Unable to create "RecoveryDrive" in Windows 10

I did the free upgrade offer to Windows 10 from a Windows 7 Ultimate Dell T7500 with an Xenon motherboard. I am unable to create the "RecoveryDrive" USB from the utility: recoverdrive.exe.

I have google searched for solutions with no "direct" solution. I have upgraded 8 other windows 7 PC's to Windows 10. About half will NOT create the recovery drive. What is the recoverydrive.exe looking for, in order to declare a failure?

Finally, I find on this forum steps to download the windows 10 ISO, using that ISO to build a bootable USB. You are directed to have a Windows key. QUESTION: can this key be the one I have with the Dell Windows 7, to be used with a Windows 10 ISO?

If you're making a clean installation, you need to use your product key. - As of october 16, you can use your Windows 7/8 product key with a clean installation. You can also skip the product key activation, if you like.

AbAppletic said:

If you're making a clean installation, you need to use your product key. - As of october 16, you can use your Windows 7/8 product key with a clean installation. You can also skip the product key activation, if you like.

The first two sentences are incorrect. Only the last sentence is correct. The released build of Windows 10 that you will get with the Media Creation Tool is still build 10240 which does not accept Windows 7 or 8 product keys, and since an upgrade has been performed once on that computer already, there is no need to enter any product key. Click on "skip" or "do this later" when asked to enter a product key.

Kyhi said:

Are you running the .exe as a stand alone
or are you trying to create a recovery drive via control panel

I do a search on "recoverydrive". The result shows "RecoveryDrive.exe". I right click and run as adminstrator. I also see that this executable is located in "windows\system32\RecoveryDrive.exe", which prompted me to pin it to the startmenu.

Kyhi said:

Are you running the .exe as a stand alone
or are you trying to create a recovery drive via control panel

I didn't see the RecoveryDrive option in the control panel. This is why I did the search for it per instructions I found searching Google.

topgundcp said:

In addition, open the Admin Command Prompt and run: reagentc /info
That should give you some idea what's wrong.

My results from this command:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.10240]
(c) 2015 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>reagentc /info
Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration
Information:

Windows RE status: Enabled
Windows RE location: \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Recovery\WindowsRE
Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: bc1c84db-7307-11e5-a8cf-90bd4e032aec
Recovery image location:
Recovery image index: 0
Custom image location:
Custom image index: 0

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.


C:\WINDOWS\system32>

topgundcp said:

From Control Panel, it's called "Recovery" and if you click on it, it will show different choices, one is: Create a recovery drive.
From: reagentc /info. The result showed that your recovery app is in Disk 0 Partition 4 where Winre.wim is and is enabled.
Try to run from Control Panel to see if it works.

Let me try again! I replied, but do not see my post:
First, I do not see the option to go to "create a recovery drive". Please look at my screen capture:


Secondly, please be more specific how to initiate Winre.wim from Disk 0, partition 4. I see the recovery label in "Disk Manager", but have no clue how to invoke it. Maybe it is invoked as a "bootup option".