Seeking clarity - Creating a Recovery Drive

jumanji said:

Dell very clearly says If your Windows doesn't start, boot from your recovery drive to restore it to the factorry setup. Nowhere does it recommend that each time Windows gets updated you should create a new recovery drive.

Since your system is new and you are still on 1909, you can create a recovery drive in 1909 and then a recovery drive after updating to 20H2. Then boot with those, do the install and tell us whether both install 1909 or one 1909 and the other 20H2. It looks like nobody has done it to confirm the contradicting interpretations or viewpoints..

Yeah it seems like a bit of an unknown. Ive just been talking to Shawn (Brink) and he has confirmed that creating another Recovery Drive after updating to 20H2 from 1909 will create a 20H2 recovery drive. He advises to create a new Recovery Drive after each 6 monthly feature Update to make sure you always have the latest Windows 10 version on the recovery drive

Yes, I saw his post. With due regards, I do not agree with it unless proven by actually performing it and presenting the facts. ( I do have two Recovery drives, one done on 1909 and one on 20H2 and I will do it when my system fails. )

jumanji said:

Yes, I saw his post. With due regards, I do not agree with it unless proven by actually performing it and presenting the facts. ( I do have two Recovery drives, one done on 1909 and one on 20H2 and I will do it when my system fails. )

I presume if you use the 1909 Recovery Drive you would then have to download the 20H2 Feature Update immediately afterwards using Windows Update to bring your PC right up to date with version 20H2

One can setup without connecting to the internet, creating a local account . Check the version.Then do the install with the so called 20H2 recovery drive. Check the version. Is it 20H2? ( When I setup my Dell Inspiron in Dec 2019, I had no idea of how Windows 10 setup will go.. When connected to the internet in the initial setup process , it automatically updated to 1909 even as I was finding my way in and exploring.. I guess it came with 1903 ?)

I just created a new recovery drive today and examined its contents. I am more than ever convinced, that the recovery drive will return me to the OEM setup and not the current version 20H2 on my PC.

I am more than ever convinced, that the recovery drive will return me to the OEM setup and not the current version 20H2 on my PC.

Looks that way.

Hi there

Not intending this as a nasty or snide comment but really : Why bother as I think the other solution (Macrium) is far better.

Just take something like a Macrium image - fast quick simple reliable --what more is needed. Use the stand alone boot media. Macrium is free for this type of process too --- reliable and it works !!!.

If I buy a new computer the very ist thing I do even before booting up from the computers initial settings (usually an OEM set up for first use if it is supplied with Windows) is to take an image also via macrium so I can always restore the computer to its exact state as when bought from the store (or amazon or whatever). This can return the computer to it's "store purchased image" so you can do the initial OEM set up again if you want.

I've never seen the need for the "Windows recovery partition" - these days any even half decent machine can image a windows system in around 15 mins max and that's a biggish Windows system with loads of stuff installed on it.

If people still don't take backups after being told ad Nauseam to do so - it's their funeral !!!!!

Cheers
jimbo