[Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Time to create or re-create your Windows Recovery Drive

[Drew King]

Well,

If you have nothing, you're in bad shape when poo poo hits the fan.

Personally, I own a MS Surface tablet, with hardware drivers that are 
not available in the generic downloadable Windows ISO file. The ISO file 
has no camera driver, for example. Getting the camera working after the 
installation is pointless, I've tried.

Microsoft has special instructions on how to build a custom recovery 
drive for the Surface. By combining the recovery drive that you make 
from the operating system, with a downloadable set of drivers that you 
overwrite onto the USB flash drive when it's done, creates a model year 
specific boot disk.

You are even required to enter your system serial number to download the 
driver recovery pack.

The goal is to get your system working again, and you do not need to 
have the absolute newest of the newest drivers that were loaded during 
the very last update your system may have updated a few weeks ago.

If your disk goes belly up, a 6-month-old to 1-year-old recovery drive 
will still properly install Windows on your computer.

You want a plan that will get you out of the gutter. A recovery drive 
made from a known working computer should get the job done.


Drew.



On 3/2/2023 4:17 AM, Robert Primak wrote:
> When you say OLD, how often should you do this? Once or twice a year, 
> once a month?
>
> When to Update Your Windows Recovery Drive Due to New Drivers:
>
> It depends on how often you update drivers (or Windows Update or your 
> manufacturer's built-in utilities update the drivers). Every driver 
> update you receive means the recovery drive may not work properly. I 
> get driver updates for my Intel NUC about every three weeks or so. My 
> PowerSpec Tower PC gets driver updates no more frequently than every 
> two to three months. Both get driver updates much more frequently than 
> once or twice a year.
>
> Unfortunately, unless they come from Windows Update, driver uptates 
> will not spawn notifications and user-friendly log entries.
>
> In Windows Updates, there is under Advanced Options a section which 
> shows Driver Updates and when they happened, whether they were 
> successful, etc. If this were the only way drivers could get updated, 
> this would be where you could see them listed. Unfortunately, updated 
> drivers can come from nearly any software update, so this is far from 
> a reliable source.
>
> Whenever there is any possibility of a driver update, it is wise to 
> make a new Recovery Drive. This is one time you do not want to get 
> caught short on changes to your system which might prevent the 
> Recovery Drive from working when Windows won't boot.
>
> Note: antivirus programs, backup programs and many other types of 
> programs have drivers which are updated every time the program (not 
> the definitions) gets updated. This includes the built-in Windows 
> Security (Windows Defender). These driver updates may or may not 
> affect the ability to use a Windows Recovery Drive.
>
> -- Bob Primak
>
> On Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at 07:26:52 PM EST, George Gamota 
> <ggamota at stma-llc.com> wrote:
>
>
> Drew
>
> When you say OLD, how often should you do this? Once or twice a year, 
> once a month?
>
> Thanks
>
> George
>
> *From:* LCTG <lctg-bounces+ggamota=stma-llc.com at lists.toku.us> *On 
> Behalf Of *Drew King
> *Sent:* Wednesday, March 1, 2023 7:09 PM
> *To:* Lex Computer Group <lctg at lists.toku.us>
> *Subject:* [Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Time to create or 
> re-create your Windows Recovery Drive
>
> All,
>
> If you don't have a Windows recovery USB flash drive, you should 
> consider making one. You'll need at least a 16 GB drive to hold the 
> system files.
>
> If you have one, and it's OLD, you NEED TO REDO IT!
>
> *To create a Windows recovery drive, follow these steps:*
>
>  1. Connect a USB drive or external hard drive with at least 16 GB of
>     free space to your computer.
>  2. Type "Create a recovery drive" in the Windows search bar and
>     select the "Create a recovery drive" option that appears in the
>     search results.
>  3. *When the Recovery Drive wizard opens, make sure that the **"Back
>     up system files to the recovery drive"**option is checked*and
>     click "Next".
>  4. Select the USB drive or external hard drive that you want to use
>     as the recovery drive and click "Next".
>  5. Click "Create" to start creating the recovery drive. This may take
>     some time, depending on the size of the Windows system files that
>     need to be copied.
>  6. Once the recovery drive has been created, click "Finish" to
>     complete the process.
>
> Your Windows recovery drive is now ready to use. Be sure to keep it in 
> a safe place in case you need it in the future. To use the recovery 
> drive, simply connect it to the computer you want to repair or 
> troubleshoot, boot from the recovery drive, and follow the on-screen 
> instructions.
>
> The recovery drive contains specific drivers or software that are 
> unique to the computer it was created on. This means that while the 
> recovery drive can be used on other computers with the same version of 
> Windows, it may not include all of the necessary drivers or software 
> for those computers.
>
> There are several reasons why you might want to create a Windows 
> recovery drive, including:
>
>  1. System Failure: In the event of a system failure or a corrupted
>     operating system, a Windows recovery drive can help you restore
>     your computer to its previous state.
>  2. Virus or Malware Infections: A recovery drive can be useful in
>     case of a virus or malware infection that cannot be removed by
>     regular antivirus software.
>  3. Hardware Issues: If you experience hardware problems, such as a
>     failing hard drive or memory issues, a recovery drive can help you
>     troubleshoot the problem and repair your system.
>  4. Reinstallation of Windows: If you need to reinstall Windows, a
>     recovery drive can help you do so quickly and easily without
>     having to go through the entire installation process.
>  5. Upgrading to a New Operating System: If you are upgrading to a new
>     version of Windows, a recovery drive can be a useful backup in
>     case something goes wrong during the upgrade process.
>  6. Resetting Your Computer: If you want to reset your computer to its
>     factory settings, a recovery drive can help you do so easily.
>
> Overall, a Windows recovery drive is an essential tool to have in case 
> of any unforeseen problems with your computer's operating system or 
> hardware.
>
> -- 
> Drew King
>
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-- 
Drew King

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