Boot the rescue stick: Create a new rescue medium using Langmeier Backup 15

How do I get my rescue stick to boot on the new computer?

Create the rescue stick with Langmeier Backup and boot the computer from it. You create it on any Windows computer; the new computer isn't needed for that. Your backed-up data remains untouched in the process.

How to boot from the stick

1. Create the stick. Create the stick with Langmeier Backup on any Windows computer.
2. Restart via Windows. Plug the stick into the computer. In the Start menu, hold down the Shift key and click “Restart.” Choose “Use a device” and then your stick, and the computer will boot from it. You can reach the same menu item via Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup.
3. Open the boot menu. If no Windows is running on the computer, press the boot menu key when you power it on, usually F8, F11, or F12. Choose the entry with “UEFI:”.

If the stick won't boot

Switch the USB port. Some boards only boot reliably from the rear ports. Also try a USB 2.0 port.

Do the reverse test on a second computer: if the stick boots there, it's fine and the problem is with the new computer. If it doesn't boot there either, the problem is with the stick.

If the stick won't boot on any computer, remove the hard drive from the old computer and connect it to a running computer with a USB adapter. From there, you can read out the data or start the recovery.

Good to know

For individual files, you don't need a rescue stick at all: simply connect the backup medium to a running Windows computer. You can read a file backup directly; for an image, mount it as a drive in Langmeier Backup and copy the file out.

We recommend a quick trial run: boot the new computer from the stick once while everything is still working. That way you minimize downtime in an emergency.

Background: BIOS and UEFI

A computer boots via the BIOS or via UEFI. UEFI is the modern BIOS. The rescue stick must have the same boot mode as the computer. A stick from an older program version only boots via the classic BIOS, so a computer with UEFI won't boot it. A stick you create anew with Langmeier Backup boots via UEFI and appears in the boot menu with the addition “UEFI:”.

1. Open the BIOS. When you power on, usually press Del or F2, or in Windows via Troubleshoot → Advanced options → UEFI Firmware Settings.
2. Switch the boot mode. For a stick from an older program version, enable CSM or Legacy Boot in the BIOS. If the entry is missing, the computer only boots via UEFI and needs a stick created with the latest Langmeier Backup version.
3. Check Secure Boot. If the stick still won't boot, try turning off Secure Boot in the BIOS. After the recovery, turn Secure Boot back on.
4. Leave it as FAT32. At boot, the BIOS only reads FAT32, not the NTFS of your Windows hard drive. A stick reformatted to NTFS therefore won't boot.

Your backed-up data remains fully intact, no matter what the computer boots from.