Creating recovery media

[2mindless]

I have some questions & a complication with my HP Pavilion computer regarding the imbedded recovery drive program. There is an option to create a recovery USB flashdrive...I want to do this but the program says that the drive will be deleted once the files are copied. I don't fully understand if the warning means that anything on the USB flashdrive will be erased or if it means the recovery partition on my computer will be erased? I'm terrified to launch the application before I'm certain of this..it says to make sure all files are backed up first.

Well...that's the next thing. I have a backup device, but it's been my experience even after doing a "restore". If anything is corrupted or erased in the OS then I never seem to get things work out how they're supposed to & I don't want to wreck my system.

There's also a thing imbedded in the Windows 8.1 which is a ONE SHOT deal...it's for creating a bootable USB (I presume) it states that it's a one use application. It's an HP media creator...it says I need about 16 gb's of space on the storage device. Well, I overshot & purchased a 64gb stick. I can't create the bootable USB; the next is "greyed" out & it wasn't before. Idk if I ruined my chance trying to launch it before & I didn't know you couldn't combine storage space [has to be all on one] & I was trying to use 2 flash drives. But that shouldn't matter, it doesnt' tell you that affects your ability to "relaunch" because it wasn't successfully done. But now I can't launch the application...have to be able to click "next". It's greyed out & it tells you the only reason it would be "greyed out" so you can't click "next" is if you have insufficient storage space. Well, this is bonkers because the USB flash I'm trying to use is more than ample GB's...I'm so frustrated & confused. Anyone else know anything about these imbedded media recovery programs to create a recovery disk? Why I can't. [when I first got the computer 11 months ago I was able to access the "next" but I didn't have a proper sized flashdrive].

 

[Ztruker]

The flash drive is formatted during the create process so that is what they are talking about, not the files on your hard drive.

 

[Berton]

Usually the included program by the OEMs allow only one set of Factory Restore discs to be made. Most times it can be cancelled and done later or try again if it fails in the process. If it does complete once it is done. All I've done had a choice of DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+R/DL or USB, I always used DVD-R or DVD+R, the DVD+R/DL discs are harder to find in local stores and more expensive.

 

[David Bailey]

What works for ME---

I use the paid standard version of

Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download



Once you get used to it, it is well worth the money.

Format your USB as NTFS to get 1 big image file instead of a bunch of 4 GB files if formatted as Fat or Fat 32.

Use high compression too---



My image is about 20 GBs to backup all local drives.

 

[2mindless]

I received information from the Windows eight forum administrator with a link to either microsoft or HP website [I forget which] that says you can't create the bootable USB with a flash drive that is greater than 32 gb's. So this explains "why" the option was 'greyed out' & unable to be selected. I overshot the amount of media storage I would need [gb's] & purchased too large; I'm not loaded with cash thereby unable to run out & purchase a 32 gb stick.

 

[2mindless]

I'm still not sure what the difference is...because system recovery information is a little difficult to differentiate if a bootable system USB is completely different from a recovery image. Even with the 64gb flash drive, through a different automatic launcher I was able to do a recovery image [copied the // drive partition] onto the disk. Systems information says this can suffice to restore the computer after a failure....some type of crash. But now I have a completely different mess. Idk what happened how or why. One minute I'm using my windows 8.1 app's fine. Today, Windows update notified me of a load of updates...idk why so many cause I have the updater on automatic; but I think it installed 53. Anyhow...power crashed tonight so my computer wasn't properly shut down. I found after I started it back up, complications. I can't get my app's to launch....the tiles are live but nothing opens. I went through some troubleshooters & I have to access my PC settings. I clicked on PC settings & got the strangest type of error thing...it has to do with the PC settings app not being available. It's as if multiple things have gotten corrupted somehow.

I googled for solutions. One thing led to another & I got more confused, found more complications. I can't refresh my system, that's not accessible...brings up some other strange notification. Something else said to purge the windows reset cache...I tried doing this & got an notice that the purge cache is inaccessible because c://app data/local....something like that isn't found.

I'm totally freaked out what happened...but I can't get anything to do with my app's to reset & go back to normal. I was using them this afternoon now this. System restore doesn't work...it sits til infinity saying it's restoring but it's not doing anything [broken circular line spins around forever & nothing happens then the restore fails & says it can't be done]. I absolutely don't want to go messing around in anymore settings because I don't want to completely screw up my windows system....I tried to find a download for Windows 8.1 to "reinstall" it [refresh that way....hoping it would reset & unlock all the microsoft/app/data, whatever seems to be blocking functions. Can't do that either cause all weblinks tell you to do it via the Windows store...& the store won't open now. When I click a tile, the whole start screen (with the app's flicks & I'm right back to where I started....at the app tiles but nothing happened.)

Making me nuts.