Create Recovery Drive in Windows 10  

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  1. Posts : 68,667
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #130

    Carrot Cruncher said:
    Hi. Am I correct in saying that a Recovery Drive can be used in the event that a hard drive fails and has to be replaced? The reason I ask is that I have tested the process on two separate machines both with OEM installations of Windows 7 that I have upgraded (keep nothing) to Windows 10. In both cases I had trouble creating the drive, but after trying various USB drives I eventually got it to work by simply using a different USB port (even though all the USB drives were recognised in Windows Explorer when attached to the original port, weird!). Having created the Recovery Drive I swapped the internal hard drive out for a completely blank (binary zero'd) drive and booted to the Recovery Drive. On one of the machines I don't get the "Recover from a drive" option. On the other I get the option but, having completed the recover, the machines boots to a "An operating system wasn't found." message. Neither machines have a UEFI BIOS or secure boot options. All drives are MBR, not GPT. Is it simply a case of booting to the Recovery Drive and following the prompts, or are you supposed to prep a new drive first? Cheers.
    Hello Carrot Cruncher, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)

    When you create a recovery drive with the Back up system files to the recovery drive box checked, you would be able to boot from it to use the "Recover from a drive" option to reinstall Windows without having to do anything else.

    However, I find that creating a Windows 10 installation USB instead to be more reliable and flexible.

    https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 2
    Windows 10
       #131

    Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I already use installation DVDs / USB drives, I was really just testing the "Recovery Drive" process to see if it works, which would appear to be "no" in my experience.I take it that the "Create a Recovery Drive" process is completely different to any OEM's "Create Recovery Media" process that duplicates a recovery partition to "factory reset" a machine. i.e. On a Windows 7 machine that has been upgraded:1. An OEM's Recovery Media would put the machine back to Windows 7 with all the bloatware that came with the factory image.2. The Windows 10 Recovery Drive should do the same as a Windows 10 installation device and put Windows 10 on the machine including or not including existing files depending on the user's choice during recovery.I wasn't sure whether there was a difference between using a Recovery Drive or installation media when it came to activating an OEM license. Cheers.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 68,667
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #132

    That's correct, a recovery drive would include any OEM bloatware if it's an OEM computer. There wouldn't be any difference for activation between using a recovery drive or retail installation media.
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 4
    Windows 10
       #133

    Hi,


    I'm planning on making this drive after a scary boot failure this week. I have some (possibly dumb questions) however:


    - The only USB stick with the necessary capacity I have isn't the most reliable, and sometimes seems to corrupt files stored on it. Should I use it for this?

    - Does it matter which format the USB drive is in? The stick in question is NTFS, although I'm tempted to reformat it. I could be wrong, but it sounds like this process reformats anyway.

    - Can personal info be derived from a recovery drive? This is my main concern preventing me from having made one already. Paranoid I know, but still

    ok, those are all my stupid questions. sorry if these have been covered, although I couldn't find anything from a search. Thanks for reading anyway :)
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 68,667
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #134

    Hello Terarant, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)

    You might consider creating a Windows 10 installation USB instead. I find it more reliable than a recovery drive.

    https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

    Both are only installation/recovery media, so no personal information will be on them when created.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #135

    Terarant said:
    Hi,


    I'm planning on making this drive after a scary boot failure this week. I have some (possibly dumb questions) however:


    - The only USB stick with the necessary capacity I have isn't the most reliable, and sometimes seems to corrupt files stored on it. Should I use it for this?

    - Does it matter which format the USB drive is in? The stick in question is NTFS, although I'm tempted to reformat it. I could be wrong, but it sounds like this process reformats anyway.

    - Can personal info be derived from a recovery drive? This is my main concern preventing me from having made one already. Paranoid I know, but still

    ok, those are all my stupid questions. sorry if these have been covered, although I couldn't find anything from a search. Thanks for reading anyway :)
    1. Buy a new flash drive

    2. Creating recovery drive formats flash drive anyway.

    3. A recovery drive is a bare bones reinstall - no personal data.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 4
    Windows 10
       #136

    Brink said:
    Hello Terarant, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)

    You might consider creating a Windows 10 installation USB instead. I find it more reliable than a recovery drive.

    https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

    Both are only installation/recovery media, so no personal information will be on them when created.
    Thanks for your replies :) I've tried using installation media, but it either hasn't worked or the aforementioned USB drive failed somehow. I'm getting a new flash drive and trying again.

    the only other storage I have large enough to hold an .iso is my external hard drive. Just checking - I shouldn't use that, right? Don't want to risk damaging it. :/
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 68,667
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #137

    Terarant,

    You could keep the ISO saved on the external HDD if you like, but you wouldn't be able to use it as boot installation media like on a USB flash drive. It won't hurt the HDD though.
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 67
    windows 7 pro
       #138

    Hello Shawn and thanks again for sharing all this info with us.

    i was just wondering is it possible to use windows 7 repair disk to repair windows 10? will system repair work on windows 10 using win 7 repair disk? I've tried but it show me no restore point were created regard's that I have 1 restore point.
    or
    Will windows 10 repair usb work on windows 7?

    Kind Regards
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 68,667
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #139

    Hello nissimezra, :)

    You could boot from either disc on either OS to do something simple like open a command prompt at boot.

    However, you would only be able to do something like a system restore or startup repair from a disc that's the same as the installed OS.
      My Computers


 

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