Win PE Boot disk query - Bios/Efi and Bitness

spilly said:

I want to create Win PE boot disks for restoring Macrium Reflect images, but have never used Win PE ADK

I have an X64 EFI system, and need to recover ANY of the variations (using other peoples' systems)

x64 EFI
x64 BIOS
x86 BIOS AND, maybe,
x86 EFI

See my post Foolproof Image Backup for the reason for all the variants

1) How many boot disks do I need?
2) Can I easily create all the variants on my x64 EFI system? (Guidance appreciated)
3) Or is ToDo EasUS with its Linux boot recovery not a better option for max portability?

Or Should I post this on a Macrium forum?
If so, please say

Spilly

I am pretty sure if you create a 32bit macrium rescue drive, it will work on 32/64 and bios/uefi. Creating a 32bit is a bit of a faff on a 64bit pc - easiest way is to install 32bit windows in a vm, and create macrium rescue iso inside VM.

spilly said:

I'm trying to maintain a number of other people's systems, some 32 bit, some 64
The clients are definitely not tech savvy - most are pensioners.
So whatever I set up on their systems, it should be easy to run and it also should to keep to the rules, in case someone else is doing system maintenance work, not me
I think I will have to borrow a 32 bit system to create a 32 bit rescue CD
I plan to clone that rescue CD for each 32 bit system and to clone my 64 bit CD for the rest
Plus I will keep a copy of both myself

Spilly
PS I do this in return for donations to a local charity

As I said, a 32bit version should work on a 64bit - testing it now.

Actually a really good thing to do is install Macrium Reflect Free on each device, and create a boot menu entry. Then you only need the usb flash drive or dvd if hard drive fails, or C drive or boot files get mangled. Most of the time, you will not even need the CD, and also, you can be certain it has all the right drivers (rare but now and then you have to customise the Rescue drive with specific drivers.

Another issue is sometimes on older pcs, bios is not 100% compatible with latest Winpe 10 adk files and the screen resolution defaults to 640x480 and you cannot click on all the buttons. To get round this, you have to recreate the rescue iso using an earlier set of winpe adk files e.g. winpe 5 or even earlier. On my laptop, I had to go back to winpe 4. Only sure fire way of knowing is trial and error.

Of course, you could create rescue drives of each.

lx07 said:

Almost certainly only one.

You don't need separate USB for EFI/BIOS - just format it FAT32 and make it active and it will boot on either.

It doesn't matter if the host is running 32 or 64 bit Windows - only if the CPU will run the PE image. 100% of CPUs will boot 32 bit and only 99% will run 64 bit. You would be extremely unlucky to find a 32 bit processor these days but it is possible I guess.

The advantage of 32 bit is the image is smaller so it takes less time to load into RAM from the USB. I always go for 32 bit for that reason but 99% of the time a 64 bit image would work - just it would load a bit slower.

The only reason I can think of to use 64 bit is if you wanted to add programs or drivers to your PE image that only existed in 64 bit version.

I agree re. 32bit, but may still need more than one as not all bioses on older pcs are fully compatible with Macrium Reflect Winpe built with Winpe 10 adk files.