Fresh Install Windows 10 - Recovery Partition

Last month I performed clean installation of Windows 10 Version 1511, during which no recovery partition was created, and Windows RE was put into the Windows partition.

Now there is no recovery partition on my ASUS.

Matthew, this was an old thread, and your comments add nothing to it.

If you have a problem, and it is not evident what the problem is, from your post, please start your own thread, rather than resurrecting or hijacking old ones, referring to different problems.

genet said:

How to clean install Windows 7/8/8.1/10 64-bit in UEFI Boot Mode.

If you want to do a complete clean install and if you have backed up your important files.

On the Which type of installation do you want? screen, select the "Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)" option.

On the Where do you want to install Windows? screen, you'll need to delete all of the partitions (see screenshot below). Select a partition and click on the "Delete" option for each partition.

Attachment 32007

Once you have deleted all of the partitions, you only see Drive 0 Unallocated Space (see screenshot below).

Click on the "Next" button. The installation of Windows will begin. All the required partitions are created automatically during the install.

Or, if you know what you're doing, you can click on the "New" button and create a separate data partition.

Attachment 32008

OMG! Why would I want or need to delete ALL partitions - including my HP recovery partition? Surely that would leave me with no way to recover my PC if the clean installation went wrong? I'd be scared stiff to do that!

I think you can delete only the Windows system partition and clean-install Windows 10 in the resultant unallocated space.

OldMike65 said:

That's why anyone upgrading or doing a Clean Install from their old Windows OS, no matter what version their upgrading should ALWAYS MAKE A Complete IMAGE Backup. Before upgrading to Windows 10. Use a free program like Macrium Reflect, store the image backup on a 2nd drive, or USB stick. Then if anything happens you can reinstall your old Windows OS with no problem at all. Everyone should be making regular image backups!! Would save people so many head ache's down the road.

I have made several image backups, including Macrium Reflect and Windows Custom Refresh images - but I have very rarely been able to actually use them either because Windows doesn't 'see' my custom refresh images or because I cannot remember how to get into UEFI and choose the right boot option! I used to be able to use my Custom Refresh images or boot from a recovery disc etc. quite easily before Microsoft forced secure boot on us all! But I'm afraid that I find getting into and configuring secure boot is just one step too many for a 68-year old to master.

OldMike65 said:

ALWAYS MAKE A Complete IMAGE Backup. Before upgrading to Windows 10.

I did not have to make such a backup because I had a Windows 7 installation disk and backups of all personal files.

OldMike65 said:

Everyone should be making regular image backups!!

Shamefully, I have never made it.

Sheri said:

OMG! Why would I want or need to delete ALL partitions - including my HP recovery partition? Surely that would leave me with no way to recover my PC if the clean installation went wrong? I'd be scared stiff to do that!

Once you upgrade to Windows 10, chances are that you would not be able to use the original HP recovery partition anyway. For example - how would you propose that you could use it after Windows 10 is installed? The manufacturer's recovery partition typically requires the manufacturer's software to restore the computer from it and especially with a clean install of Windows 10 the manufacturer's software to use the recovery partition will be gone, and probably won't work after an upgrade to Windows 10.