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.

​

​

​

​

​

(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.)​

​

​

​

​

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.

​

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

​

​

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.

​

​

​

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.

​

​

​

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.

​

​

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

​

​

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)​

​

​

​

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

​

​

​

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

​

​

​

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

​

​

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• 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

 

[mourinho]

I have ASUS laptop with Windows 8, and ready to upgrade to 8.1 from Windows Store. Now I want to create a USB recovery drive (not image)which will help me reset/refresh to Windows 8.1. I have heard that after upgrading to 8.1 creating a recovery drive for 8.1 is not an easy task. I have a few pointer (one from an earlier post here on the forum itself from the great SIW2 and Saltgrass) which I plan to use. Do you have a better idea or steps to follow? Last time I tried to copy over the C:\$Windows.~BT\sources\install.esd i failed because system restarted before I could do it.

Thanks much!

http://www.eightforums.com/general-support/47695-too-many-recovery-partitions-2.html#post389338

How to create recovery disk for windows 8.1 after update from windows 8.

 

[Brink]

Mourinho,

If you like, you might see if creating and using custom refresh images may work for you for this.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/3610-refresh-windows-8-create-use-custom-recovery-image.html

 

[mourinho]

I am gonna give all the options a try and hopefully get it done with. I shall report back.

I would only be able to refresh and not fully reset with custom image, correct? Like if I want to dispose off the system?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Brink]

That's correct, a custom recovery image would only refresh Windows and not do a full reset/reinstall.

 

[Hairy Scot]

Hi Shawn,

I tried to create a recovery drive for my Windows 8.1 Pro X64 system and received the following message:-



Fortunately I still have a Recovery Drive which I created before I "upgraded" to 8.1

 

[Brink]

Hey Jim,

You might run a sfc /scannow command to see what it reports and see if it may help.

 

[Hairy Scot]

Hey Jim,

You might run a sfc /scannow command to see what it reports and see if it may help.

Shows nothing:-
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.3.9600]
(c) 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

C:\Windows\system32>

 

[Brink]

Were you trying to copy files from your recovery partition to the recovery drive? If so, try creating a recovery drive without copying it to see if it will work then.

 

[Hairy Scot]

Were you trying to copy files from your recovery partition to the recovery drive? If so, try creating a recovery drive without copying it to see if it will work then.

No, was just trying for the standard installation media.

 

[Hairy Scot]

Shawn,

It's not a major problem.
I have a Windows 8 recovery drive and I have both 8 and 8.1 install disks.
I'm sure I can get by with those.

 

[Brink]

Ok. I suppose something during the upgrade may have affected it.

 

[Innotime2]

Ok I am having a problem with this. I have an Asus K55a. I just ran and picked up a 16gb USB. When in the create a recovery drive I made sure to check the box so It's a factory recovery partition. I also made sure not to delete it off my hdd at the end of the process. No problems as far as copying the drive. No errors. But I cannot boot into the recovery usb.

I've changed it to 1st boot in BIOS.
I get to the choose language. Keyboard etc but then it just keeps looping around. I click on the Use a device and I choose the usb but then it just loops back to the same menu (Continue, Use a device, Troubleshoot, Turn off pc). So what am I doing wrong? Did I forget to make the usb bootable or does the windows 8 do that automatically? Do I have to change a setting in BIOS? Thank You

 

[Brink]

Hello Innotime2, and welcome to Eight Forums.

If you have the secure boot feature and it's enabled, then that would prevent you from booting from a USB flash drive. You could temporarily disable secure boot to be able to boot from a USB.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/20208-secure-boot-confirm-enabled-disabled-windows-8-a.html

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/17058-secure-boot-enable-disable-uefi.html

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[Innotime2]

Thank You. Secure boot is enabled so let me work on that and get back to you. Hopefully that was the problem.

 

[Innotime2]

Of course I get to the uefi boot mode and both system mode state and secure boot mode state are grey and I cannot highlight them to change.

 

[Brink]

If able, post some screenshots showing these settings to see what the issue may be.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2598-screenshots-files-upload-post-eight-forums.html

 

[Innotime2]

Ok after tinkering with it I was able to disable the secure boot. For Future reference in case anyone is lost like myself..

In Uefi mode like explained above.. Under Security go to Key Management and delete all secure boot keys. (Should already be highlighted at the top). Easy as that!!

Now back to my problem. I have to remake the recovery drive on my usb because I deleted it. So I will do that and try to boot. Will let you know ASAP. One quick question..

When I boot from the USB Drive will it automatically start the recovery process? Or will it take my like on page one where it says choose keyboard layout, then language or w/e? If it does take me to that screen what do i hit next, Refresh, Reset or Advanced then choose media (cd/usb)? Thanks

 

[Brink]

Good news.

When you boot from the recovery drive it'll boot to the example screenshots where you can then select to do a "Reset" or "OEM Recovery".

 

[Innotime2]

Ok, I am getting the same error as when I didn't have the recovery usb. After I click reset your pc it starts but then says Unable to reset PC. A required Drive Partition is missing.

So does this mean it's still not reading my USB or what?

 

[Brink]

Do you have the OEM recovery option?