What is the new RecoveryImage directory?

Tews · 12 Oct 2014

essenbe said:

I have the technical Preview installed on 2 computers. One was through Windows Update and the other was through a clean install. I have done restores on both of them. neither time was one of the options I had to select to go back to Windows 7. They were always to go back to a clean install of technical preview, go to a clean install keeping my personal files (but not programs) or to wipe the disk clean.

And that's the way it should be done Steve

essenbe · 13 Oct 2014

Thanks, and BTW, I have system images of my Windows 7 with 3 different imaging programs. So, whatever happens, I'll be OK.

rseiler · 14 Oct 2014

EvilJenius said:

That is exactly why [Prevents a Windows 10 upgrade from replacing the on-disk recovery image].

But like adamf said, and I can confirm, this directory appears on upgrades of non-OEM installs of 8.1 that have no recovery directory in the first place, so there is nothing to save.

I'm going to go ahead and move this directory off to another partition, and if nothing breaks with the next build upgrade, eventually delete it.

adamf · 22 Oct 2014

At 9841 the file DONOTREPLACE.txt said this

adamf said:

Code:

Upgrade will not replace the on-disk recovery image if this file is present. Do not delete or modify this file.
Build ID: 9841.0.amd64fre.fbl_release.140912-1613

Upgrading to 9860 changed it to this

Code:

Upgrade will not replace the on-disk recovery image if this file is present. Do not delete or modify this file.
Build ID: 9860.0.amd64fre.fbl_release.141008-2044

but it did not update the drivers or wim - they remained the same as the initial install so it seems to work :)

Ztruker · 22 Oct 2014

After 9860 is installed, the directory contains:

Directory of c:\RecoveryImage

10/21/2014 07:40 PM <DIR> .
10/21/2014 07:40 PM <DIR> ..
10/21/2014 07:40 PM 328 DONOTREPLACE.txt
10/04/2014 02:22 AM <DIR> Drivers
10/03/2014 10:08 PM 3,618,526,248 Install.wim
10/03/2014 11:01 PM <DIR> OEMInformation
2 File(s) 3,618,526,576 bytes
4 Dir(s) 188,399,144,960 bytes free

Saltgrass · 23 Oct 2014

Since you can't install Build 9860 directly, they are just leaving it so 9841 is the result of a Reset. Probably part of the exercise in upgrading an OS in stages over a long period.

Since that Reset would be like a factory Reset to Windows 10 - 9841, I suppose if you had upgraded over 8.1 or 7, all that information would be lost. Maybe something to test if they don't get the Nvidia stuff straightened out!!

Ztruker · 23 Oct 2014

I upgraded 8.1.1 Pro X64 to Win 10 TP then to build 9860. Results are as I listed for the C:\RecoveryImage directory.

adamf · 23 Oct 2014

Ztruker said:

I upgraded 8.1.1 Pro X64 to Win 10 TP then to build 9860. Results are as I listed for the C:\RecoveryImage directory.

Me too and I also have the wim not the ESD same as you.

Ztruker · 23 Oct 2014

I believe the install.wim is from build 9841, the initial Windows 10 TP release. It will stay there as a way to refresh (I think) back to build 9841 when future updates are installed. I believe this is to address the broken refresh in Windows 8 and 8.1 but that's just a guess.

So if you have install.wim it's for build 9841.
If you have install.esd it's for build 9860.

Saltgrass · 23 Oct 2014

Ztruker said:

So if you have install.wim it's for build 9841.
If you have install.esd it's for build 9860.

I have two systems. One was upgraded to build 9860 through Windows Update and one through PC Settings.

The Windows Update one is showing the .esd file instead of the .wim file and dated Oct 22.

The PC Settings upgrade is still showing the original .wim file.

Since I do not know how to get info on an .esd file, even though it has a newer date, the properties show OCT. 9. So, is the .esd a image of 9860 or 9841, and if you believe they are different, why do you believe that?

I would think Microsoft would want to keep any Reset computers running the same version of Windows 10 so it could be upgraded the same way.