Make a boot USB

Make a boot USB turns a stick into a way to start a PC that will not boot. Stillwater then runs outside Windows and can reach that hard drive. This is not a Windows 11 installer, and it does not rip, wipe, or image USB sticks or SD cards. That is Yoink. Stillwater builds this stick from this PC's own recovery image and keeps Secure Boot on.

How to use it

1. Plug in a USB stick or USB drive of 8 GB or more. It shows up on its own.
2. Open Make a boot USB.
3. Read what will be erased. The stick is wiped.
4. Type ERASE and start. This takes about 5 to 15 minutes. Don't unplug the stick.

Boot the PC from that stick when you need to restore the Windows drive. On the stick, Stillwater does not check for updates and has no Contact support button.

Troubleshooting

• The stick isn't listed: use a USB drive of at least 8 GB, and run Stillwater as administrator.
• Secure Boot stays on. The stick uses this PC's signed Windows boot file.

Related

• Restore
• Getting started