Hello John,

Doing a refesh with a custom refresh image is basically like doing a system image recovery from a created system image, but for only Windows 8. The custom refresh will refresh Windows 8 to how everything was when you created the refresh image.

This is good for say to create a custom refresh image of a clean install of Windows 8 with everything setup how you like to be able to use to refresh with instead of the default refresh.

Yes and no, but a custom refresh only affects Windows 8 and it's drive letter, and nothing else.

Thanks Brink, here is what I got Goggling (1st hit too_) .

The answer is that with a custom image REFRESH, your personal data IS KEPT along with the Metro apps AND Desktop apps/programs you installed before the image is made.

Refresh and reset your PC - Building Windows 8 - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

Quote from article:
Refreshing your PC to a state you define, including desktop apps

We know that many of you like to first configure your PC just the way you like it, by installing favorite desktop apps or removing apps that came with the PC, and then create an image of the hard drive before you start using the PC. This way, when you need to start over, you can just restore the image and you won’t have to reinstall the apps from scratch.
With this in mind, we’ve made it possible for you to establish your own baseline image via a command-line tool (recimg.exe). So when you get a Windows 8 PC, you will be able to do the following:

1. Go through the Windows first-run experience to configure basic settings.
2. Install your favorite desktop apps (or uninstall things you don’t want).
3. Configure the machine exactly as you would like it.
4. Use recimg.exe to capture and set your custom image of the system.

After you’ve created the custom image, whenever you refresh your PC, not only will you be able to keep your personal data, settings, and Metro style apps, but you can restore all the desktop apps in your custom image as well. And if you buy a PC that already comes with a recovery image on a hidden partition, you’ll be able to use the tool to switch from using the hidden partition to instead use the custom image you’ve created.
If you’d like to try this out now, a preview version of this tool is included in the Windows 8 Developer Preview. You can try it out by typing the following in a command prompt window running as administrator:

mkdir C:\RefreshImage
recimg -CreateImage C:\RefreshImage

This creates the image under C:\RefreshImage and will register it to be used when you refresh your PC. Again, this is a very early version of the tool, so we know it’s not perfect yet. Rest assured that we’re working hard to get it ready for primetime.

End Quote

Brink I just tested your tutorial and it works. The command prompt window output dialogue has changed since the Developer Preview and it took about 35 mins to create the refresh image. Note: At the "Writing image" line the progress stays at 0% for the first 5 mins or so then increases slowly.



I used the How to Refresh Windows 8 at Boot option to refresh windows.

As advertised Windows Consumer Preview was restored with all programs and files intact with the exception of both IE 9 and Firefox which were reset to default configuration having to import saved bookmarks and restore extensions. The task bar properties were also reset to default with no previously pinned shortcuts.

Thank you for the update mate. Well, so much for all of your settings being kept and restored. Maybe in the next release.

Originally Posted by Brink

Thank you for the update mate. Well, so much for all of your settings being kept and restored. Maybe in the next release.

Still a lot easier than installing from scratch as all installed programs and files still work unlike the days of Vista or XP using a repair install which was a nightmare determining which ones still worked when you clicked on it's icon.