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#11
No that's not right - a recovery drive (with the Backup System Files option selected) can reinstall Windows onto a new blank hard drive.
Also, if you save your software into a Provisioning Package first, the Recovery Drive can reinstall your software for you.
To answer the original question, my experience is that they are machine-specific; for instance the recovery drive seems to include the drivers for the machine that created them. If the drivers aren't ones which Windows finds automatically, this can be a distinct advantage.
So the advantages of a Recovery Drive (with System Files) over a 'vanilla' Windows ISO are that it includes the right drivers and also can include your software.
The disadvantage is that it doesn't always work - I have a machine where it won't create a Recovery Drive with System Files whatever I try, and I know I'm not the only one.
A full image with something like Macrium is still my recommendation though.