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NovaBACKUP Advanced Boot Media Instructions (20.1 and newer versions)

Creating NovaBACKUP Advanced Boot Media

What You Need

Before creating Advanced boot media, you'll need to install Windows components on your computer.

Prerequisites

  • NovaBACKUP client version 20.1 or newer
  • Windows ADK (Assessment and Deployment Kit) from Microsoft
  • Windows PE addon (for ADK version 1809 or newer - see table below)
  • Supported OS: Windows 10, Windows 11, Server 2016, Server 2019, or Server 2022 (64-bit only)
  • Internet access during ADK/WinPE installation (required to download components)

⚠️ Important: You can only have ONE version of the ADK installed at a time. You can only have ONE version of Windows PE addon installed at a time.

Step 1: Check Your ADK Version

Windows ADK comes in different versions. Check which one you need:

ADK Version Guide

ADK Version Released Windows PE Addon Needed? Download
Windows 11, version 22H2 (10.1.22621.1) May 2023 ✅ YES (separate download) Download ADK + Download WinPE
Windows 10, version 1809 and newer Sept 2018+ ✅ YES (separate download) See "Other ADK Downloads" below
Windows 10, version 1803 and older Before Sept 2018 ❌ NO (included in main installer) See "Other ADK Downloads" below

Recommendation: Use the latest ADK (Windows 11, version 22H2) for the most current driver support.

Step 2: Download and Install Windows ADK

For ADK 1809 or Newer (Most Users)

You'll install TWO separate files in this order:

  1. First, install ADK (adksetup.exe):

    • Download from the link above
    • Run the installer
    • Select "Deployment Tools" as the feature to install
    • Internet access required during install
    • Complete the installation

  2. Second, install Windows PE addon (adkwinpesetup.exe):

    • Download the Windows PE addon from the link above
    • Run the installer
    • Select "Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)"
    • Internet access required during install
    • Complete the installation

For ADK 1803 or Older

You only need the main adksetup.exe installer:

  • Run adksetup.exe
  • Make sure "Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)" is checked during installation
  • Complete the installation

Step 3: Verify Installation

Before creating boot media, confirm both components are installed:

  1. Open Settings → Apps → Apps & features
  2. Search for: "Windows Assessment"
  3. You should see:
    • "Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit" (the main ADK)
    • "Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit - Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE)" (the WinPE addon - if using ADK 1809+)

If you're missing the Windows PE item and you installed ADK 1809 or newer, you need to install the Windows PE addon (see Step 2 above).

Step 4: Create Advanced Boot Media in NovaBACKUP

  1. Open the NovaBACKUP client
  2. Go to Home → Image Backup → Image Backup Tools → Boot Disc
  3. Select "Advanced" as the boot media type
  4. Click "Next"

You'll See One of Two Paths:

Path A: If ADK is Already Detected

  • The wizard will skip to the "Create the customized bootable image" dialog
  • Go to Step 5 below

Path B: If ADK is Not Detected

  • You'll see a "Download" dialog
  • You can browse to your adksetup.exe file and install it from there
  • OR close this dialog, manually install the ADK and Windows PE addon, then restart the wizard
  • Then go to Step 5 below

Step 5: Add Drivers (Optional)

In the "Create the customized bootable image" dialog, you can add device drivers if needed.

When to add drivers:

  • Storage controllers (NVME, SCSI)
  • Network adapters
  • Other hardware specific to your environment

To add drivers:

  1. Click "Browse" next to the drivers field
  2. Select a folder containing your driver files
  3. Continue to Step 6

Step 6: Create the Boot Media

  1. Click "Create Image" button
  2. Wait for the process to complete (may take several minutes)
  3. Choose where to save the boot media:
    • USB flash drive (recommended)
    • CD/DVD
    • ISO file only (save for later use)
  4. Click "Finish" when complete

Troubleshooting

"Create Image" Fails with Error

Error: oocode:CENgine::AssembleBootableImage:CreateSpecificWindowsImage:Result=General

This usually means Windows PE addon is not installed. Verify Step 3 above. If you have ADK 1809+ but are missing the Windows PE component, install it and try again.

For Windows 11 24H2 with UAC enabled: See our separate KB article on this issue (UAC blocking the process).

Missing Windows PE During Creation

Message: oocode:CEngine:AssembleBootableImage:CreateSpecificWindowsImage : result = General Failure

Solution: Install or verify Windows PE addon is properly installed (see Step 3).

Other ADK Downloads

Need an older ADK version? Microsoft provides previous versions here:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/get-started/adk-install#other-adk-downloads

Available versions include Windows 10 ADKs dating back to v1607.

Related Issues

  • Boot media creation fails on Windows 11 24H2 with UAC enabled: See separate KB article
  • Plugins fail on Windows Server 2025 with UAC enabled: See separate KB article

Questions?

Contact NovaBACKUP Support if you need additional help.