Question on WIN 10 Recovery Drive vs Macrium Recovery/boot/image


  1. Posts : 55
    Windows 10 Home 64 bit
       #1

    Question on WIN 10 Recovery Drive vs Macrium Recovery/boot/image


    Tried creating a Windows 10 Recovery USB but two attempts failed for some unknown reason - both popped up a window stating that Recovery Drive was not Created (although it contained numerous files). I used the common method to create the Recovery using a 16 GB USB which was more than adequate capacity for the recovery.

    Wondering if there is any real value to having a Win 10 Recovery USB when I have a Macrium boot up recovery DVD and a Macrium full image if my C (OS drive) and D (data drive) on an external HDD.

    Comment, suggestions or advice would be welcomed,

    Frank
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 42,986
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #2

    Hi, the answer to that is 'it depends'.

    Why? Because you have options to create a recovery USB with different capabilities.

    One thing it can do as a minimum is allow you to boot to troubleshooting options. But those are available from by booting from a Win 10 installation medium.
    Boot to Advanced Startup Options in Windows 10
    Option 4

    Another option you can add when creating it is to reset your PC based on system files from your PC, but you lose all programs you have installed- and data too of course.

    Yet another option you can add is to preserve all programs you have installed. But again, you lose data.

    You can discover these options in the tutorials:
    Create Recovery Drive in Windows 10
    When users create USB recovery media using the Create a recovery drive utility, the resulting media always contain a bootable copy of Windows RE. This gives users access to troubleshooting and recovery tools when booting from recovery media.
    Users can optionally back up files required to perform bare metal recovery. When the option is selected, the following are copied onto the USB recovery media as well:

    • Windows Component Store
    • Installed drivers
    • Backup of preinstalled Windows apps
    • Provisioning packages containing preinstalled customizations (under C:\Recovery\Customizations)
    • Push-button Reset configuration XML and scripts (under C:\Recovery\OEM)
    - no user installed programs preserved.

    Create Provisioning Package in Windows 10
    f you have upgraded a computer from an earlier version of Windows, or clean-installed it yourself at some point, then normally a reset or a recovery drive will perform a clean install of Windows 10 and nothing else.

    However this tutorial shows you how to customise the reset and recovery drive by saving your currently installed software applications, so that they get picked up by the reset process or the next time you create a recovery drive.
    The objectives are quite different and there's really no comparison with disk imaging.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 55
    Windows 10 Home 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks dalchina, from what you said there would be a value in creating a USB Recovery to allow one to boot to troubleshooting options which would not be available with Macrium's recovery DVD.

    Will have to try figuring out why my 2 attempts to create the Recovery USB failed? I recall seeing a free 3rd party software that also creates the WIn 10 Recovery Disk or USB.

    Frank
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 42,986
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #4

    Personally I'd be happy with:
    A Win 10 intallation medium (covers the repair options provided on a recovery disk) + supports in-place upgrade repair install
    Kyhi's live boot disk (or similar)
    Disk imaging with bootable disk
    Supplemental data backup for faster changing critical data
    A strategy such that most of my personal data is off C:
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 55
    Windows 10 Home 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thanks dalchina - you mentioned Disk imaging with bootable disk among your identified personal preferences. I do have a disk image of my two internal drives and bootable disk and cannot install a recovery USB, would like you opinion on the value of Windows 10 installation medium with its troubleshooting repair options versus other available 3rd party windows troubleshooting/repair software.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 42,986
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #6

    Well, it lets you boot to a command prompt, for example, so anything you can do with an offline installation from there is feasible, especially DISM commands I suppose.

    Then there's startup repair, system restore, go back to the previous build (if available).

    And it can be used, if the same build as the installed Win 10, for an in-place upgrade repair install.

    Kyhi's boot disk can be downloaded as an older fixed build, or as a DIY version including anything you wish to include by way of utilities, and runs a familiar Win 10 environment (see the thread at the top of the Software and Apps section).
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 55
    Windows 10 Home 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Question on Win 10 Recovery Drive vs Macrium Recovery/boot/image


    Will go for the Win 10 installation medium. Thanks again for your patience and counsel.

    Frank
      My Computer


 

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