System crashes can happen anytime, anywhere. Stay prepared with a reliable recovery solution. If your Windows computer is unbootable and you only have your Android phone, Ventoy's got you covered. This innovative tool lets you create a Windows recovery USB directly from your smartphone. It's easy to use and makes a recovery USB from almost any bootable ISO file. Follow our simple step-by-step guide to safeguard your data and ensure seamless recovery. You can use this tool to create a recovery USB for Linux too. This solution will only work if your Windows system is corrupt and there's no hardware failure.
There are several similar apps available for the Android platform and almost all of them have one thing in common. Nearly all of them are unofficial builds of their desktop equivalents. But, they're safe to use.
The burning process of ISO files on an Android phone is comparatively slower than on a desktop. So be patient while the tool is working on the files. Let's create a Windows recovery USB on Android.
Prerequisites for Creating the Bootable Recovery USB
Let us first list the important tools and components we need to create a Windows recovery USB on an Android phone. Once you have all the listed items, the rest of the process is—easy.
- A working Android phone. (ideally Android 8+)
- A USB OTG (On-The-Go) adapter or cable. It can be grabbed easily from Amazon.
- A blank USB stick with a minimum of 8GB space.
- The Ventoy app for Andriod. For the best experience, use the 'Pro' version of this app.
- A Windows ISO file. For example, a Windows 11 ISO file can be downloaded from here.
Remember, the ISO file should be downloaded on your Android phone and not on the desktop. Or, if you have already downloaded it on the desktop, you must transfer it to your Android phone.
Now that everything is ready, let's move on to the actual process. Let's get started!
Step-by-Step Process of Creating a Bootable Windows Recovery USB
Make sure your phone's battery is not low as this process may take some time.
Step 1: Start with installing the Ventoy app on your Android phone.
Step 2: Thereafter, ensure the downloaded Window ISO file is in place at a known location on the phone's storage.
Step 3: Insert the USB stick into the OTG adapter and plug it into the USB-C port of your Android phone. The phone will automatically detect the USB drive.
In case your phone is not detecting the USB drive, search for the 'OTG Connection' option in the settings and switch it on.
Step 4: Open the Ventoy app and let it detect your USB drive. It may take a couple of seconds to do so.
Step 5: If you're using an old computer, the boot partition type should be 'MBR', and for a computer with modern hardware, the partition type should be 'GPT'. If you're unsure, check the hardware specifications on your computer's manufacturer's website. If you're selecting the partition type as 'GPT', make sure the 'Secure Boot Support' option is selected as well.
In the future, when your PC is in working condition, scan its detailed hardware configuration and upload the information to a secure cloud storage. In the time of need, this information will come in handy.
Step 6: After selecting the boot partition type, scroll down and click the 'INSTALL' button to configure the Ventoy application on the USB drive. It'll ensure the USB stick becomes bootable with muti-boot support.
It may warn you about disk formatting and data loss. Simply click the 'OK' button to proceed.
It may take a minute or two to finish this process. In this context, multi-boot implies that you can transfer multiple ISO files to the USB drive which are then available as a boot option through a menu.
Step 7: It's time to finally transfer the Windows bootable ISO file to the USB drive. To do that, click the button indicated in the image above. It'll open the phone's file manager, from where you can select the Windows ISO file stored in your phone.
Upon file selection, the transfer will start. Remember, because the ISO file is huge, it may take several minutes to complete the entire process. So, be patient! Upon completion, click the 'OK' button.
Now, you can click the 'Eject' button to safely remove the USB drive from the phone's port.
Step 8: Finally, go into your computer's BIOS menu and ensure the USB drive is the first in the boot sequence. Different PC brands have different keys to enter the BIOS. Check your computer's manufacturer's website to know about the BIOS accessing key.
Some of the common ways for entering the BIOS are F2, F12, and Esc keys.
Step 9: Once the correct boot sequence is in place, insert the USB drive into your computer's port and boot. A Ventoy boot menu will appear showcasing all the available (if any) bootable ISO files. Select the Windows ISO file you transferred earlier and continue with the recovery process.
Conclusion
Creating a Windows recovery USB from your Android phone has never been easier thanks to Ventoy. With its straightforward setup, you can quickly prepare a bootable USB without needing a secondary computer. By following the steps in this guide, you’ll be equipped to handle any Windows system failures in the future, ensuring you're never caught off guard.
Try Ventoy today, and see how this tool simplifies your system recovery process!
