I have Paragon Hard Disk Manager Basic 16.5, which allows me to create rescue media. Currently, I am creating a rescue USB from a laptop that runs Windows 10. During the creation process, I was prompted to provide the location of the ADK, which I directed to C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10.
After installing the WinPE addon, I created the ISO and used Rufus to write it. However, the contents of the ISO appear to be intended for UEFI systems as there is an EFI directory on the USB. Unfortunately, the laptop I am using only has one mode, which is legacy, and its firmware setup does not support UEFI.
There is no option to switch between legacy and UEFI mode. While an early version of WinPE may work for a motherboard firmware that is running in legacy mode, I am unsure how to create rescue media using an early WinPE version.
2 Answers
Introduction
Creating a bootable USB is essential in troubleshooting and fixing issues with your computer. However, not all computers support UEFI boot mode, which can be a problem when creating a rescue USB. In this blog post, we will discuss how to create a legacy bootable USB with Paragon’s partition program.
Creating a Rescue Media
Paragon Hard Disk Manager Basic 16.5 allows you to create a rescue media that can be used to troubleshoot and fix issues with your computer. To create a rescue media, follow the steps below:
1. Open Paragon Hard Disk Manager Basic 16.5 and click on “Rescue Media Builder” on the left-hand side of the screen.
2. Select “USB Flash Drive” as the media type and click “Next.”
3. Select the USB flash drive you want to use and click “Next.”
4. Choose the components you want to include in the rescue media and click “Next.”
5. Select the location of the ADK. By default, it should be located at C:Program Files (x86)Windows Kits10.0.
6. Install the WinPE addon by clicking “Download” and following the prompts.
7. Once the WinPE addon is installed, click “Create ISO” to create an ISO file of the rescue media.
Creating a Legacy Bootable USB
To create a legacy bootable USB, follow the steps below:
1. Download Rufus, a free and open-source tool for creating bootable USBs.
2. Insert the USB flash drive you want to use into your computer.
3. Open Rufus and select the USB flash drive you want to use.
4. Under “Boot selection,” click “Select” and choose the ISO file you created earlier.
5. Under “Partition scheme,” select “MBR.”
6. Under “File system,” select “FAT32.”
7. Click “Start” to begin creating the legacy bootable USB.
Using the Legacy Bootable USB
Once you have created the legacy bootable USB, you can use it to troubleshoot and fix issues with your computer. To use the legacy bootable USB, follow the steps below:
1. Insert the legacy bootable USB into the computer you want to troubleshoot.
2. Restart the computer and enter the BIOS setup by pressing the appropriate key (usually F2 or Del).
3. In the BIOS setup, navigate to the “Boot” tab.
4. Change the boot order so that the USB drive is the first boot device.
5. Save the changes and exit the BIOS setup.
6. The computer should now boot from the legacy bootable USB.
Creating Rescue Media Using an Early WinPE Version
If you are unsure how to create rescue media using an early WinPE version, follow the steps below:
1. Download an early version of the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) that includes WinPE.
2. Install the ADK and select “Deployment Tools” and “Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)” as the features to install.
3. Open the Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment as an administrator.
4. Create a working directory by typing “mkdir C:WinPE_amd64” and pressing Enter.
5. Copy the Boot.wim file from the ADK installation directory to the working directory by typing “copy “C:Program Files (x86)Windows Kits10Assessment and Deployment KitWindows Preinstallation Environmentamd64en-uswinpe.wim” C:WinPE_amd64ISOsourcesboot.wim” and pressing Enter.
6. Mount the Boot.wim file by typing “Dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:C:WinPE_amd64ISOsourcesboot.wim /index:1 /MountDir:C:WinPE_amd64mount” and pressing Enter.
7. Add Paragon Hard Disk Manager Basic 16.5 to the WinPE image by typing “Dism /Add-Package /PackagePath:”C:Program Files (x86)Paragon SoftwareHard Disk Manager 16 BasicWinPE AddonWinPE-Addon-PHM16.5-x64.cab” /Image:C:WinPE_amd64mount” and pressing Enter.
8. Unmount the Boot.wim file by typing “Dism /Unmount-Image /MountDir:C:WinPE_amd64mount /commit” and pressing Enter.
9. Use a tool like Rufus to create a bootable USB using the Boot.wim file you modified.
Conclusion
Creating a legacy bootable USB with Paragon’s partition program is essential when troubleshooting and fixing issues with computers that only support legacy boot mode. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can create a legacy bootable USB and use it to troubleshoot and fix issues with your computer.
To create a legacy bootable USB with Paragon Hard Disk Manager Basic 16.5, you will need to create a bootable USB using the “Legacy Boot” option in the program.
- Start Paragon Hard Disk Manager Basic 16.5 and select the “Rescue Media” option from the main menu.
- Click the “Create Bootable Media” button.
- Select the “Legacy Boot” option and click “Next”.
- Follow the prompts to select the location to save the bootable USB and the USB drive to use.
- Once the bootable USB is created, you can boot from it on your laptop by setting the boot order in the motherboard firmware setup to boot from USB first.
If you are unable to create a legacy bootable USB using the “Legacy Boot” option in Paragon Hard Disk Manager Basic 16.5, you may need to use a different tool to create a bootable USB with a legacy boot option. One option you could try is the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, which allows you to create a bootable USB with a Windows 7 installation image. Alternatively, you could use a Linux live USB creation tool such as UNetbootin or Rufus to create a bootable USB with a Linux distribution that is compatible with legacy boot.
To summarize, in order to create a legacy bootable USB using Paragon Hard Disk Manager Basic 16.5, you will need to use the “Legacy Boot” option in the program to create the bootable USB. Once the bootable USB is created, you can boot from it on your laptop by setting the boot order in the motherboard firmware setup to boot from USB first. If you are unable to create a legacy bootable USB using the “Legacy Boot” option in Paragon Hard Disk Manager Basic 16.5, you may need to use a different tool to create a bootable USB with a legacy boot option. Options you could try include the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool or a Linux live USB creation tool such as UNetbootin or Rufus.