How to Download and Boot SystemRescue from a USB Stick or CD/DVD

SystemRescue is a Linux rescue toolkit that runs entirely from bootable media, so you can download the image from system-rescue.org, write it to a USB stick or burn it to a CD/DVD, then boot your computer from that medium. No installation is required, though the project notes it can be installed on a hard disk if you prefer. This guide covers the download, the two media options, boot options, and first-boot steps.

Before You Start

• A working computer to prepare the media, plus a USB stick or a blank CD/DVD.
• The target machine must be able to boot from USB or from its optical drive (check the firmware/boot menu).
• Back up important data before doing rescue or partitioning work on any disk.
• For first-time users, the project's own advice is to read the Quick Start Guide before booting.

Step 1: Download the Image

Go to the SystemRescue homepage at system-rescue.org and use the Download link in the site navigation. The homepage also links to the ChangeLog so you can see what changed between versions. Download the bootable image file offered there; the site does not publish pricing details, so treat availability and any access conditions as stated on the download page itself.

Step 2: Create the Bootable Medium

Option A: USB Stick

The project documents installing SystemRescue on a USB stick as a standard procedure (linked from the homepage under "How to install SystemRescue on an USB-stick"). In practice this means writing the downloaded image to the stick so it becomes bootable — the exact tool and commands are covered in that project page, so follow it rather than guessing at menu locations.

Option B: CD/DVD

The homepage lists "Downloading and burning" as a documentation chapter. Burn the downloaded image to the disc using your usual disc-burning software, then use that disc as the boot medium.

Comparison

Choose USB if your machine boots from it and you expect to use the toolkit more than once; choose CD/DVD if USB boot isn't available or you want a simple one-off disc.

Step 3: Boot from the Medium

1. Insert the USB stick or disc and restart the computer.
2. Open the firmware boot menu (or change the boot order) so the machine starts from your medium instead of the internal disk.
3. At the SystemRescue boot prompt, review the available boot options — the homepage links a dedicated "Boot options" page and a "Booting SystemRescue" documentation chapter. Defaults are fine for most rescues; special options exist for things like different video modes or specific hardware needs.
4. Let the system finish starting. You'll land in the live environment with the included tools.

Expected result: a running SystemRescue session where you can work on disks and data without touching the installed operating system.

Step 4: First Steps Inside SystemRescue

• Read the Quick Start Guide if this is your first time — the project explicitly recommends it for new users.
• Configure networking if you need to transfer data or download packages; the homepage links "Network: configuration and programs."
• Mount partitions as needed. For Windows disks, the project documents "Mounting an NTFS partition with full Read-Write support" — read it before writing to NTFS.
• Use the included tools: GParted (GUI partitioning), GNU Parted, FSArchiver, filesystem tools, editors, Midnight Commander, and network tools. The kernel supports ext4, xfs, btrfs, vfat, and ntfs, plus Samba and NFS network filesystems.
• Optional persistence: if you want changes to survive reboots, the docs cover creating a backing-store; you can also install extra packages with pacman or run startup scripts via autorun.

Common Sticking Points

• Machine won't boot from the medium: check the firmware boot order and whether USB boot or the optical drive is enabled.
• Unsure which boot option to pick: start with the default; consult the Boot options page only if hardware isn't detected or the display misbehaves.
• NTFS writes: don't write to a Windows partition until you've read the read-write mounting guide.
• Needing tools not included: the docs explain installing additional software packages with pacman, which typically requires working network access.
• Wanting to keep settings: set up a backing-store rather than expecting changes to persist automatically.

Where to Go Next

The homepage's documentation section is the authoritative reference: Quick Start Guide, downloading and burning, USB installation, boot options, networking, NTFS mounting, disk partitioning and LVM guides, PXE network booting, and data backup with rsync. The Manual, FAQ, and Forums links are also available from the site for deeper troubleshooting.