Recovery Drive - Create with USB Flash Drive in Windows 8

How to Create a USB Recovery Drive in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

If you run into problems with your PC, a USB recovery drive can help you troubleshoot and fix those problems, even if your PC won't start.

This will show you how to create a bootable recovery (system repair) USB flash drive in Windows 8 to use to boot to the system recovery options that can be used to help recover Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, or Windows RT 8.1.

This is basically the same thing as a system repair disc, but is on a bootable USB flash drive instead.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to create a recovery drive.

   Note

A recovery USB flash drive cannot be used to install Windows 8 unless this is an OEM PC that came with Windows 8 preinstalled, and you checked the Copy contents from the recovery partition to the recovery drive box at step 5 below.

If your PC came with Windows 8 and you upgraded it to Windows 8.1, your recovery drive will include Windows 8, and you’ll need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 after you refresh or reset your PC.

A created 32-bit recovery USB flash drive can only be created in a 32-bit Windows 8, and used to repair a 32-bit Windows 8.

A created 64-bit recovery USB flash drive can only be created in a 64-bit Windows 8, and used to repair a 64-bit Windows 8.

EXAMPLE: System Recovery Options
NOTE: After you boot from the recovery USB flash drive, you will need to select your language and keyboard layout (if displayed) for Windows 8, then select Troubleshoot to see the system recovery options.

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(On some newer OEM PC's with Windows 8 preinstalled, you may have the option to reinstall in the OEM manufacturer's tools like below if the Recovery Partition is still in place.)​

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Here's How:

1. Connect a USB flash drive that is at least 256 MB (8 GB if copying the recovery partition) in size, then do either step 2 or 3 below.


2. Press the :winkey: + R keys, type RecoveryDrive.exe, press Enter, and go to step 4 below.

3. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Recovery icon.

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A) Click/tap on the Create a recovery drive link, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)​

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4. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.

5. Click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

   Note

If you have a store bought OEM computer that came with Windows 8 preinstalled, then you could also check the Copy contents from the recovery partition to the recovery drive box to be able to use the recovery USB flash drive to do a factory restore/recovery of Windows 8.

If you do not have an OEM recovery partition, then the Copy contents from the recovery partition to the recovery drive option will be grayed out.

   Warning

If you checked the Copy contents from the recovery partition to the recovery drive box, then once the Recovery Media creation has completed, you will have an option to delete the recovery partition at step 10 below. On most systems, this partition is about 10G in size.

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6. Select a USB flash drive at least 256 MB in size that you would like to make a bootable recovery drive with, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)
WARNING: Everything on the selected USB flash drive will be deleted, so be sure to backup anything on it that you do not want to lose first.

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7. Click/tap on Create. (see screenshot below)
WARNING: This is your last chance to backup anything on the USB flash drive that you do not want to lose before doing this.

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8. The USB recovery drive will now be created. (see screenshot below)

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9. Do step 10 or step 11 below for what you would like to do.

10. If you wanted to Delete the Recovery Partition

   Warning

It is recommended to NOT DELETE the recovery partition. It has been reported by many that they were unable to restore Windows 8 to the hard drive using the recovery USB drive without the OEM factory recovery partition still intact.

You can free up some drive space by deleting the recovery partition, but you won't be able to refresh or reset your PC again without the recovery drive.

A) If you checked the Copy contents from the recovery partition to the recovery drive box at step 5 above, click/tap on the Delete the recovery partition link. (see screenshot below)​

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B) Click/tap on Delete to confirm. (see screenshot below)​

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C) Click/tap on Finish. (see screenshots below)​

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11. Click/tap on Finish. (see screenshot below)

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Create a "System Repair Disc" in Windows 8
• How to Create a Bootable USB or DVD with the Windows 8 ISO
• How to Create a "Startup Options Menu" Shortcut in Windows 8
• How to Boot to the "System Recovery Options" in Windows 8
• How to Boot to the Advanced Windows "Startup Settings" in Windows 8
• How to Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive for Installing Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1
• How to Boot from a USB Drive within Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Boot from a USB Drive on Surface

 

[Brink]

Yep, just copy and paste the contents.

 

[benaknoun]

Yep, just copy and paste the contents.

Ok great, i´ll give it a try and post the results later.

Thank you very much

 

[genet]

After formatting the new USB to FAT32, i just do copy and paste?

Yes.

edit:

Here is more info about UEFI Boot Mode: link

1. How to create UEFI Boot Mode compatible Windows 8 64-bit USB flash drive, which is only bootable in UEFI Boot Mode.

Format your USB flash drive (see screenshot below). Note: You need to choose the FAT32 file system.

When formatting is complete.
- In Windows 8, mount the Windows 8 64-bit ISO image file by right-clicking the ISO image file and choosing Mount. If you don’t see Mount command from the context menu, go to Open with -> Windows Explorer instead.
- Select everything in the mounted ISO image file, and copy them into the USB flash drive you prepared earlier.

 

[benaknoun]

Hi Genet
thank you for the info.
im not sure how to do all this since I don't know if I have the Windows 8 ISO image...
all I did, was copy and paste into a formatted FAT32 USB like suggested in the earlier posts.
the first USB I created in windows by going to search, recovery manager, create recovery partition, and selected USB.
i have also selected the delete recovery partition from the HDD to free some space.
i then copied that USB into a smaller size USB and it seems to be working because I have reinstalled windows.
one strange thing though is when I select the pc to boot from the USB it does not start the installation of windows, it simply reboots, I have to select something about UEFI something then the reinstall action of windows starts.
anyway, like they say, if it's not broken don't fix it, so I have the new USB recovery kept in a safe place and have made a back up image with Acronis just in case and saved it on my external HDD.

Thanks again

 

[genet]

so I have the new USB recovery kept in a safe place and have made a back up image with Acronis just in case and saved it on my external HDD.

Ok, good job.

 

[Insomniacno1]

Hi Brink, there is something odd about my win 8.1 with Bing - I get through step 5, but can't continue to step 6 since I get a page where I'm asked to connect a usb drive and the next button is gryed out. Th usb drive is already connected and present in My Computer, its an 32GB Sandisk Ultra Dual USB drive with a micro usb plug in one end and a standard usb plug in the other end. Formatted to FAT32 ot NTFS doesn't make a difference. The recovery app simply can't see the drive - but if I leave the app open and go to My Computer, then I can access the drive without any problems.

This is a Windows Tablet, ODYS Wintab 8
ODYS Wintab 8 - 20,3 cm (8") Windows Tablet PC - Product Details

When looking in disk management there are 3 partitions

1. 100MB EFI
2. Windows C: - Windows 8.1 with bing - 9.30GB with 3.20GB free
3. Recovery - 5.15GB used

I like to get the recovery moved to my usb drive, then remove the recovery partition and install windows 10. Right now I can't install windows 10 because not enough free space.

Actually the best thing would be if I could make my own recovery after windows 10 where installed and instead of having it on the internal flash then have it on usb - but back to my problem. Do you have some suggestions to why it can't see the usb drive?

EDIT: I have now tried 2 other USB drives and it the same problem - which makes me think its another MS thing.

I'm also in 7 and 10 forums.

 

[Brink]

Hello Insomniacno1, and welcome to Eight Forums.

I would strongly recommend to leave your OEM recovery partition on the tablet to be safe. If for some reason the USB fails, gets lost/stolen, or not available (ex: on the road), you'll still be able to use the partition.

If you like, you could also create a Windows 8.1 installation USB using an ISO file to have handy to boot with as needed.

(Option One) http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html#option1

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15458-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-create-windows.html

 

[DavidY]

Hi Brink, there is something odd about my win 8.1 with Bing

If you like, you could also create a Windows 8.1 installation USB using an ISO file to have handy to boot with as needed.

(Option One) http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html#option1

Hi Shawn,

Does Option One work with '8.1 with Bing' now? I've tried it before and the versions of the ISO I downloaded weren't compatible with the 'Bing' product key.

 

[Brink]

I don't thing there's one for the edition with Bing yet.

 

[Insomniacno1]

Hi Brink, Thank you

Okay I have looked at it, but have some reservations since the goal is to install Windows 10(found a possible way using USB stick as extra storage for windows 10 to unpack files).

So my questions are, if I can remove the windows 8.1 recovery after installing windows 10 and make a custom recovery that is smaller using 3rd part software and use that instead of the one made by windows 8.1? Will that work?

If I follow the guide for creating windows 8.1 installation USB, can I then remove the recovery partition?

Any other suggestions?

JBJ

 

[KYHI]

1. 100MB EFI
2. Windows C: - Windows 8.1 with bing - 9.30GB with 3.20GB free
3. Recovery - 5.15GB used

You have a 16GB mSSD in that tablet.. Your tablet is using Wimboot...
You CAN NOT remove the Recovery Partition..
You also CAN NOT just UPGRADE to Windows 10...
You also have Windows 8.1 BING which you CAN NOT find an ISO for...

You need to create a recovery drive via control panel - this is a MUST - also try a less expensive USB stick (El Cheapo)

You would then have to prepare for Windows 10 by adding drivers to the install.wim and by adding drivers to the winRE.wim

Then you need to create a genuineTicket.xml from the host and add to Windows 10

Then the Install.wim gets configured as a wimboot image and then the images are applied to the current partitions...

Using the Reset feature of the Recovery Drive..

NOT something the average user is accustom to doing.. So Windows 10 on your tablet may not be a good idea..

Sorry to be the one to tell you..
Kyhi

 

[KYHI]

The 16GB drive is to small to just wipe and then install Windows 10..

 

[Insomniacno1]

Ok, I guess I have to stick to windows 8.1 then The idiots of ODYS claims that there should be no issue upgrading to windows 10 because several of their customers have done so - I guess they just left out that those customers had 32GB tablets, not the 16GB I were asking about

The stupid part is that durring initial setup you are actually asked if you want to upgrade to windows 10, which of course is not posssible due to lack of free space.

 

[KYHI]

You can upgrade - just not in the normal manner..

 

[RAYQUEST]

where is the recovery partition locate in the D drive ? its size ?

 

[RAYQUEST]

where is recovery tools for win 8.1

when i click the link it goes to Win 10 forum ?
please guide