Maintenance procedure · Written to ASD-STE100 Issue 9 · Formatted to ANSI Z535

Create a Windows Recovery Drive on a USB Drive

Windows 11 and Windows 10 — build the USB drive that starts a PC that will not start, and understand what it does and does not contain
ApplicabilityWindows 11 and Windows 10, using the Recovery Drive tool built into Windows. Checked against Microsoft's documentation on 2026-07-29. The recovery drive is built from the Windows files on the PC that makes it, so a drive made on one PC is not a general-purpose repair disk for a different PC. Recovery media supplied by a PC manufacturer, and the Surface recovery image, are named here but not instructed.
Task time46 min to 2 hr 15 min editorial estimate, not a measurement
PersonnelOne
Revisionv1 · 2026-07-29
BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.

Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.

In this cartoon, a computer sits beside a USB drive and a closed storage box. A life ring is on the USB drive. A shield, a wrench, and a gear are behind the computer.
Thematic illustrationIllustration only. Follow the written steps and safety instructions.

Summary

A recovery drive is a USB stick that can start your PC when Windows itself will not start, and hand you the repair tools. Windows builds it from the files already on your machine, which is why it is worth making now, while the PC still works, rather than on the morning it does not. Making one erases the USB stick completely, so the first half of this page is about choosing a stick you are willing to lose the contents of. Microsoft's own article is blunt about that erase and this page does not soften it.

It is written against Microsoft's documentation as it stood on 29 July 2026, for Windows 11 and for Windows 10. Two things it deliberately will not do. It will not tell you what size USB stick to buy, because Microsoft's recovery drive article states no minimum figure and the tool itself reads your PC and tells you on screen — a number invented here would be a guess about your machine. And it will not let you confuse a recovery drive with installation media: they are two different things, made by two different tools, and both of them erase a USB stick, which is exactly why people mix them up. The difference is in the FAQ and it matters.

Safety

NOTICE

FIND THE WINDOWS VERSION ON YOUR PC FIRST.
Menu names in Windows change with a Windows update. This page follows the Microsoft documentation for Windows 11 and Windows 10.

WARNING

KEEP A SEPARATE BACKUP OF YOUR PERSONAL FILES.
A recovery drive does not contain your documents, your photographs or your other personal files. You cannot get your personal files from a recovery drive.

Necessary equipment

ItemNote
Windows PCUse an account with administrator permission.
USB driveThe tool erases this drive completely.
Pen and a labelWrite the date and the Windows version on the drive.

Specifications

Minimum USB drive size for Windows installation media
Manufacturer or standard verified
8 GB

Source: Create installation media for Windows · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29

Find the Windows version

Estimated 2 min

NOTEMenu names in Windows change with an update. Read the version before you start.
Windows version and OS build on your PC
Unverified — do not rely on this value
READ THESE VALUES FROM SETTINGS, THEN SYSTEM, THEN ABOUT

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Open the Settings app on your PC.
    <1m
  2. Go to the About page in the Settings app.
    • Select System.
    • Select About.
    <1m
  3. Read the edition, the version and the OS build.
    • Windows shows these three values in the Windows specifications group.
    • The version is a short code such as 25H2 or 22H2.
    <1m
  4. Make a record of the version and the OS build on paper.
    • You must write these values on the recovery drive at the end.
    <1m

Prepare the USB drive

Estimated 4 min to 26 min

NOTEThe tool erases this drive. Move all the files that you must keep to a different disk first.
USB drive size for a Windows recovery drive
Unverified — do not rely on this value
READ THE SIZE THAT THE RECOVERY DRIVE TOOL SHOWS ON THE SCREEN

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Find a USB drive that you can keep for this purpose only.
    • The tool shows the necessary size on the screen at a later step.
    • Microsoft states no minimum size for a recovery drive in its recovery drive article.
    2m
  2. Connect that USB drive to a USB port on a different PC, or examine it on this PC.
    <1m
  3. Examine the USB drive for files that you must keep.
    • Open each folder on the drive.
    • An empty drive is the safest drive for this procedure.
    2m

Create the recovery drive

Estimated 36 min to 1 hr 44 min

NOTICE

USE AN ACCOUNT WITH ADMINISTRATOR PERMISSION FOR THIS SECTION.
Windows shows a permission question before the tool starts.

  1. Type create a recovery drive in the search box on the taskbar.
    <1m
  2. Select Create a recovery drive in the results.
    • Microsoft also gives the command recoverydrive.exe for this tool.
    <1m
  3. Select Yes at the permission question.
    • Windows shows this question because the tool makes changes to a disk.
    <1m
  4. Examine the check box Back up system files to the recovery drive.
    • Microsoft gives these files as the files that restore the PC to its initial state.
    • The files include the built-in Windows files and the updates at the time of this procedure.
    • The files also include the customizations from the PC manufacturer.
    <1m
  5. Keep the mark at that check box.
    • Without that mark, the recovery drive holds the repair tools only.
    • Without that mark, you cannot install Windows again from the drive.
    <1m
  6. Select Next.
    <1m
  7. Wait until the tool shows the list of available drives.
    • The tool reads your PC first.
    • This can take some minutes.
    2m
WARNING

COPY ALL THE FILES THAT YOU MUST KEEP TO A DIFFERENT DISK FIRST.
The tool erases the full contents of the USB drive. Microsoft gives an empty USB drive for this reason. The erase is permanent and no command returns those files.

  1. Connect the USB drive to a USB port on this PC.
    • Disconnect every other USB drive from this PC now.
    • One drive in the list removes the risk of a wrong selection.
    <1m
  2. Read the necessary size on the screen.
    • The tool gives this size from the files on your PC.
    • If your drive is too small, get a larger drive.
    • Then start this section again.
    <1m
  3. Select your USB drive in the list.
    <1m
  4. Select Next.
    <1m
WARNING

COMPARE THE DRIVE LETTER AND THE SIZE AGAINST YOUR USB DRIVE BEFORE YOU CONTINUE.
The erase starts at the next step. A wrong selection here erases the wrong drive permanently.

  1. Read the message about the erase on the screen fully.
    • The message names the drive that the tool erases.
    • If the tool names a different drive, select Cancel.
    <1m
  2. Select Create.
    • The erase starts immediately.
    • No command returns the erased files.
    <1m
  3. Let the tool continue to the end.
    • Microsoft gives a long duration for this step.
    • Do not disconnect the USB drive during this step.
    • Keep the PC connected to its charger.
    30m
  4. Select Finish.
    <1m

Label the recovery drive and store it

Estimated 3 min

  1. Write the date on the label of the USB drive.
    <1m
  2. Write the Windows version and the name of the PC on the same label.
    • A recovery drive holds the Windows files from one PC.
    • The label prevents the use of this drive on the wrong PC.
    1m
  3. Put the recovery drive in a safe place away from the PC.
    • A recovery drive in the same bag as the PC gives no protection against a theft.
    1m

Make the recovery drive again each year

Estimated 1 min

  1. Make the recovery drive again each year.
    • Microsoft gives a new recovery drive each year for the newest updates.
    • Write the new date on the label at each new drive.
    1m

Terminology

This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.

recovery drive
Also called: recovery usb, recovery stick, windows recovery drive, repair drive, rescue usb, emergency usb, recovery disk
installation media
Also called: media creation tool, windows installer usb, install usb, bootable usb, windows 11 usb, windows setup usb, clean install usb
Recovery Drive tool
Also called: recoverydrive.exe, create a recovery drive, recovery drive wizard, windows recovery drive program
Back up system files to the recovery drive
Also called: back up system files, the system files tick box, the checkbox on the first screen, copy the recovery partition
OS build
Also called: build number, windows build, windows version number, what version of windows am i on

When to use a professional

Stop if the tool cannot find your USB drive. Read the Microsoft documentation in the sources. Then speak to Microsoft Support.

Stop if the tool reports a failure more than one time. A repeated failure can come from the recovery files on the PC. Speak to Microsoft Support. Give them the Windows version and the OS build from the first section.

Stop if an employer or a school controls your PC. A policy on a controlled PC can stop this tool. Speak to your IT administrator.

Stop if your PC came with recovery media from its manufacturer. The instructions for that media come from the PC manufacturer.

This page does not give the steps for a start of the PC from the recovery drive. That procedure uses the firmware menu of the PC. That menu is different for each manufacturer.

Common questions

Is a recovery drive the same as a Windows installation USB?

No, and this is the single most common confusion about it. A recovery drive is built by the Recovery Drive tool already on your PC, from your PC's own Windows files, and Microsoft says it carries the built-in Windows files, the updates installed at the moment you make it, and any customisations from your PC manufacturer. Installation media is a different thing made by a different tool, the media creation tool, which Microsoft describes as being used to install a new copy of Windows, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows. Both of them erase the USB stick you point them at, which is a large part of why people mix them up. The practical difference: a recovery drive is specific to the machine that made it, and installation media is generic Windows.

How big does the USB drive need to be?

Microsoft's recovery drive article does not state a minimum size, and we are not going to invent one. The Recovery Drive tool reads your PC and displays the size it needs on screen, at the step where you choose the drive, so the honest answer is that your PC tells you. That figure varies with how much your manufacturer added to the machine, so a number that is right for one laptop is wrong for another. For installation media, which is a different thing, Microsoft does publish a figure: a blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of space. If you want one stick that is comfortably large for either job, buy on the larger side and check the tool's number before you commit.

Will this erase my USB stick?

Yes, completely. Microsoft's wording is that you should use an empty USB drive because the process will erase any data already stored on the drive. There is no partial mode and no undo. Treat any stick you point this tool at as a stick you are giving up, and copy anything you care about off it first — then check the folders again, because the thing people lose this way is usually the one folder they forgot was on there. If you are unsure which drive is which, disconnect every other USB device before you start, so only one candidate can appear in the list.

Does the recovery drive back up my documents and photos?

No. It contains the system files needed to get Windows running again, not your personal files. Microsoft states plainly that the recovery media does not include personal files and recommends a separate backup for those. This trips people up badly, because "recovery" sounds like it means recovering everything. If you use the recovery drive to reset the PC, your documents and photos are not on it and will not come back from it. Keep a real file backup as well — File History or an external drive — and treat the recovery drive as the thing that gets the machine running, not the thing that gets your life back.

How often should I make a new one?

Microsoft's guidance is to recreate the recovery media annually, so that it carries reasonably current updates. That is worth an actual calendar reminder, because a recovery drive is the sort of thing you make once, feel good about, and never think about again until it is four years stale. There is also a specific caveat worth knowing: Microsoft notes that recovery drives created after 9 April 2024 may be affected by a security update, referenced as KB5025885. Writing the date on the stick, which is a step on this page, is what makes the age visible later.

Can I use a recovery drive made on a different PC?

Not reliably, and you should not plan on it. The drive is built from the Windows files and manufacturer customisations of the machine that made it, so it is tied to that machine's configuration rather than being a universal repair disk. Microsoft's OEM documentation describes the media as restoring a device to its factory state using the built-in Windows files plus the customisations in the manufacturer's provisioning package — which is a description of something machine-specific. If you have several PCs, make a drive on each. That is also why this page has you write the PC's name on the label.

Do I need to be an administrator?

Yes. The tool prompts for permission when it opens — Microsoft's OEM documentation shows the step as selecting Yes at the UAC prompt — because it writes to a disk and reads system files. On a personal PC this is usually just clicking through the prompt. On a work or school laptop you may not have the rights at all, and policy can block the tool outright; that is a conversation with your IT administrator rather than something to work around.

Sources

Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.

  1. Tier 1Recovery DriveMicrosoft · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  2. Tier 1Create installation media for WindowsMicrosoft · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  3. Tier 1Bare metal reset/recovery: enable your users to create recovery mediaMicrosoft · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  4. Tier 1Windows 11 release informationMicrosoft · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  5. Tier 1Windows 10 release informationMicrosoft · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25

Revision history

Current version 1 · updated 2026-07-29 · next review due 2027-07-29

  1. v1 · 2026-07-29First draft. Built entirely from Microsoft's own documentation, read on 2026-07-29: the support article 'Recovery Drive' (support.microsoft.com), the support article 'Create installation media for Windows' (support.microsoft.com), and the OEM topic 'Bare metal reset/recovery: enable your users to create recovery media' on learn.microsoft.com, read through the Microsoft Learn MCP connector. Version binding uses the already-registered Windows 11 and Windows 10 release information sources. Microsoft's recovery drive article states no minimum USB size, so the size publishes as an instruction to read the figure the tool shows on screen rather than as a guessed number; the 8 GB figure that does appear on this page belongs to installation media, is a different thing, and is labelled as such. The Recovery Drive tool and the media creation tool are distinguished in the terminology block and in the first FAQ answer, because both erase a USB device and they are routinely confused. The procedure was verified against Microsoft's documentation, not executed on a machine, and this record says so rather than claiming a test result. The verified specification carries spec_key null: this drafting session was not permitted to write data/specs.json, so the registry entry must be added when the record is merged.

Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.

Comments and corrections

Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.

Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.

The comment system is not connected yet. Comments are stored in GitHub Discussions through Giscus, outside this site, so that a redeploy cannot destroy them.