CCBoot

Local SSD boot, central image

Boot Windows from each PC’s own SSD — and still manage one image on the server

CCBoot Hybrid creates a VHD image from the server image and stores it directly on the client PC’s local SSD. The PC boots Windows from that local VHD, while games and shared data remain centrally managed on the CCBoot server.

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Windows boots from the PC’s own drive
Local SSD
image versions you can restore
V0, V1, V2…
both boot methods in one room
Hybrid + PXE
CCBootCloud Disk → Images page listing Local SSD images and PXE images

What Hybrid mode does

The central image and super-client workflow of CCBoot, with Windows running from the drive inside each PC.

  • Windows on the local SSD

    Each client gets a VHD image made from the server image, written to its SSD. Boot reads come from the local drive, not the network.

  • Games stay on the server

    Configure a game disk next to the image and write-back disks. Games and shared data are still managed in one place for the whole room.

  • Update with super client

    Switch one PC to super mode, install or patch, then keep the changes. They are saved into the image as a new version.

  • Versions you can roll back

    Every super-client update creates the next version — V0, V1, V2 … Restore any earlier version, or merge them all into the main image.

  • Clean after every reboot

    Changes and installs made outside super client are reverted on reboot, returning the PC to its clean state.

  • Mix Hybrid and PXE PCs

    Choose per computer whether it boots the Local SSD image or a PXE image, so PCs with and without SSDs share one server.

Diskless, Hybrid or CCDisk?

All three run on the same CCBootCloud server and client. You pick the mode in the cloud panel under Center settings → Diskless mode.

CCBoot (diskless)CCBoot HybridCCDisk (virtual disk)
Where Windows runsStreamed from the server image over the networkFrom a VHD of the server image on the PC’s local SSDInstalled locally on each PC’s SSD
Game diskShared from the serverShared from the serverShared from the server
System image updatesSuper client, once for every PCSuper client, saved as a new image versionEach PC’s Windows is maintained locally
On rebootWhole PC returns to the clean imageLocal image returns to its clean stateGame disk stays clean; OS is managed locally
Client PC needsNetwork boot (PXE) — no local driveA local SSD or NVMe driveA local SSD with Windows installed
Best forNew rooms and full central controlRooms with SSDs that want one central imageRooms that want to keep their own Windows install
Hybrid and PXE images can be used side by side: PCs that already have an SSD use the Hybrid image, the rest boot over PXE — see “Hybrid and PXE in the same room” below.

How to set up Hybrid mode

Summarised from the wiki guide “CCBoot hybrid setup”.

  1. 1

    Enable Hybrid in the cloud panel

    Go to Settings → Center settings → Diskless mode, select Hybrid and save. On Disks, pick the disk that holds the image, then set the write-back disk and, if you have one, the game disk. TFTP, DHCP and DHCP-proxy services stop.

  2. 2

    Install the server

    Download CCBootCloud from Settings → Install links, choose “CCBoot server installation”, keep the default C:\CCBoot folder, then enter your license and password to connect to the cloud.

  3. 3

    Prepare an install USB

    On the server run C:\CCBoot\CCBootUSB.exe and choose Install VHD to USB. Pick the Super image or your own VHD, select UEFI Image and the server image disk. A USB drive with 300 MB/s or faster read/write speeds up setup.

  4. 4

    Install the image to each SSD

    Boot the client from the USB, run CCBootUSB.exe from the CCBootDisk drive and choose Install VHD to SSD. The SSD is split into a 100 GB C: drive and a CCBootDisk drive with the remaining space.

Last step: enable super client for the PC once, run C:\CCBootClient\CCBootClient.exe and click Initialize Disk Boot to finish the configuration — see “CCBoot hybrid super client” in the wiki.

Update once with super client, keep every version

Enable Super Client for a PC on the Disks page and choose “Set the Local Image as Super Mode”. The PC reboots by itself into super mode, and its name turns red in the panel. Install or update what you need.

Then disable super client, choose “Exit the Local Super Image Mode” and “Keep the Changes”. The client copies the changes into the image in two stages, reboots, and the image list shows a new version.

  • One version per update: V0, V1, V2 …
  • Restore any earlier version from the image list
  • Merge All folds every restore point into the main image — after that you cannot roll back
  • Changes made outside super client are gone after a reboot
Hybrid super clientRestore an image
Image version list after a super-client update, showing the new version v1
Edit PC dialog: choose the Local SSD image or a PXE image for each computer

Hybrid and PXE in the same room

Disk → Images has two sections: Local SSD Images and PXE Images. In Computers, open Edit PC and choose under Image either Local — the SSD image — or any PXE image.

So PC1 can boot from its SSD while PC2 boots over the network, from the same server. PCs that already have an SSD use the Hybrid image; the rest use PXE boot.

  • Set the boot method per computer
  • Add PXE images next to the Local SSD image
  • Moving a Hybrid PC to PXE? Change its BIOS boot priority to network
CCBoot Hybrid and PXEPXE boot server

Try Hybrid mode with your own PCs

The free trial includes the CCBootCloud server and client. Select Hybrid in Center settings and put your first image on a client SSD today.

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Documentation

Step-by-step guides from the CCBoot wiki.

Browse the full wiki

Common questions

What is CCBoot Hybrid mode?

A CCBootCloud mode in which the server image is turned into a VHD and stored on each client’s local SSD. The PC boots Windows from that VHD, while games and shared data stay centrally managed on the CCBoot server.

How is Hybrid different from diskless CCBoot and from CCDisk?

Diskless CCBoot streams Windows from the server and needs no local drive. CCDisk leaves Windows installed on each PC and only shares the game disk. Hybrid sits in between: Windows runs from the local SSD, but the image is still built, updated and versioned centrally with super client.

What does each client PC need?

An SSD or NVMe drive installed before setup. The image is written with the UEFI Image option, and the drive is split into a 100 GB C: drive plus a CCBootDisk drive. For the one-time install, a USB drive with 300 MB/s or faster read/write is recommended.

Can Hybrid and PXE diskless PCs share one server?

Yes. Keep a Local SSD image and one or more PXE images, then choose the image per PC in Edit PC. To move a Hybrid PC to PXE, also change its BIOS boot priority to network.

How do I undo a bad update?

Open the image list and click Restore next to an earlier version. Versions are created one per super-client update. Merge All combines every restore point into the main image, after which earlier versions can no longer be restored.

How is Hybrid licensed?

Hybrid is one of the diskless modes of CCBootCloud, selected in Center settings. See the pricing page for per-seat prices in your country, or contact us for a quote.

Related pages

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