rescue Environment compatible with multiple computers:
    1. Use the Rescue media wizard to create a bootable USB rescue device on one computer.
    2.  Repeat the process with each other computer in turn using the same USB device. 

Once I have created rescue media, will it work on all my computers?

If the hardware for all your computers is supported by the default Windows PE driver set, then the answer is a simple yes. You can confirm this on the Rescue Media Wizard drivers page. If all the drivers listed have the status Device support in WinPE or Compatible device support in WinPE for each of your machines then you only need one rescue media.

If any of your machines require extra drivers, then you have three options:

  • Create one piece of rescue media for each machine.
  • Invoke the Create Rescue Media Wizard on each of your machines.

    1. Locate all the necessary drivers and progress to the Rescue Media Burn page before canceling.

    2. Copy the contents of folder 'C:\boot\macrium\drivers' from each machine to one machine.

    3. Burn a Rescue CD on that machine.

  • Using the Rescue media wizard, create a bootable USB stick, inserting the same device on each machine in turn.

Note: Options 2 and 3 only work if all your machines are configured to use the same version of PE with the same architecture (i.e. they are all 32-bit or all 64-bit).

If my rescue media refuses to boot, what should I do?

Check whether you changed your BIOS settings to boot from CD/USB before your hard drive. Accessing the BIOS varies from PC to PC but you generally see a brief message that tells you how to do this as the PC is starting:

  1. Power on your PC from a full shutdown (not hibernate) and watch the screen carefully

  2. Look for a line of text that says something like, Hit Del to enter setup or Press F2 for BIOS settings. If you do not see a message, check the user guide for instructions.

  3. Once you've found the correct key (generally, Del, or one of the function keys such as F2, F10, F11 or some other key such as ESC), press it repeatedly until you see a BIOS setup screen.

  4. When you've changed the BIOS settings correctly, your PC should load Windows PE quickly. 

There are many Internet articles about setting your BIOS to boot from CD/DVD or USB (USB is often called removable device, USB-HDD, USB zip disk or something similar): You can find pictures of BIOS setup screens on a number of websites if you do not have your motherboard manual.

Note: Some old PCs may not be able to boot from USB only CD or DVD.

 

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