Solved Can't create recovery drive on DVD using Windows 8.1

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JasonB

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Note to Mods: If this is not the appropriate forum please feel free to move it ...(I'm new here) ... Thanks

I recently bought a Dell Windows 8 desktop. I upgraded the desktop to Windows 8.1. I want to create a recovery drive using a DVD rather than a flash drive. (I understand Microsoft wants you to create recovery onto a flash drive rather than a DVD. Not sure why.)

I found several places on the net which discuss just how create recover onto a DVD. They suggest that I do a search on "Windows 7 file" and this will display an option to click on "Windows 7 File Recovery" ... and that will lead me through the steps to create my recovery onto a DVD.

Problem is "Windows 7 File" is not found. How do I get this onto my Windows 8.1 system?

Hope this makes sense........ Thanks for your help.
 
Hi Jason,

If you want to store a backup image of your system on dvd , I believe windows system image program will do that for you.

There is also something called create recovery drive, but that only allows use of usb . It seems it needs to write onto the the recovery media before starting the "refresh" process.
 
Brink said:
Hello Jason, and welcome to Eight Forums.

I think Ray may have just misread.


Windows 8.1 no longer supports creating a system repair disc CD/DVD.

Instead, you can still create a recovery drive (USB flash drive).
Hope this helps, :)
Shawn
Click to expand...

Thanks Shawn for your reply. The reason I wanted to write the recovery to a DVD is that ... at the moment ... I don't have a spare flash drive but have hundreds of blank DVDs. I did some googling on the subject and several links offer advice as to how to use a DVD rather than a flash drive..... Unfortunately, none of those "work arounds" worked for me. For example this links suggests ways to write to a DVD....

Create a Recovery Drive in Windows 8 - TechRepublic


Next shopping trip I will purchase some more flash drives. Again thanks much for your reply......
 
SIW2 said:
Hi Jason,

If you want to store a backup image of your system on dvd , I believe windows system image program will do that for you.

There is also something called create recovery drive, but that only allows use of usb . It seems it needs to write onto the the recovery media before starting the "refresh" process.
Click to expand...

Thanks SIW2 for your reply..... Looks like I will be purchasing a flash drive for this purpose.
 
JasonB said:
Thanks Shawn for your reply. The reason I wanted to write the recovery to a DVD is that ... at the moment ... I don't have a spare flash drive but have hundreds of blank DVDs. I did some googling on the subject and several links offer advice as to how to use a DVD rather than a flash drive..... Unfortunately, none of those "work arounds" worked for me. For example this links suggests ways to write to a DVD....

Create a Recovery Drive in Windows 8 - TechRepublic


Next shopping trip I will purchase some more flash drives. Again thanks much for your reply......
Click to expand...

Technically the DVD version is called a "system repair disc". Only the USB is referred to as a "recovery drive". Just semantics though.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2855-system-repair-disc-create-windows-8-a.html

You could create a recovery drive, then create an ISO from it to use to create a DVD, but it would all be pointless if you didn't have a USB to use anyways. :(
 
theog said:
You could use the Dell Recovery DVD.

How to order Microsoft official Dell OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks.
Manuals | Dell US

RouteTo
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form?DoNotRedirect=y

But the Dell DVD will only work for the Windows 8 Recovery options:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2269-system-recovery-options-boot-windows-8-a.html
& not for Windows 8.1.
Click to expand...

Thanks again ...... My system came with Windows 8 ........ and I upgraded to 8.1 .... Maybe I shouldn't have done that....
 
Brink said:
JasonB said:
Thanks Shawn for your reply. The reason I wanted to write the recovery to a DVD is that ... at the moment ... I don't have a spare flash drive but have hundreds of blank DVDs. I did some googling on the subject and several links offer advice as to how to use a DVD rather than a flash drive..... Unfortunately, none of those "work arounds" worked for me. For example this links suggests ways to write to a DVD....

Create a Recovery Drive in Windows 8 - TechRepublic


Next shopping trip I will purchase some more flash drives. Again thanks much for your reply......
Click to expand...

Technically the DVD version is called a "system repair disc". Only the USB is referred to as a "recovery drive". Just semantics though.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2855-system-repair-disc-create-windows-8-a.html

You could create a recovery drive, then create an ISO from it to use to create a DVD, but it would all be pointless if you didn't have a USB to use anyways. :(
Click to expand...

Thanks Shawn (again) ....... I think I will be making a trip to store this afternoon to pick up a few flash drives.......
 
Just a followup comment ......

I copied all the files on one of my existing 4GB flash drives to another external device. Then deleted everything on that flash drive. I then used it to create a recovery drive. Everything went smoothly.

What concerns me is whole set of "recovery drive files" (not sure exactly what to call them) amount to only 289 MB. Seems like a big waste of space to me when these files would easily fit on a DVD with lots of room to spare.

Why wouldn't Microsoft give the user an option ...... flash drive or DVD? Any thoughts?

Thanks ..........
 
Jason,

If only WinRE (System Recovery Options) are included, then it would only be that small. If you opted to included a copy of the recovery partition from an OEM PC, then the size would be much larger.

Either way, you are still able to use the USB like you normally would, but just don't delete the recovery files on it. :)
 
Last edited:
There are 2 different things going on here.

If you look on your HD you will find a hidden folder called recovery. Inside there will be another folder cotaining a fella called winre.wim.

That is the thing that boots up if you select F8 "Repair My Computer". It includes the Repair options. Startup repair and system restore it should be able to do. Refresh and reset it can only do if it can find an image of your operating system. That might be the image on the recovery partition, or a custom image you made yourself, or an image on some external media you can plug in

There used to be an option to "Create a repair disc". That disc would contain winre.wim renamed to boot.wim. It did not contain the actual installation files /operating system image.

There is now an option called "Create recovery drive". That will also contain winre.wim renamed to boot .wim. In addition, it will try to find and include an operating system image - e.g. from your recovery partition. If it can't find the image, then you end up with just winre.wim and his repair tools - the same as the previous "create repair disc" ( except on usb instead of cd/dvd ).
 
I am just making something that will do the same as "create recovery disc". I might enhance it a bit to make it more useful.
 
Brink said:
Jason,

If only WinRE (System Recovery Options) are included, then it would only be that small. If you opted to included a copy of the recovery partition from an OEM PC, then the size would be much larger.

Either way, you are still able to use the USB like you normally would, but just don't delete the recovery files on it. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Shawn (again). I elected not to include a copy of the "recovery partition" because quite honestly I have NO IDEA what a recovery partition is. Would you suggest that I use a larger capacity flash drive and do the whole process again ... this time including the "recovery partition?"
 
SIW2 said:
There are 2 different things going on here.

If you look on your HD you will find a hidden folder called recovery. Inside there will be another folder cotaining a fella called winre.wim.

That is the thing that boots up if you select F8 "Repair My Computer". It includes the Repair options. Startup repair and system restore it should be able to do. Refresh and reset it can only do if it can find an image of your operating system. That might be the image on the recovery partition, or a custom image you made yourself, or an image on some external media you can plug in

There used to be an option to "Create a repair disc". That disc would contain winre.wim renamed to boot.wim. It did not contain the actual installation files /operating system image.

There is now an option called "Create recovery drive". That will also contain winre.wim renamed to boot .wim. In addition, it will try to find and include an operating system image - e.g. from your recovery partition. If it can't find the image, then you end up with just winre.wim and his repair tools - the same as the previous "create repair disc" ( except on usb instead of cd/dvd ).
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for your detailed reply, SIW2. I'm still trying to absorb what you wrote. I've been using Windows forever now ...... Win95, XP, Vista, and Windows 7. And I'm just coming up to speed on Windows 8 (make that Windows 8.1). From just a "user" standpoint I feel very competent. But I definitely don't have "guru" status like some of you guys...... and at my age probably never will. Thanks again for your help.
 
JasonB said:
Brink said:
Jason,

If only WinRE (System Recovery Options) are included, then it would only be that small. If you opted to included a copy of the recovery partition from an OEM PC, then the size would be much larger.

Either way, you are still able to use the USB like you normally would, but just don't delete the recovery files on it. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Shawn (again). I elected not to include a copy of the "recovery partition" because quite honestly I have NO IDEA what a recovery partition is. Would you suggest that I use a larger capacity flash drive and do the whole process again ... this time including the "recovery partition?"
Click to expand...

The recovery partition is what an OEM puts on the PC that is used to restore Windows 8 back to a factory state with. This is basically your Windows 8 installation media.

If you have a USB flash drive large enough, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to include a copy of the recovery partition on it. This way in case something should happen to the recovery partition on the hard drive, you have a backup.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5132-recovery-drive-create-usb-flash-drive-windows-8-a.html
 
JasonB, You could save a system image onto DVDs. Go to your control panel, click on File History, and down in the bottom left corner of the page you will see System Image Backup. This will take a snapshot of your computer the way it is right at the time that you do it, and when you restore using these DVDs it will restore the computer to exactly the same way it was when you saved the system image. The only drawback is that this will take multiple DVDs. Your backup could be 60GB or more depending on what you have installed on your computer. For regular DVDs, this could mean thirteen or more DVDs. Another option would be to invest in an external hard drive. I have a USB 3.0 one and it saves a system image in about seven or eight minutes. Newegg.com and Dell themselves will probably have some decent prices on them as Christmas draws closer. You could probably pick one up from Newegg or Amazon for $75 or less. Do yourself a favor and get a USB 3.0 drive, as it will be much faster. USB 2.0 will work just fine, it's just quite a bit slower. Even if your present PC doesn't have any USB 3.0 ports, a PC you buy in the future will. A USB 3.0 drive will work fine in a USB 2.0 port, and vice versa. Hope this info helps.
 
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