How to Network Boot Multiple PCs with AOMEI PXE Boot Free

The AOMEI PXE Boot Tool Free is a specialized utility that allows you to boot multiple client computers over a local area network (LAN). Instead of using physical USB flash drives or CD-ROMs, you use a single “host” server computer to share a bootable image file (ISO) with the client machines. This is highly useful for mass system deployment, bare-metal backups, or troubleshooting enterprise environments. Prerequisites for Network Booting

Before starting, ensure that your environment meets these hardware and networking guidelines:

Host Server: A Windows PC with the AOMEI Backupper software installed (which includes the PXE tool natively).

Wired Connections: Both the host server and client computers must be connected to the exact same router or network switch using Ethernet LAN cables.

IP Management: A DHCP server must be running on your network (like your home router) to pass IP addresses to booting clients.

Firmware Configuration: If your host or client machines feature modern UEFI firmware, you must set their boot configuration mode to Legacy / CSM to achieve proper network compatibility with the free utility. Step 1: Initialize the Host PXE Server

Launch the Software: Open AOMEI Backupper on your host computer.

Open PXE Utilities: Navigate to the top navigation menus, click on Tools, and choose AOMEI PXE Boot Tool.

Choose Boot Environment: On the configuration screen, you will be prompted to select one of three image configuration types:

Boot from AOMEI Windows PE System: The easiest choice; automatically configures a standard Windows pre-installation utility environment.

Boot from AOMEI Linux System: Loads a lightweight Linux environment.

Boot from Custom Image File: Lets you browse and select a custom operating system installer or toolset ISO file from your hard drive.

Activate Server Mode: Press the Start Service button. The status terminal window will state that the server is actively listening and waiting for connections. Step 2: Configure Client Computer Hardware Create a PXE Boot Server for your computer network!