Factory recovery - Create a Custom Recovery Partition

Kari · 27 Jul 2018

vgkfan83 said:

I have another question for you. I have installed a few more software programs that I would like to have on my custom recovery. Would all I have to do is create a new install.wim and override the one in my Recovery Partition?

Yes.

The same after upgrading Windows, just capture new WIM file and replace one in recovery partition's Sources folder.

SIW2 · 27 Jul 2018

I have another question for you. I have installed a few more software programs that I would like to have on my custom recovery.

If they are portable you can just add them into the program files folder, something like 7-zip, or wimlib can do that.

Or mount the wim, drop them in, then unmount with commit.

JAM83 · 27 Jul 2018

SIW2 said:

If they are portable you can just add them into the program files folder, something like 7-zip, or wimlib can do that.

Or mount the wim, drop them in, then unmount with commit.

Idk why, but for some reason, i hate portable software. Lol

cereberus · 28 Jul 2018

vgkfan83 said:

Kari, you're right. . That was pretty easy. . Of course, I won't know if the recovery image works until the next time I do a fresh install. . lol. I did not get any errors, so i'm to assume everything is fine.

You can test iso by installing it in a virtual machine.

RMiguel · 28 Jul 2018

Is there any way with this mettod to had a shortcut key for recovery partition when booting the pc, example pressing F11 on boot? prefer that then seeing a timed menu to boot it up, i know aomei onekey can do that but from what i read if you unninstal the aplication from current working windows it stops working.

SIW2 · 28 Jul 2018

Yes, that is simple. You need to make sure the key isn't used for anything else on your machine.

Exactly the same way you set up any other custom action. I have lots of bootable wims in my boot menu, mostly displayed, but some on keys. I have been doing it for years.

RMiguel said:

Is there any way with this mettod to had a shortcut key for recovery partition when booting the pc, example pressing F11 on boot? prefer that then seeing a timed menu to boot it up, i know aomei onekey can do that but from what i read if you unninstal the aplication from current working windows it stops working.

Kari · 30 Jul 2018

vgkfan83 said:

I done it successfully. My .wim is 23.2GB

@vgkfan83, please do not panic now but I have been thinking the size of your captured custom install.wim file. It sounds too big.

Please could you take a screenshot of properties for C: drive to show how much space Windows is currently using?

Factory recovery - Create a Custom Recovery Partition-image.png

Kari

JAM83 · 30 Jul 2018

@Kari

Here's the Properties of my C drive and my Recovery Drive just in case you wanted that one too. . lol

Factory recovery - Create a Custom Recovery Partition-untitled.png

Kari · 30 Jul 2018

vgkfan83 said:

Here's the Properties of my C drive and my Recovery Drive just in case you wanted that one too. . lol

Just to compare:

I am making a video about this procedure. On reference machine I am using to capture video, used space on C: drive is about 28 G, which creates a 7 GB install.wim when captured.

If maths in computing were straight forward, your used space on C: being double compared to my reference machine, your captured image should be about 14 GB, but it is actually 40% more, 23.2 GB.

OK, computer storage maths are not as straight forward. There could be multiple reasons for your image being so big. For instance, some files and file types are compressed with better ratio than others.

I think there's no reason to be worried, the size of your captured image being within acceptable limits. I was just a bit worried, that's all.

Kari

JAM83 · 30 Jul 2018

Kari said:

Just to compare:

I am making a video about this procedure. On reference machine I am using to capture video, used space on C: drive is about 28 G, which creates a 7 GB install.wim when captured.

If maths in computing were straight forward, your used space on C: being double compared to my reference machine, your captured image should be about 14 GB, but it is actually 40% more, 23.2 GB.

OK, computer storage maths are not as straight forward. There could be multiple reasons for your image being so big. For instance, some files and file types are compressed with better ratio than others.

I think there's no reason to be worried, the size of your captured image being within acceptable limits. I was just a bit worried, that's all.

Kari

I have a lot of Software installed as well. I have 4 Adobe programs installed. Those 4 themselves use 7.4GB of storage.