create bootable ISO from USB flash drive (recovery media)

[sandokan]

Hi all,

 

I don't know whether I'm at the right place, but I wonder whether someone could clarify the mysteries surrounding the (USB) recovery media for Windows 10. I've read up on creating bootable images for Windows 8 and Windows 10 systems and the steps don't seem too difficult.

 

However the recovery media I've created for my new Acer Windows 10 notebook seem to contain different files from the fresh installation media. (I've successfully prepared a USB flash drive to restore my system. What I'm trying to do here is create a backup of that flash drive, as I don't want to rely on something as fragile as a USB flas drive only).

 

So, in build mode, most descriptions of this process with ImgBurn show how on the Advanced > Bootable Disc tab the path to "Boot image" is something that leads to a file called  etfsboot.com. There is no such file on the recovery media.

 

I've got three folders in the root boot, efi and sources. In sources there is a "boot.wim" and in root there is a file BCD. Are those any use? What should I fill in at "Boot image"?

 

(On a different note, I saw a procedure somewhere that first an image is extracted with the "Extract Boot Image" option on the Bootable Disc tab, and that Image was subsequently fed back into the Boot Image field after that. Does that make any sense. I've got no idea what's happening there. See the anser on superuser referring to ImgBurn here: https://superuser.com/questions/477569/how-can-i-create-a-bootable-dvd-iso-from-a-usb-drive)

 

Does the lack of a file etfsboot.com have anything to do wit the fact that this is a 64-bit UEFI system?

 

Thanks for your attention. 

 

Cheers,

Sando

Edited June 8, 2017 by sandokan

[ianymaty]

Since you just want a backup of that drive meaning just the files on it, you don't need to mess with Advance > Bootable Disc settings.

 

Just make a simple data disc and put all the files to disc.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Do you have an efisys.bin on the usb stick? That's probably the boot file if you're using a pure EFI booting recovery stick/image.

 

I assume the only option for creating the recovery media was to use a USB stick? It would obviously be easier if it allowed for creating a DVD version.

[sandokan]

Thanks for your replies, LIGHTNING UK! and ianymaty,

 

@LIGHTNING UK!

There is no efisys.bin and no other *.bin files. I really don't understand how these bootable (recovery) media work and can't seem to find any information other than on full Windows installation media. (And this flash drive works -- I've tested it). Indeed, the very flexible (blegh) options to create recovery media were a USB stick only (even a USB HDD isn't an option!) I don't know where else to look, I see a bootmgr.efi, bootx64.efi and a boot.sdi files, but no idea what they mean.

 

@ianymaty

A file back-up is not what I'm interested in, as I'd like to be able to reconstruct the bootable flash drive when disaster strikes. Although I guess I could always try to make a bootable disk from the files at a later stage, but that means I just postpone the research.

 

Anyway, this is not a big deal as I will still make an image of the system with either CloneZilla or EaseUS PC Backup and not be too dependent on the flash drive. I guess that being a noob I'm just a bit too curious for my own good ;-)

 

Cheers,

Sando