I never liked Hirens, it feels like someone tossed everything in it just for the sake of it, a lot of these tools can be done by a single application instead, and a lot of apps are pretty outdated compared to more modern (free) applications that do exactly the same, and often more. Heck, why would I even need something like Total Commander, I believe the last time I tried it was in the early '90's. To be honest, as an IT guy since '87 I've always done fine with just a limited set of tools.
@MichaelDomer Hirens has saved my client data more times than I care to count over the last 30+ years. It's not for everyone, but for some people, it is a lifesaver if they didn't know it exists
@@MichaelDomergoing back to the swiss army knife comparison, it might include a bottle or cork opener. Even if you don't drink, the other tools are still useful.
I did not prepare these 2 things and one day my computer could not boot, I didn't know what to do at all, it was my own fault, now after that painful experience I spent some time studying these information on internet in case this happen again I will know how to do, thanks for your video
Tip: Instead of choosing to make a USB, I usually download the Windows ISO. That way I can use something like Rufus to make multiple keys without having to download it every time. 8GB thumb drives are cheap enough now, so I make more than one key because, as many of you, I am the designated tech guy in the family, and I find it useful to leave one of these Windows keys at each location where I might be expected to need it. That way, when they go, _"oh, as long as you're in the neighborhood, would you mind taking a look at my laptop... It hasn't booted in weeks!"_ , I'll be ready for them!
glad someone else said this too. i didnt say as i have just created the iso images, but havent flashed them to a drive. didnt want to preach without practise.
@@sam-by6goDownloading the ISO file instead of creating the USB installation media directly from the Microsoft site is one if the options offered. Rufus is a little program that takes the ISO file that you have just obtained and puts it onto a USB memory stick and makes it bootable... ie: makes it so you can install Windows from that stick. Basically it is the same, but this way you have the ISO already downloaded and do not need to waste time doing that part again if you want more than one key.
Can’t believe this video was posted today! I work at a small repair shop, and have been troubleshooting a device all day. Hiren’s Boot is exactly the kind of Swiss Army knife I’m looking for. I can’t thank you enough for sharing. Rock on man! 🤘
@makingpeopleangryforfun well, no. There is tons of advanced stuff on UA-cam. My channel, however, is for novice users who don't know what they don't know. That's why I made this video. Thanks for your comment.
Good stuff. I am now a subscriber. I always like learning new things and these certainly are helpful. Thanks. Oh, one more thing: Thank you, thank you for not playing any music while you are talking to us. I find more and more YT hosts feel playing music during their narration is a good thing. It is not.
Thanks a lot for the update. I saw your old video and when i checked the Hirens page things did'nt match but i went back to your channel and found the update which was superhelpful. Cheers from Sweden!
I'm not a certified A+ repair man. I'm just the guy everyone calls when their computers misbehave. I love having Hirens and Medi-cat. They are such great tools. Thank you very much.
LOL me too. I have 3 USB drives I carry with me with my keys so I can fix almost any computer on the go. Snappy driver with some portable apps, Gandalf redstone (similar to Hirens), and an AIO installation of windows.
I'm a total novice, some would call me a dummy ! I've been watching your vids for a while now and decided to have a go and upgrade my HP Laptop. Upgraded the RAM to 16Gb and now I'm attempting the HDD to SSD but I mistakenly bought the wrong size SSD and was unable to clone to it. I'm going to install it anyway so I will have to install a clean version of Windows. My question is do I have to make both of these usb sticks in order to boot my PC ? Your videos have given me the encouragement to do this stuff. I'm almost 60yrs of age and never had any training doing this so thanks Scott.
I have a newer HP that blue screened months ago and I’ve had the thumb drives ready but I’m finally doing this (from another laptop) as I type. Fingers crossed 🤞 and ty! I’ve always been the tech gal in the fam so it’ll be a great tool
I also know the hirens name as "Highrens" and was using this tool when it was version 8/9. Now i am using version 15.2 DVD and on a usb drive (GRUB/syslinux) Thank you for the video too. There was never a worry on my side for losing data as i use a 321 backup:3x backup 1 on a cloud, 1 on a local disk mounted and 1 on a local disk unmounted :-) And i use Total commander to sync two with a click
Thank you. Also, thank you for the link for the "decent and inexpensive flash drives with good ratings." They were so cheap, I just ordered two packs (one for myself and one as a gift). I am one of the .9's in your 95.9K Subscribers now :)
I just found your channel and subscribed as you might be able to teach me something I do not know, Im a self taught geek who helps fix peoples pc remotely or in person and you are not wrong about having bootable recovery USB drives.. I keep an updated version of Windows Media Creation with the latest version of Windows 10 and I have used Hiren's Boot CD and Knoppix, my goto is Win PE has a lot of recovery tools on and help me get that PC fixed. will be checking out your other videos keep them coming.
Glad to hear it! I had tons of comments about the "new" way that Hirens works now so I had to update the previous version of the video. Thx for your support 💪
I appreciate how Scott tries to respond to all the comments. The videos ain`t bad either😏. I followed your ventoy video since i found it before seeing this one.
Thanks for taking the time to make these videos. 🤓🖒 This is a God send. I know some folks that had issues with their PC's, and this video helped fix the issues. Thanks and keep up the good work 🤓🖒
Love this channel. I just bought a banging PC, and it's my first. I've been reaching and learning about everything can. I've never done this, and I'm hoping this will be smooth to do.
Thanks, bro! You might wanna add the Windows ISO file to that list. It's great for doing a system refresh. It's kinda like a reset, where it brings back the main programming, though keeps your files and apps. Usually a good fix for Defender issues.
Well, I only have about 500 old flash drives laying around the house LOL. Thanks for the tips. You are quite right... most people don't think about doing this until their computer croaks. Thank you!
@@AskYourComputerGuy And of course, I get a lot of looks when I tell people I use two Time Machine back up drives on all my Macs. With almost everything, I abide by the 3=2 and 2=1 and 1=0 equation.
Hahaha... 2 hrs too late,,LOL, I just finished making the two USB sticks from your earlier video, and also left a comment that rufus was now required... I had Rufus already. Thanks for the update. Your video from 3 months ago just appeared in my feed.
True, but that's for another video. Having the tools gives someone options and opportunities to ask "ok now what". That's where I and others can assist
I've been using Windows since XP and my system never broke down, like, never really... guess I'm just lucky or too paranoid! Still going to download Hirens just in case!
I completed the first USB Drive successfully. On the second, I downloaded the ISO file, went to the USB Boot and clicked on that, I downloaded the Rufis file, then it all went to hell after that. I clicked on the downloaded Rufis program and the drive property screen came up, but had no Device Label and would not let me put one in, I selected the HDCB iso file, but some other options were missing, so I stopped after that. Could not complete installation. I also tried ALT-E in the process and that did not work. I'm not an expert on computers, they are just a tool for me, I don't understand half this stuff.
Love this channel. I created a usb boot disk from your instructions in the videos which you'd done previously. And it came in super handy today when I had to wipe a laptop clean to reinstall Windows. Worked like a charm! Thank you!!! ❤
With respect, I am inclined to disagree. He used to talk at a moderate pace but of late (late 2023/ early 2024) he has been noticeably faster, as if nlow in a hurry. It can make matters all the more difficult when trying to follow him and the complexities of the technology. Making (many) screenshots, in addition to written notes, helps. Otherwise, miss something and you might pay a heavy price, technology being so unforgiving.
It's not one or the other. Hirens is a great troubleshooting utility, Ventoy is a utility to store multiple ISO images on one drive. You can store Hirens, Windows installer, Linux, pretty much any ISO you can find *on* the Ventoy drive. Ventoy doesn't *do* anything by itself. Hope that explains it better 👍
I'd have to recommend Ventoy for creating my bookable media, even if it is just for Windows installers. Ventoy allows you to put as many bootable isos as you can fit on the drive as you want and select which one to boot from. That way if you decide to update the image you can just copy the current iso to the drive instead of recreating the entire drive. Also since you can add any bootable iso, why not just copy the iso for Hiren's Boot CD onto Ventoy as well and have it on one drive. I definitely recommend Medicat. If Hiren's was a swiss army knife, then Medicat is a digital combat. While it is by no means small (~20GB larger than Hiren's) the extensive collection of tools it offers at times multiple ways to accomplish the same task tackling it differently though. This allows each user the flexibility to choose the tool that matches their work flow best. If I had to choose one weapon to go into the trenches with it would be Medicat.
I agree! x2 The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review! ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html And a Medicat full walk-through is in the works!
I think you should make a video comparing Hirens boot utility media vs Medicat boot utility media Also, show how both can be put on a single usb using Ventoy along with a windows 10 /11 boot image
Hey there Scott! Thanks for the 2024 update. Always enjoy your content. A quick question, so must it be 2 USB drives? As I have Ventoy on mine. Is that not the way to go anymore? Thanks.
12:54 use OEM recovery disk to create factory image with all drivers & preloaded software included awesome. only this was new to me, and important enough to be liked just for this lol.
Would it be possible to make a dedicated video about Hiren's Boot Cd and what tools are inside of the program and what scenarios to use them in and what each of the tools do and when to actually use Hiren's Boot CD? for a non-tech savvy person like myself?
I am making this hirens USB drive right now. Play many things of All quickly. It is up to 4.5.2180 and there is no mention in the instructions of choosing anything other than MBR as a partition scheme particularly not mentioning any special setting windows 11
better option: easy2boot - put all the OS installer ISO's as well as the toolkit ISO's on one drive and allow Easy to boot to multiboot everything. Bonus, get macrium reflect free PE on the drive as well, and clone / image drives as well. A 2tb M.2 drive in a usb enclosure makes a very fast and reliable USB toolkit drive with tons of space.
Are you planning to upload a video about "Medicat" specifically? I think you mentioned it in your previous video. I'm asking because there isn't a video about it yet. It could be a good idea for content if you're considering it.
I'll have to watch this video again because I'm lost watching it once. I'm not a computer whiz. I'm getting a new Dell XPS 8960 Windows 11 PC in a couple of weeks and I got 3 SanDisk 32 GB flash drives as per your previous video for recovery drives and a system repair image on Amazon. After getting those two things done, my next adjustment will be to make Windows 11 look like Windows 7 as much as possible. I did the same with Windows 10 and it's a mix of both. I didn't like those squares on Windows 10's startup image, and I certainly don't like that large Windows 11 menu in the middle of the screen or that blue colored toilet paper image in the background.
Than ks for the video, I am using 2 32GB usb sticks for my installer usbs, making the hirens one as i type this. I made a bootable 4gb dvd-r from the image earlier as my external usb 3 disc burner still functions...
I just got my usb drives delivered today and was just about to make my boot drives with the help of your older video when I happened across this video first. Thank you.
As of windows 10 my computer did never crash or gave me bluescreen , The IHrens cd i used way back , but never need it anymore, windows can repair itself
I had to manually insert the ISO into Rufus. Now, Rufus will not allow : Device, partition scheme, target system, file system, or cluster size manipulation after dragging the ISO in. All of the drop downs are grayed out and contain nothing. Now what? Win10 home; version22H2
1:52 fairly certain you can spare yourself the effort of formatting the drive - the Media Creator will format it anyways. 6:42 only Rufus? No mention of/compatibility with Ventoy? I like Ventoy better because I can just chuck whatever ISOs I could/would ever use/need.
Did that on purpose. Gave me a chance to reiterate that the drive will be wiped (big complaint from the last video), but you're not wrong LOL. And yes, Rufus, only because that's the "new" way to download Hirens (based on my now-updated instructions from the last video. I agree Ventoy is better, and I made a separate video for that. This was just to correct the old video instructions 👍
It's exceptional. Just load ventoy onto your flash drive, copy your ISO files onto the drive and u are good. When u need to boot from the ventoy drive u can pick the ISO file list u want and run it. No need for 2 or more flash drives for each ISO file. @@yasirarafat9279
Hi, thanks for the great video. I have been subscribed for a few months now and have learned a hell of a lot. One question I have always wondered, are paid versions of antivirus tools much better than their free counterparts? While I don't mind paying to keep my PC secure, I think the best price is always free. I'm Scottish so that should tell you all you need to know haha
Great question! It depends on your needs. If you are an "average" Windows user, maybe do the same 5-6 things every day and not much else, Windows Defender, Avast Free etc should be more than enough 👍
Now I have a USB with that Hiren's thing, but there are just some folders in there, with many links, but what can I use that for? What I saw in your Hirens, there were some troubleshooting links, like eg. diagnostic which is not what I have, but that's probably me who has something wrong, even though I followed your descriptions step by step.
One for Hirens, one for each version of Windows. Or you can use Ventoy and put them all on one drive The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review! ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
Looks like Rufus has a new update, 4.5 now. Running Windows 10 pro, still coming up with "this app unable to run on this PC, check publisher for previous versions". Trying to boot the Hirens flash drive. Thanks
I am always learning new stuff from these videos. A quick question though. Am I right in thinking that if I do, say a monthly clone of my hard drive, and do regular backups of my important files to an external storage device, then I should never really have any need for the tools in this video? (I take for granted that I do not clone a faulty hard drive as that would of course be a bit of a show stopper).
following your directions to the tee and none of those screens pop up. **** I was able to get the first USB disck to work and I loaded the rufus file and hiern file. When I launched rufus it doesn't have anything in the first box to select (ie the drive) Im stuck at this point
First: The steps for Windows 11 installation media is a little different. Second: I'm curious if you bought the Windows installation flash drive from a store. Is this Installation media flash drive necessary? Third: When creating the file in Rufus for (Windows 11) and you change to GPT, the Target System changes from BIOS or UEFI to, UEFI (non CSM) Fourth: Is this compatible with Laptop and Desktop?
My PC would not automatically change the Rufus target system window to Bios or UEFI by simply choosing the ios file, I had to click and drag the file over to the Rufus window in order to get it to change. I say this for whomever might encounter this problem plus if you click Alt-E more then once it toggle's back to disabled or enabled so watch for that too. Thanks for the video it's appreciated much.
Really appreciate this comment as well as the video. Rufus confused the heck out of me because it simply did not give the option to select the iso file at all. Any disc made with the defaults is pretty useless because it contains none of the tools. Dragging the file over Rufus worked fine. But it seems that Rufus is prone to disguising its processes, at least on Windows 11, seems from the video that this was a windows 10 boot disc.
I believe it was Windows 10 that the system was filmed on, but the only one I advised using Rufus for was fir Hirens, not the Windows Media Creation Tool. If I'm understanding your comment correctly
@@AskYourComputerGuy , Yes only the Hiren's. The media was no problem. Just odd that Rufus didn't want to go look for the file and had to be nudged awake like that. Thanks for reply
I agree! For certain use cases, it absolutely is better. That's why Imsde this: The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review! ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
Great video! Please explain where a "windows recovery" drive fits in this set of tools. I have already created the windows recovery drive from my PC, do I still need the windows installation USB drive also?? or are they the same?
The recovery drive is the same as this, except it has all your existing drivers and pre-loaded software. I'd still create the Hirens, but you don't need the Windows installer now :)
MBR partition only support 2tb of storage..GPT is unlimited storage capacity. Pressing -“Alt+E” doesn’t make any special trick but it only toggles partition scheme from GPT to MBR.
@salventi5665 TronScript only removes malware and viruses. It does not "destroy" anything that isn't already malicious. If your computer didn't run correctly after it ran, it's because it was already too heavily infected and Windows should have probably been reinstalled already
I use both methods. Some people don't need to have a disc with a handful of ISOs, even though it's more convenient, it may not be practical for their needs. But I made a Ventoy video on how to create it, just in case: The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review! ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
@AskYourComputerGuy I found your Ventoy video after I made my two posts. I have seen a couple of videos claiming to be able to create a working copy of windows that runs completely from a USB drive. Have you ever heard of such a thing? If that works, I think that would be the Ultimate Rescue USB.
I've seen Hirens in the past for Windows XP and thought it was a hacker's version, but must be safe if you use it as a backup solution and say technicians have it. I was surprised to see it for Windows 10 as I thought it was for earlier versions. Like many, I've been calling it: "High-rens", but is: "HE-rens".
@@AskYourComputerGuy The Hiren's Boot CD is now a "HE-rens" after all these years! Well, it's good publicity for the guys who put them together that they're alive and kicking! The Heeren's boot drive: how posh! I wonder what Microsoft will think when they update Windows 11 on so called 'unsupported hardware' for people to reach for Hiren's emergency boot drive!
It doesn't have to be. You can use ventoy. With ventoy u can create a flash drive that can hold all the necessary ISO files to use. When u plug the drive in to boot,u just pick the ISO file u want and it will load. Been using ventoy for yrs. Its fantastic.
@CelestialDeathscythe agreed! Ventoy is a great option as well The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review! ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
Oh ok so u did it. I didn't realize it. UA-cam just put this video in a compilation playlists and i had it on in the background. Keep up the good work. U earn a sub from me@@AskYourComputerGuy
I recently discovered that Dell computers seem to have RAID enabled by default even on single drive systems (which causes the SSD to not be detected by the windows installer)
Hi Scott, thanks for letting me know about this new video for the downloads. I ran into a snafu while downloading Hiren's. I chose USB F but place it in my CD E. Any way I can delete it from the CD E:. It won't let me delete it from CD E:
Hi, does combing these troubleshooting softwares on a single pen drive using Ventoy do the trick? Or do you suggest having two separate pen drives as demonstrated here?
This is something I will have to do when I buy a new laptop since mine is stuck in the blue screen repair and nothing will fix it wish I knew about this when I first got my laptop
@@AskYourComputerGuy yes I get to the stage in command prompts and it says that windows found corrupt files and repaired them and says changes will be made after next reboot but I can’t reboot my laptop so I’m stuck on that any idea on what to do?
@@AskYourComputerGuy I can but it doesn’t work I just get put back into the automatic repair loop and if I run the command again it says the same thing and I can’t reset my computer because it keeps saying it ran into a problem so it seems to me it’s a never ending loop and it can’t be fixed
Rufus is different for me, I did the target system (BIOS or UEFI), now I click GPT - "Target System" changes to "UEFI (non CSM)" ... The only way to keep the Target System to BIOS or UEFI is to choose MBR
I have 2pcs, one with w11 and the other one with w10, I'm gonna need 2usb right? the one for w11 with gpt partition scheme and mbr for w10... Is there no alternative to using the same hirens on both operating systems? Thx for the video is very useful
Great video. I have a miniPC and a laptop. Both runs windows 11 Pro. Do I have to make separate windows iso and Hirens USB drive for each? I do have Acronis backup software.. Which is better?
One Hirens, one MCT for each version of Windows. For simplicity, you could use one drive and load them all on it: The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review! ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
hi hello I have some questions Does the USB drive I use for this have to be empty? And how much storage do I need exactly? And is it possible to do all the software in one usb drive? I will appreciate your response
Lots of people prefer Ventoy (myself included). Others have had lots of issues with having to disable secure boot to get it to work (despite the "enable secure boot option"). That's why I made this video about it, for those who want a more versatile ISO solution 👍 The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review! ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
I haven't had to disable secure boot to run Ventoy for a long time. I just add its keys to the secure boot then restart and it's all good. I did find on a new Lenovo ThinkPad that I had to enable the ability to add 3rd party keys in the bios, reboot, add the keys, reboot into Ventoy. Adds another minute, but it's no big deal, and probably better from a security perspective anyway. It's not really much extra time because now I don't have to boot into the BIOS later to re-enable secure boot. Ventoy quickly becomes a must-have.
I don't disagree, but some people have had an issue with turning off secure boot (even though there is an option in Ventoy to work with secure boot, it doesn't always work) and also some people prefer to have separate disks.. Made a video about this! The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review! ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
been using hirens for almost 30 yrs and it has never DISSAPOINTED!
Agreed! 💪
I never liked Hirens, it feels like someone tossed everything in it just for the sake of it, a lot of these tools can be done by a single application instead, and a lot of apps are pretty outdated compared to more modern (free) applications that do exactly the same, and often more. Heck, why would I even need something like Total Commander, I believe the last time I tried it was in the early '90's. To be honest, as an IT guy since '87 I've always done fine with just a limited set of tools.
@MichaelDomer Hirens has saved my client data more times than I care to count over the last 30+ years. It's not for everyone, but for some people, it is a lifesaver if they didn't know it exists
@@MichaelDomergoing back to the swiss army knife comparison, it might include a bottle or cork opener. Even if you don't drink, the other tools are still useful.
I did not prepare these 2 things and one day my computer could not boot, I didn't know what to do at all, it was my own fault, now after that painful experience I spent some time studying these information on internet in case this happen again I will know how to do, thanks for your video
You’re welcome!
Tip: Instead of choosing to make a USB, I usually download the Windows ISO. That way I can use something like Rufus to make multiple keys without having to download it every time. 8GB thumb drives are cheap enough now, so I make more than one key because, as many of you, I am the designated tech guy in the family, and I find it useful to leave one of these Windows keys at each location where I might be expected to need it. That way, when they go, _"oh, as long as you're in the neighborhood, would you mind taking a look at my laptop... It hasn't booted in weeks!"_ , I'll be ready for them!
glad someone else said this too.
i didnt say as i have just created the iso images, but havent flashed them to a drive.
didnt want to preach without practise.
how do you do that? now could you explain what rufus does?
@@sam-by6goDownloading the ISO file instead of creating the USB installation media directly from the Microsoft site is one if the options offered.
Rufus is a little program that takes the ISO file that you have just obtained and puts it onto a USB memory stick and makes it bootable... ie: makes it so you can install Windows from that stick.
Basically it is the same, but this way you have the ISO already downloaded and do not need to waste time doing that part again if you want more than one key.
@@robertcartier5088 thank you.
@@sam-by6go 👍
Can’t believe this video was posted today! I work at a small repair shop, and have been troubleshooting a device all day. Hiren’s Boot is exactly the kind of Swiss Army knife I’m looking for. I can’t thank you enough for sharing.
Rock on man! 🤘
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it! 💪
hirens boot cd has been around for ever youtube is for people who dont know how to find stuff themselves
@@makingpeopleangryforfunnice!
@makingpeopleangryforfun well, no. There is tons of advanced stuff on UA-cam. My channel, however, is for novice users who don't know what they don't know. That's why I made this video. Thanks for your comment.
Good stuff. I am now a subscriber. I always like learning new things and these certainly are helpful. Thanks.
Oh, one more thing: Thank you, thank you for not playing any music while you are talking to us. I find more and more YT hosts feel playing music during their narration is a good thing. It is not.
I try to avoid music as mm much as possible. Sometimes.aybe during a "just watch" moment, but not while I'm talking 👍
Thanks a lot for the update. I saw your old video and when i checked the Hirens page things did'nt match but i went back to your channel and found the update which was superhelpful. Cheers from Sweden!
This might help!
www.anyrecover.com/storage-device-tips/usb-access-denied/
I'm not a certified A+ repair man. I'm just the guy everyone calls when their computers misbehave. I love having Hirens and Medi-cat. They are such great tools. Thank you very much.
LOL me too. I have 3 USB drives I carry with me with my keys so I can fix almost any computer on the go. Snappy driver with some portable apps, Gandalf redstone (similar to Hirens), and an AIO installation of windows.
@johnwesley256 I feel ya!
@@johnwesley256
> " I have 3 USB drives I carry with me with my keys so I can fix almost any computer on the go."
Overkill.
factory reset, that will be $500 dollars please
@juanroldan4379 I used to dread being 'that guy (girl)'. And Everyone thought I could work magic. NOT. I just knew a little more than they did.
I'm a total novice, some would call me a dummy ! I've been watching your vids for a while now and decided to have a go and upgrade my HP Laptop. Upgraded the RAM to 16Gb and now I'm attempting the HDD to SSD but I mistakenly bought the wrong size SSD and was unable to clone to it. I'm going to install it anyway so I will have to install a clean version of Windows. My question is do I have to make both of these usb sticks in order to boot my PC ? Your videos have given me the encouragement to do this stuff. I'm almost 60yrs of age and never had any training doing this so thanks Scott.
I have a newer HP that blue screened months ago and I’ve had the thumb drives ready but I’m finally doing this (from another laptop) as I type. Fingers crossed 🤞 and ty! I’ve always been the tech gal in the fam so it’ll be a great tool
I also know the hirens name as "Highrens" and was using this tool when it was version 8/9. Now i am using version 15.2 DVD and on a usb drive (GRUB/syslinux) Thank you for the video too. There was never a worry on my side for losing data as i use a 321 backup:3x backup 1 on a cloud, 1 on a local disk mounted and 1 on a local disk unmounted :-) And i use Total commander to sync two with a click
Thank you. Also, thank you for the link for the "decent and inexpensive flash drives with good ratings." They were so cheap, I just ordered two packs (one for myself and one as a gift). I am one of the .9's in your 95.9K Subscribers now :)
Awesome! Glad I could help you out 👍
Where is this list
In UK those particular usb sticks are $75 ... Thankfully other brands are available! 😂
I just found your channel and subscribed as you might be able to teach me something I do not know, Im a self taught geek who helps fix peoples pc remotely or in person and you are not wrong about having bootable recovery USB drives.. I keep an updated version of Windows Media Creation with the latest version of Windows 10 and I have used Hiren's Boot CD and Knoppix, my goto is Win PE has a lot of recovery tools on and help me get that PC fixed. will be checking out your other videos keep them coming.
👍💪❤️
I have both already, but thanks for the awesome video!! I actually just made those 2 USBs last week. :)
Glad to hear it! I had tons of comments about the "new" way that Hirens works now so I had to update the previous version of the video. Thx for your support 💪
I appreciate how Scott tries to respond to all the comments. The videos ain`t bad either😏. I followed your ventoy video since i found it before seeing this one.
Thank you, I appreciate the support 👍
Great video, and explanation. I was one of those hu got confused. All clear now.
That's why I had to make the video. Thanks!
I stumbled on Hirens from one of your videos. It is a great utility.
It really is!
Thanks for taking the time to make these videos. 🤓🖒 This is a God send. I know some folks that had issues with their PC's, and this video helped fix the issues. Thanks and keep up the good work 🤓🖒
Thank you, much appreciated! 👍
I do subscribe to this channel, and he is a wonderful guy who helps people with his knowledge, and I appreciate it.
Thanks! I appreciate that so much! 👍
Love this channel. I just bought a banging PC, and it's my first. I've been reaching and learning about everything can. I've never done this, and I'm hoping this will be smooth to do.
Welcome aboard! 👍
Thanks, bro! You might wanna add the Windows ISO file to that list. It's great for doing a system refresh. It's kinda like a reset, where it brings back the main programming, though keeps your files and apps. Usually a good fix for Defender issues.
Explain how do I create this
The video walks you through it, step by step 👍
You are a very good teacher... So many do not have a clue on how to teach or convey instructions.. Thank you
Thank you ❤️
Well, I only have about 500 old flash drives laying around the house LOL. Thanks for the tips. You are quite right... most people don't think about doing this until their computer croaks. Thank you!
Exactly!
@@AskYourComputerGuy And of course, I get a lot of looks when I tell people I use two Time Machine back up drives on all my Macs. With almost everything, I abide by the 3=2 and 2=1 and 1=0 equation.
Thanks for the update! I now have both drives.
Hahaha... 2 hrs too late,,LOL, I just finished making the two USB sticks from your earlier video, and also left a comment that rufus was now required... I had Rufus already. Thanks for the update. Your video from 3 months ago just appeared in my feed.
No worries!
It's great to have access to tools; it's something else altogether to know what to do with them.
True, but that's for another video. Having the tools gives someone options and opportunities to ask "ok now what". That's where I and others can assist
I've been using Windows since XP and my system never broke down, like, never really... guess I'm just lucky or too paranoid! Still going to download Hirens just in case!
Thank you. I'm tired of companies encouraging the buying of things unnecessary.
Well, I do recommend products occasionally, but nothing I don't personally use or have used before 👍
I completed the first USB Drive successfully. On the second, I downloaded the ISO file, went to the USB Boot and clicked on that, I downloaded the Rufis file, then it all went to hell after that. I clicked on the downloaded Rufis program and the drive property screen came up, but had no Device Label and would not let me put one in, I selected the HDCB iso file, but some other options were missing, so I stopped after that. Could not complete installation. I also tried ALT-E in the process and that did not work. I'm not an expert on computers, they are just a tool for me, I don't understand half this stuff.
Love this channel. I created a usb boot disk from your instructions in the videos which you'd done previously. And it came in super handy today when I had to wipe a laptop clean to reinstall Windows. Worked like a charm! Thank you!!! ❤
Boom! 🔥
@@AskYourComputerGuy - much appreciated Scott! 😊
You are so close to 100k. I am so happy for you ❤. Old time subscriber 😊
Thank you so much!!
Thank you. Very well presented. I'll be sure to check out your other videos.
I like how you explain things slowly because not everybody is a pc expert.
I try 👍
With respect, I am inclined to disagree. He used to talk at a moderate pace but of late (late 2023/ early 2024) he has been noticeably faster, as if nlow in a hurry. It can make matters all the more difficult when trying to follow him and the complexities of the technology. Making (many) screenshots, in addition to written notes, helps. Otherwise, miss something and you might pay a heavy price, technology being so unforgiving.
Thank you for the great vids and update! Question, a few months ago you did a video about Ventoy - is this a better than using hirens?
It's not one or the other. Hirens is a great troubleshooting utility, Ventoy is a utility to store multiple ISO images on one drive. You can store Hirens, Windows installer, Linux, pretty much any ISO you can find *on* the Ventoy drive. Ventoy doesn't *do* anything by itself. Hope that explains it better 👍
Sorry Scott for the previous question on how to delete Hiren's from CD E:. I hit eject and puff it was gone. Thanks again for your informative videos.
Glad you got it figured out! You're welcome and thanks for the update 👍
I recommend Sergei Strelec boot because it was the only one that recognized my nvme drive.
I'd have to recommend Ventoy for creating my bookable media, even if it is just for Windows installers. Ventoy allows you to put as many bootable isos as you can fit on the drive as you want and select which one to boot from. That way if you decide to update the image you can just copy the current iso to the drive instead of recreating the entire drive. Also since you can add any bootable iso, why not just copy the iso for Hiren's Boot CD onto Ventoy as well and have it on one drive.
I definitely recommend Medicat. If Hiren's was a swiss army knife, then Medicat is a digital combat. While it is by no means small (~20GB larger than Hiren's) the extensive collection of tools it offers at times multiple ways to accomplish the same task tackling it differently though. This allows each user the flexibility to choose the tool that matches their work flow best. If I had to choose one weapon to go into the trenches with it would be Medicat.
I agree! x2
The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review!
ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
And a Medicat full walk-through is in the works!
Why not using Ventoy anymore? Like the previous video you make. (And put it all in one drive?)
I was wondering the same thing. I thought Ventoy was meant to be the best software to have.
@@waynesharp1690 Yeah, i agree on ventoy
@waynesharp1690 depends on the end user. Some people prefer separate drives, some prefer Ventoy. Some hate Ventoy because of the secure boot issues
Lol this dude also has ventoy on one of the drive
Yumi now includes Ventoy!
Thank you very much Computer Guy!! Very very well presented!!
Glad it helped!
I think you should make a video comparing Hirens boot utility media vs Medicat boot utility media
Also, show how both can be put on a single usb using Ventoy along with a windows 10 /11 boot image
It's already on the drawing board 👍
Hey there Scott! Thanks for the 2024 update. Always enjoy your content.
A quick question, so must it be 2 USB drives? As I have Ventoy on mine. Is that not the way to go anymore?
Thanks.
No you're good if you already have them downloaded on Ventoy 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy Phew, thanks, yes I do 👍 Thanks for the confirmation!
@JasonWestaway you bet 👍
12:54 use OEM recovery disk to create factory image with all drivers & preloaded software included
awesome. only this was new to me, and important enough to be liked just for this lol.
I appreciate that
Would it be possible to make a dedicated video about Hiren's Boot Cd and what tools are inside of the program and what scenarios to use them in and what each of the tools do and when to actually use Hiren's Boot CD? for a non-tech savvy person like myself?
it is actually been on my drawing board for a while. I probably should get on that!
Great video - thank you 💕💕 that USB utility disk sound fantastic
It really is!
I am making this hirens USB drive right now. Play many things of All quickly. It is up to 4.5.2180 and there is no mention in the instructions of choosing anything other than MBR as a partition scheme particularly not mentioning any special setting windows 11
Windows 11 requires GPT file system, not MBR...but the flash drive should boot with either
Thanks for making this very helpful video! I just subscribed to your channel.
Awesome, welcome to the community 👍
better option:
easy2boot - put all the OS installer ISO's as well as the toolkit ISO's on one drive and allow Easy to boot to multiboot everything.
Bonus, get macrium reflect free PE on the drive as well, and clone / image drives as well. A 2tb M.2 drive in a usb enclosure makes a very fast and reliable USB toolkit drive with tons of space.
Are you planning to upload a video about "Medicat" specifically? I think you mentioned it in your previous video. I'm asking because there isn't a video about it yet. It could be a good idea for content if you're considering it.
Should you update the Hiren’s boot flash drive once a year or something for updated program versions etc.?
Very useful video, thank you.
Nope...Hirens hasn't changed in a while, so once is fine 👍
@ Thanks for your follow up!
@Pierceb2 you bet 👍
I'll have to watch this video again because I'm lost watching it once. I'm not a computer whiz. I'm getting a new Dell XPS 8960 Windows 11 PC in a couple of weeks and I got 3 SanDisk 32 GB flash drives as per your previous video for recovery drives and a system repair image on Amazon. After getting those two things done, my next adjustment will be to make Windows 11 look like Windows 7 as much as possible. I did the same with Windows 10 and it's a mix of both. I didn't like those squares on Windows 10's startup image, and I certainly don't like that large Windows 11 menu in the middle of the screen or that blue colored toilet paper image in the background.
😊Thanks for the detailed walk through!
Thanks for the support! Glad the video helped you 👍
Than ks for the video, I am using 2 32GB usb sticks for my installer usbs, making the hirens one as i type this. I made a bootable 4gb dvd-r from the image earlier as my external usb 3 disc burner still functions...
👍
I just got my usb drives delivered today and was just about to make my boot drives with the help of your older video when I happened across this video first. Thank you.
You're welcome! 👍
hiren comes in handy if your window caught some virus or file corruption.
10:46 there're other things like medi-cats and linux that u can use...
glad u shaerd this (:
Working on both a Medicat walk through and a Linux series 👍
As of windows 10 my computer did never crash or gave me bluescreen , The IHrens cd i used way back , but never need it anymore, windows can repair itself
I had to manually insert the ISO into Rufus. Now, Rufus will not allow : Device, partition scheme, target system, file system, or cluster size manipulation after dragging the ISO in. All of the drop downs are grayed out and contain nothing. Now what? Win10 home; version22H2
I have the same problem!!!
1:52 fairly certain you can spare yourself the effort of formatting the drive - the Media Creator will format it anyways.
6:42 only Rufus? No mention of/compatibility with Ventoy?
I like Ventoy better because I can just chuck whatever ISOs I could/would ever use/need.
Did that on purpose. Gave me a chance to reiterate that the drive will be wiped (big complaint from the last video), but you're not wrong LOL. And yes, Rufus, only because that's the "new" way to download Hirens (based on my now-updated instructions from the last video. I agree Ventoy is better, and I made a separate video for that. This was just to correct the old video instructions 👍
Ventoy adds another level to utility tools
is ventoy good or bad.
@@yasirarafat9279 ventoy is great, lets you boot ISOs that you have on the USB itself or your computers drives.
@@yasirarafat9279its better in any way
It's exceptional. Just load ventoy onto your flash drive, copy your ISO files onto the drive and u are good. When u need to boot from the ventoy drive u can pick the ISO file list u want and run it. No need for 2 or more flash drives for each ISO file. @@yasirarafat9279
Ventoy is great!
The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review!
ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
Hi, thanks for the great video. I have been subscribed for a few months now and have learned a hell of a lot. One question I have always wondered, are paid versions of antivirus tools much better than their free counterparts? While I don't mind paying to keep my PC secure, I think the best price is always free.
I'm Scottish so that should tell you all you need to know haha
Great question! It depends on your needs. If you are an "average" Windows user, maybe do the same 5-6 things every day and not much else, Windows Defender, Avast Free etc should be more than enough 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy Brilliant. Thanks very much. Have a great day
@ScotsmanDougal and the same to you, good sir!
Thanks Scott.
Welcome!
Now I have a USB with that Hiren's thing, but there are just some folders in there, with many links, but what can I use that for?
What I saw in your Hirens, there were some troubleshooting links, like eg. diagnostic which is not what I have, but that's probably me who has something wrong, even though I followed your descriptions step by step.
Do we now need three USB sticks one for Win 10 one for Win 11, and one for Hiren's fantastic Videos by the way great work
One for Hirens, one for each version of Windows. Or you can use Ventoy and put them all on one drive
The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review!
ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
Looks like Rufus has a new update, 4.5 now. Running Windows 10 pro, still coming up with "this app unable to run on this PC, check publisher for previous versions". Trying to boot the Hirens flash drive. Thanks
Great video, thank you!
Glad you found it useful 👍
I am always learning new stuff from these videos. A quick question though. Am I right in thinking that if I do, say a monthly clone of my hard drive, and do regular backups of my important files to an external storage device, then I should never really have any need for the tools in this video? (I take for granted that I do not clone a faulty hard drive as that would of course be a bit of a show stopper).
With the exception of a faulty drive, yes...100%
Funny! Amazon has a background AI tool called Rufus. Scott, TY for making this video. ❤
LOL didn't know that 👍
following your directions to the tee and none of those screens pop up. **** I was able to get the first USB disck to work and I loaded the rufus file and hiern file. When I launched rufus it doesn't have anything in the first box to select (ie the drive) Im stuck at this point
First: The steps for Windows 11 installation media is a little different.
Second: I'm curious if you bought the Windows installation flash drive from a store. Is this Installation media flash drive necessary?
Third: When creating the file in Rufus for (Windows 11) and you change to GPT, the Target System changes from BIOS or UEFI to, UEFI (non CSM)
Fourth: Is this compatible with Laptop and Desktop?
My PC would not automatically change the Rufus target system window to Bios or UEFI by simply choosing the ios file, I had to click and drag the file over to the Rufus window in order to get it to change. I say this for whomever might encounter this problem plus if you click Alt-E more then once it toggle's back to disabled or enabled so watch for that too. Thanks for the video it's appreciated much.
Didn't know that about ALT-E switching on and off. Thx for the tip!
Really appreciate this comment as well as the video. Rufus confused the heck out of me because it simply did not give the option to select the iso file at all. Any disc made with the defaults is pretty useless because it contains none of the tools. Dragging the file over Rufus worked fine. But it seems that Rufus is prone to disguising its processes, at least on Windows 11, seems from the video that this was a windows 10 boot disc.
Could be wrong but I think it was for win 8 up to 10@@guileshill
I believe it was Windows 10 that the system was filmed on, but the only one I advised using Rufus for was fir Hirens, not the Windows Media Creation Tool. If I'm understanding your comment correctly
@@AskYourComputerGuy , Yes only the Hiren's. The media was no problem. Just odd that Rufus didn't want to go look for the file and had to be nudged awake like that. Thanks for reply
Thanks for the video!
You're welcome!
Hi, great YT & thank you. Can you please do one with MediaCat? Please & thank you.
It's on the drawing board 👍
3:19 _"win8: u'll have to download iso files [dierctly]"_
thats nice actually. use it with rufus FOSS utility in windows.
7:38 ha, gotcha. rufus is awesome. glad the hiren's they made the wise decision.
Agreed
Ventoy is a superior option, and you only need one drive for multiple OS options.
I agree! For certain use cases, it absolutely is better. That's why Imsde this:
The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review!
ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
Great video! Please explain where a "windows recovery" drive fits in this set of tools. I have already created the windows recovery drive from my PC, do I still need the windows installation USB drive also?? or are they the same?
The recovery drive is the same as this, except it has all your existing drivers and pre-loaded software. I'd still create the Hirens, but you don't need the Windows installer now :)
MBR partition only support 2tb of storage..GPT is unlimited storage capacity. Pressing -“Alt+E” doesn’t make any special trick but it only toggles partition scheme from GPT to MBR.
👍
Ultimate boot cd used to be the thing but I think its not been updated in almost 10 years.
Agreed
Value, thank you!
Wow, thanks! 👍
I will use this when I am ready to go to Windows 11 Enterprise edition. That's the ONLY way I will upgrade 11 for obvious reasons.
Thank you for this advice
You are so welcome
thanks for the info about creating a win 11 bootable usb drive. needed this because hiren DESTROYED my system. hiren is a windows nuclear bomb.
Sorry to hear that. I've created dozens of Hirens discs over the years and never had an issue 🤷♂️
@@AskYourComputerGuy yeah , icreated the disc. ran the 1 click fix. destroyed my system. had to do a complete reinstall. lost almost everything.
@salventi5665 TronScript only removes malware and viruses. It does not "destroy" anything that isn't already malicious. If your computer didn't run correctly after it ran, it's because it was already too heavily infected and Windows should have probably been reinstalled already
I prefer Ventoy instead of Rufus. It makes keeping multiple ISOs offline very easy.
I use both methods. Some people don't need to have a disc with a handful of ISOs, even though it's more convenient, it may not be practical for their needs. But I made a Ventoy video on how to create it, just in case:
The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review!
ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
@AskYourComputerGuy I found your Ventoy video after I made my two posts. I have seen a couple of videos claiming to be able to create a working copy of windows that runs completely from a USB drive. Have you ever heard of such a thing? If that works, I think that would be the Ultimate Rescue USB.
I've seen Hirens in the past for Windows XP and thought it was a hacker's version, but must be safe if you use it as a backup solution and say technicians have it. I was surprised to see it for Windows 10 as I thought it was for earlier versions. Like many, I've been calling it: "High-rens", but is: "HE-rens".
Still disturbs my soul to say "Hee-rens" but then I realized it was more about the content than the pronunciation 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy The Hiren's Boot CD is now a "HE-rens" after all these years! Well, it's good publicity for the guys who put them together that they're alive and kicking! The Heeren's boot drive: how posh! I wonder what Microsoft will think when they update Windows 11 on so called 'unsupported hardware' for people to reach for Hiren's emergency boot drive!
Still wondering why it has to be on two separate sticks. It would be more economical and handy to use just one.
It doesn't have to be. You can use ventoy. With ventoy u can create a flash drive that can hold all the necessary ISO files to use. When u plug the drive in to boot,u just pick the ISO file u want and it will load. Been using ventoy for yrs. Its fantastic.
@CelestialDeathscythe agreed! Ventoy is a great option as well
The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review!
ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
Oh ok so u did it. I didn't realize it. UA-cam just put this video in a compilation playlists and i had it on in the background. Keep up the good work. U earn a sub from me@@AskYourComputerGuy
I recently discovered that Dell computers seem to have RAID enabled by default even on single drive systems (which causes the SSD to not be detected by the windows installer)
I was not aware of that
Thank you.
Hi Scott, thanks for letting me know about this new video for the downloads. I ran into a snafu while downloading Hiren's. I chose USB F but place it in my CD E. Any way I can delete it from the CD E:. It won't let me delete it from CD E:
Hi, does combing these troubleshooting softwares on a single pen drive using Ventoy do the trick? Or do you suggest having two separate pen drives as demonstrated here?
This is something I will have to do when I buy a new laptop since mine is stuck in the blue screen repair and nothing will fix it wish I knew about this when I first got my laptop
Have you watched this yet?
How to fix ANY Windows problem with the built-in repair tool
ua-cam.com/video/i-QHtJGAXgI/v-deo.html
@@AskYourComputerGuy yes I get to the stage in command prompts and it says that windows found corrupt files and repaired them and says changes will be made after next reboot but I can’t reboot my laptop so I’m stuck on that any idea on what to do?
@TheStewman42 why can't you restart your computer?
@@AskYourComputerGuy I can but it doesn’t work I just get put back into the automatic repair loop and if I run the command again it says the same thing and I can’t reset my computer because it keeps saying it ran into a problem so it seems to me it’s a never ending loop and it can’t be fixed
@TheStewman42 gotcha. Yeah unfortunately if reset doesn't work, your Windows is likely beyond repair. Reinstall Windows clean and you'll be good.
I have found Rufus to be a bit complicated. Instead, I used balena Etcher to install the iso file to by USB drive.
Haven't heard of it. Thanks for sharing 👍
I like to use NTFS, then he formats as exfat😂
Either is fine, but ex-fat is also Linux and Mac compatible. I prefer NTFS myself
I made these… forgot where I put them 😂😂😂
😂
Rufus is different for me, I did the target system (BIOS or UEFI), now I click GPT - "Target System" changes to "UEFI (non CSM)" ... The only way to keep the Target System to BIOS or UEFI is to choose MBR
A man who keeps a promise.
I appreciate that
Good video
I have 2pcs, one with w11 and the other one with w10, I'm gonna need 2usb right? the one for w11 with gpt partition scheme and mbr for w10... Is there no alternative to using the same hirens on both operating systems? Thx for the video is very useful
Great video. I have a miniPC and a laptop. Both runs windows 11 Pro. Do I have to make separate windows iso and Hirens USB drive for each? I do have Acronis backup software.. Which is better?
One Hirens, one MCT for each version of Windows. For simplicity, you could use one drive and load them all on it:
The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review!
ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
Thank you..will do the Ventoy route
@georgiejr69 👍
hi hello
I have some questions
Does the USB drive I use for this have to be empty?
And how much storage do I need exactly?
And is it possible to do all the software in one usb drive?
I will appreciate your response
Just stumbled on this channel. What are you doing on the Technology Connections set?
LOL I had never heard of them, had to check it out just now...their setup is way fancier and better lit than mine 😂
VenToy - One Disc to Rule them All
Lots of people prefer Ventoy (myself included). Others have had lots of issues with having to disable secure boot to get it to work (despite the "enable secure boot option"). That's why I made this video about it, for those who want a more versatile ISO solution 👍
The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review!
ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
I haven't had to disable secure boot to run Ventoy for a long time. I just add its keys to the secure boot then restart and it's all good. I did find on a new Lenovo ThinkPad that I had to enable the ability to add 3rd party keys in the bios, reboot, add the keys, reboot into Ventoy. Adds another minute, but it's no big deal, and probably better from a security perspective anyway. It's not really much extra time because now I don't have to boot into the BIOS later to re-enable secure boot. Ventoy quickly becomes a must-have.
I suggest using Ventoy or Yumi to combine them into one drive.
I don't disagree, but some people have had an issue with turning off secure boot (even though there is an option in Ventoy to work with secure boot, it doesn't always work) and also some people prefer to have separate disks.. Made a video about this!
The LAST flash drive you will ever need! Ventoy FULL walk-thru and review!
ua-cam.com/video/MIT3w-EPA9M/v-deo.html
@@AskYourComputerGuy ya secure boot sux.. I disabled it before this last build.. (no issues since) wreaked havoc on my gigatrash board