To create a recovery drive in Windows 10: To download Windows 11 installation media, see Recovery options in Windows. Need more options for creating a recovery drive?įor Windows 7, see Create a system repair disc.įor Windows 8.1, see Create a USB recovery drive. It doesn't contain your personal files, settings, or programs. It's a good idea to Backup and Restore in Windows frequently because the recovery drive isn't a system image. If you ever need to use the recovery drive to reinstall Windows 11 on your PC, see Recovery options in Windows for further instructions. Many files need to be copied to the recovery drive, so this might take a while. When the tool opens, make sure Back up system files to the recovery drive is selected and then select Next.Ĭonnect a USB drive to your PC, select it, and then select Next. You might be asked to enter an admin password or confirm your choice. In the search box on the taskbar, search for Create a recovery drive and then select it. To create a recovery drive in Windows 11: Make a note of the disk number of the USB drive.Warning: Use an empty USB drive because this process will erase any data that's already stored on the drive. You'll probably be able to spot it based on the drive's capacity. One of the drives listed will be your USB drive.

Here, call up a list of disks attached to your PC. This will open in a new command prompt window. In the black command prompt window, open the disk partitioning tool with the command: diskpart Right-click the first result and select Run as administrator. On Windows 10, click Start then type 'command'. Of course, you need to be able to authenticate as the administrator on the PC you're using.

You should also insert the Windows 7 installation DVD.Ĭlick Start > All Programs > Accessories and right-click on Command Prompt. To start, insert your USB flash drive in your main PC-the one with the optical drive. However, they're almost the same whatever operating system you're using, including Windows 10 or even 11. The following steps can be completed on a Windows 7 computer.

Windows installation disc