How to specify the boot drive. Programs for creating a boot disk. Creating an image manually

Most often, the operating system does not boot correctly if the files that start Windows have been corrupted. The reasons for such damage can be different: file loss, damage to the boot sector, viruses, incorrectly working drivers, and others.

Unfortunately, this problem cannot be fixed quickly.

So that this situation does not create problems and malfunctions, we recommend creating and keeping a boot disk in reserve. The fact is that the Windows operating system was designed in such a way that it could start not only from a hard drive, but also from a CD. Moreover, in this case, Windows is not reinstalled, we are talking about loading the system itself.

A bit of theory

The boot disk is an ISO image - an exact copy of the software. That is, the image includes all the contents of the CD / DVD disc.

The program to be used to open, create, edit and extract DVD image files will allow users to convert the extracted content into an ISO image that is an exact reflection of the DVD content.

What is required to create a boot disk?

To create a boot disk, we need:

• blank CD/DVD disc;
• image with Windows XP. This refers to a CD / DVD disc with a recorded Windows XP operating system;
• program for creating and working with images. For example, Nero, DAEMON Tools, Ultraiso. Beta versions of these programs can be downloaded from the developer's official websites (www.nero.com, www.daemon-tools.cc, www.ezbsystems.com/ultraiso).

If you are convinced that you have everything you need in stock, then you can get down to business.

Since the procedures for working with programs for creating images are somewhat different, we will write a step-by-step guide for each of them.

How to create a boot disk with Nero?

Step 1.

To get started, take your Windows XP boot disk and run it using the CD-ROM, launch the Nero program. Based on the type of disc - CD or DVD - start the appropriate project. In the list of project types, find the item "Creating an image". Keep in mind that the name of the project may differ depending on the version of the program. In any case, the project name will contain either the word "image" or the abbreviation ISO.

Tip: use discs with the largest capacity for recording, since the entire array of information may not fit on a standard disc, up to 700 MB.

Step 2

In the list of information sources, you should select an optical drive, the hard drive will be the receiver of information. Click the "Next" button.

Step 3

A copy window will pop up on the screen, followed by a window where you need to select the path to save the image.

Tip: To make the image folder easier to find, we recommend that you save it to your desktop.

Step 4

After clicking the "Save" button, the image creation process will start. At this stage, all you need is patience - wait until the process is completed, and the notification "Burning completed" appears on the screen.

Step 5

Now you can remove the boot disk with Windows XP, and instead insert a blank disk of the same size - CD or DVD.

Step 6

Select the "Burn Image to Disc" project. Again, a window pops up in which you should determine the path to the image created the day before. Now you can start the burning process.

Step 7

Creating a boot disk using DAEMON Tools?

1. To create a new image in the DAEMON Tools application window, select the "Burn image" button (located on the top panel).
2. In the window that appears, select the DVD drive. In the "Write Speed" drop-down list, select the highest value - "4.0". In the Image file path field, specify the path to the Windows XP installation disk image.
3. After completing all the steps, click the "Start" button.
4. It will take some time for DAEMON Tools to burn the image to CD.

How to create a boot disk using Ultraiso?

Step 1.

We launch the Ultraiso program. It is important that this action is performed with administrator rights. To do this, when you click on the program shortcut in the window that appears, select the item "Run as administrator". Next, the program will prompt you to go through the registration procedure. When using the trial version, click on the appropriate "Trial period" button and move on.

Step 2

On the left side of the program, select the "File" tab. This will open Explorer. In it, you should select a file with the extension * .iso, which contains the image of Windows XP.

Step 3

In the main menu of the program, select the "Tools" tab. In the menu that "drops out" at the top, click on the "Burn image" button.

Step 4

Here are the basic methods for creating a Windows XP boot disk. However, we cannot fail to mention another method - the "dos" one. Despite its relative complexity and some obsolescence compared to the previous ones, it also has a right to exist.

How to create a bootable disk using the "dos method"?

• We create a folder on the hard drive in which we will enter all the necessary data. First of all, a file manager adapted for DOS should be added there: Norton Commander, FAR or Volkov Commander.
• In order to make it convenient to launch the file manager (for example, Volkov Commander), we create a bat file. It's very simple: open notepad and type in:

Let's explain a little. The first line is a command to replace the directory with Volkov Commander. The second line is a command to run the file under the name "vc.com".

The notepad file is saved under the name "vc.bat". The presence of a file under this name makes it possible to enable Volkov Commander with a letter combination on the command line: vs. And confirm everything with the Enter key.

• Later, when you use the boot disk, you will need to choose the exact drive letter that matches the CD drive. This is done as follows: on the command line, first write D:, then E:, and so on until the notification “The disk is specified incorrectly” pops up. The latest disc in existence will most likely be your CD drive.

However, this should be checked. To do this, enter the command "dir" in the command line. This command will display all the files and folders contained on the disk. In this simple way, you can make sure that the disk is selected correctly, and continue.

• Next, we will use the Partition Magic program, namely its DOS version. This software product is designed to work with hard drives: formatting, dividing a hard disk into partitions, converting file system types, and much more.
• In the folder where we collect everything necessary for the boot disk, we create an additional directory called "PQ" with the program files. Similarly, with Volkov Commander, we create a launch notepad file with the following content:

We give it the name "xp.bat".

Thus, everything necessary for the boot disk has been created.

• Start the Nero program (or any other imaging program described above). In the menu that opens, select "Create a bootable data disk".
• Click the "Add" button and enter in the window all the folders and files that should be written to the installation disk. Then click the "Next" button.
• At this point, you may be prompted to insert a boot floppy, ignore this prompt and select "Next" again.
• Now directly select the "Record" button.

Create a Windows XP Multiboot Disk

Unlike a boot disk, a multiboot disk can contain not only operating system files, but also other necessary programs. For example, text and image editors, social applications, and so on. At its core, the procedure for creating a multiboot disk is not too different from that described above. The files of all the necessary programs are accumulated in one folder, and then the image is written.

But let's take a closer look.

What do we need

As before, you need:

• program for creating an image;
• Windows XP system files.

In addition, we need the xpboot.bin file, as well as the files of some program.

Guide to creating a multiboot disk.

In conclusion, we note that it is easy to check whether a boot / multi-boot disk is working. To do this, once after burning, return the burned disc back to CD-ROM. If it starts automatically and the “Perform autorun” window appears on the screen, congratulations, you succeeded.

We will also give you one last piece of advice: you may not be able to create a boot disk the first time, so we advise you to rehearse on RW disks.

Instruction

If the application is not yet installed on your computer, then you can download the distribution kit from the official website of the manufacturer. The download will only take a few minutes. The program is paid, but for now, the trial version is enough for you, which has all the necessary functions and will work for 30 days. Run the installation and follow the wizard.

In the main program window, click on the "File" button and select "Open" from the drop-down menu. A dialog box will appear in front of you, on the left side of which you will see all the folders on your hard drive. Select the desired folder. A list of folders in it will appear on the right side. Select a prepared boot disk image from this list. At the bottom of the window, in the line "File name", its name will appear. Click the "Open" button next to it.

A new window will open in which you will see the contents of the selected image. Here you need to make sure that in the information field "Image", located at the top of the window, there is an inscription "Bootable". If it says “Without booting”, then creating a boot disk from which you can start the operating system will not work from this image.

To start burning, click on the "Tools" button and select "Burn CD image" from the menu that appears. The same result can be obtained by clicking the corresponding button on the "Toolbar", or simply using the F7 hot key. The recording settings dialog box will open. Indicate the path to the drive to the program, select the recording speed (in order to avoid errors, it is better to stop at the minimum). From the burning method drop-down menu, select Disc-at-once (DAO) - all at once. Check the "Validate" checkbox. Click "Record".

The Burn Image window will open, allowing you to monitor the burning process. At the end of the process, the disc tray will be opened automatically and a notification about the results of the operation and data verification will appear on the screen. If everything is in order, then you will see a line with the inscription "Verification completed successfully!". Otherwise, the recording will have to be repeated using a different disc.

note

If you want to burn a boot disk image to a DVD-RW, be sure to format the disc before burning. This will prevent the old data from being read along with the new entry.

If the Nero package is also installed on the system, then in order to avoid conflicts between applications, in the UltraIso program settings, on the "Record" tab, you need to uncheck the "Use NeroAPI if possible" item.

Useful advice

Now that the settings have already been made, you can burn boot images without opening the main program window. It is enough to select the desired image and double-click on its icon with the mouse button. UltraIso will open, in which you will see a bootable image ready for recording. All you have to do is insert the disc and click the "Burn" button.

Installing Windows is an inevitable occurrence for every personal computer. The most popular operating system from Microsoft is Windows 7. This version has a simple interface and support for almost all devices and programs.

As a rule, Windows installation occurs either from a DVD disc or from a USB flash drive. The flash drive provides the ability to install on computers that do not have a DVD drive. But if the user formats the flash drive sooner or later, then the DVD disc will most likely always be stored, allowing you to reinstall the operating system at any time.

What is a boot disk

The boot disk is the media that contains the boot files of the operating system. Simply put, this is a disk or USB drive with a Windows installer. A boot disk allows you to install an OS without having an operating system on the hard disk itself. That is, even in the most critical situations, you can reinstall your Windows.

What you need to create a boot disk

To create a boot disk you will need:

• Windows image. For ease of recording, it is recommended to download images of the operating system in ISO format. At the moment, there are a huge number of different assemblies of Windows 7. It is strongly recommended to download images as close as possible to a licensed copy of Windows. This option provides the highest stability of the operating system. You can download the Windows image from numerous torrent trackers.
• DVD disc. Both DVD-R and DVD-RW can be used.
• image recording software. At the moment, there are many different programs that provide the ability to burn Windows 7 images to discs, as well as flash drives. Among the programs there are applications, both provided directly by Microsoft and third-party developers.

Disc burning methods

The methods for writing boot images to disk differ only in the program that is used. The principle of action in most programs remains the same: the program writes files, creating a boot file that will allow you to start installing Windows even without an operating system on the computer.

Video: How to make a Windows 7 installation boot disk

Burning the ISO Image to DVD

There are many programs that can be used to burn a boot disk, we will look at just a few of them. How to create a windows 7 boot disk using Nero? How to create from ISO image in Nero?

To burn a disc, you must perform the following operations:

How to create a boot disk using Ultraiso for windows 7?

To create a Windows 7 boot disk using the UltraISO program, you must perform the following operations:

• insert an empty DVD disc into the drive;
• open the UltraISO application;
• select "File" and click on "Open";
• specify the location of the ISO image;
• select the "Tools" tab and open the "Burn CD image" menu;
• in the menu that opens, select your DVD-RW drive, set the minimum value for the speed at which the disc will be written;
• to start burning the disc, you need to click the "Burn" button.

  

Creating a disc by copying

In addition to writing the installation files of the operating system to disk, the user also has the ability to create backup copies of the current operating system with the possibility of further recovery. It is recommended that you perform a backup immediately after installing Windows and all drivers. There are many programs for creating backups, one of the most popular is Acronis.

How to create a windows 7 boot disk using Acronis?

Acronis can create backup copies of your current operating system for later restoration. In order to restore a backup, you must also create an Acronis boot disk that will boot without the Windows operating system in case your system stops booting. You can save a backup copy of your system both on your hard drive and on a flash drive.

Creating an Acronis Boot Disk




Create a backup

To create a backup copy of your disk from the current operating system for further recovery, you must perform the following steps:




Restoring Windows from a Backup

Restoring from a previously created backup of your disk from the operating system can be performed in two ways: from the Windows environment or from the bootable media that you created in the previous paragraph. Recovery from bootable media is performed if your operating system does not boot.

To restore a copy of a hard disk partition from a computer (from Windows), do the following:

• open Acronis True Image;
• select the "My backups" section;
• click on the "Restore" button next to your copy;
• in the next window, select what you are going to restore;
• Click "Restore Now" to start execution. After the reboot, the recovery process will begin.

To restore a copy of a hard disk partition from bootable media, do the following:




How to Create a Windows 7 Boot Disk Using Daemon Tools

To create a boot disk using Daemon Tools, do the following:




Create an installation disk through alternative programs

In addition to the suggested programs, there is also an official application for burning Windows 7 setup files from Microsoft - Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool.

DTo create a boot disk using this program, you must:




At the moment, there are many different programs that allow you to create a bootable disk or a bootable USB flash drive for Windows 7. Using these instructions, you can create several different options for bootable media with operating system installation files.

The most important point is the choice of the operating system image itself. We strongly recommend that you do not download various builds that include a set of programs. Windows copies as close as possible to the licensed version will provide the highest level of stability during operation.

The need to install or reinstall the operating system on a computer can arise at any time. In this case, having a bootable USB flash drive or disk on hand will help a lot. The site already has an article on how to create a bootable USB flash drive. But keep in mind that you may need to reformat it to write other data, or you will simply lose it.

If your computer or laptop has a DWD-RW drive, then it would be a great option to have a boot disk with the desired operating system at home, just in case. In this article, we will look at how to create a Windows boot disk using various programs.

To create it, you will need a computer with a working operating system, the disc itself, the volume of which should be larger than the files you have that you are going to copy. Also, you will need a burning utility and an image of the operating system you want to burn. A suitable program can be downloaded from the Internet, preferably from official sites. The system image can be downloaded via torrent, most likely it will be a file with the .iso extension.

Using the Astroburn Lite utility

So let's make a Windows boot disk using Astroburn Lite. You can read about the Astroburn Lite program and its installation on your computer by clicking on the link. Insert the disc into the drive and launch Astroburn Lite by clicking on the appropriate shortcut on the desktop.

In the main window, go to the "Image" tab and opposite the "Image" field, click on the magnifying glass "Overview".

Through Explorer, find the folder on your computer in which you have the appropriate ISO file, click on it with the mouse and click "Open".

In the Speed ​​field, select the speed to record. Here it is better to choose the smallest value from the list.

I don't have an empty disk, so the window shown below looks like this. Yours will look a little different. Check the check box. In this case, immediately after recording, the program will check for errors.

Click "Start Recording" and wait for the process to complete.

This is how we burned the Windows boot disk from an ISO image using the Astroburn Lite utility.

With UltraISO

Now let's make a bootable disk using UltraISO. Download and install it on your computer.

After launching UltraISO, the following window will appear. Click on the button "Trial Period".

Go to the "File" tab and select "Open" from the menu.

Locate the ISO file of the operating system you want to burn on your computer and click Open .

In the menu above, click "Burn CD Image".

Check that the drive and file for recording are correctly selected, select the minimum recording speed. You don't need to change anything in the Record Method field. Click "Record" .

Wait a little and everything will be ready.

I will end with this. I think now you understand how to make a bootable disk from an ISO image with the Windows operating system using one of the programs described in the article.

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Create a bootable disk using UltraISO

First you need to download from the Internet and install the UltraISO program. The program is paid, but already hacked versions are posted on most Internet resources (for example, on the rutracker.org website). You can also download the Windows image there if you haven't already. In addition, you will need a blank CD or DVD disc, which you can buy at any computer store or market 🙂 The process is incredibly easy! Insert a blank disc into your computer drive, go to the folder with the already downloaded Windows image. Right-click on the image, hover over the inscription "UltraISO", move the mouse arrow to the right on the menu that appears and select "Burn to disk ...".

creating a bootable disk using UltraISO

You will see the "Burn Disc" window, there you just click the "Burn" button and wait. When the recording is complete, the drive will give you a finished boot disk.



Creating a Boot Disk with Nero

To create a bootable disk in this way, you must have any version of the popular Nero program installed on your computer. Also, as in the previous method, you must have a blank CD or DVD disc and a Windows image. Launch Nero Burning Rom (Start->Programs->Nero->Nero Burning Rom). You should have a New Project window. On the left, select the “DVD-ROM (boot)” option from the list, then on the right of the “image file” line, click the “browse” button and specify the path to the Windows image.



Click the "New" button, then in the window that appears at the top, select "Record". It is advisable to check the box next to the inscription "Finalize disc". Insert a blank disc into the drive, if you have not already done so, and click the "Burn" button.



Wait until your boot disk is written. Everything 😉 Article on installing Windows XP, and on installing Windows 7.

Sincerely, Alexander Molchanov