Skip to main content
Tech Radar Tech Radar TechRadar The source for Tech Buying Advice
Subscribe
RSS
(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
Technology Magazines
(opens in new tab)
Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)
Why subscribe?
  • The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12.99
(opens in new tab)
View Deal (opens in new tab)
  • News
  • Best
  • Reviews
  • Opinion
  • How To
  • Versus
  • Deals
  • More
    • Appliances
    • Audiovisual
    • Cameras
    • Car Tech
    • Computing
    • Downloads
    • Entertainment
    • Fitness
    • Laptops
    • Phones
    • Smart Home
    • Tablets
    • TVs
    • Wearables
    • About Us
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Samsung Galaxy Unpacked
  • Samsung Galaxy S23
  • Best phones
  • Wordle
  • Best VPN

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. How-to
  3. Computing

How to create a Windows 10 recovery disk

By Ian Barker
published 21 June 2018

A range of options from Windows and a third-party solution

  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
Introduction

Introduction

Windows 10 has been out for a few years at this point, and with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, it now has more features than ever before. 

Most people have been using Windows 10 without issue, but what happens when something does happen and you need to reinstall? And, now that Microsoft seems to be pushing updates on people who don’t want them, it might happen sooner, rather than later.

If you run into problems with your OS, you’ll need to know how to create a Windows 10 Recovery Disk, or you’ll get stuck with a very expensive paperweight. And, you can’t simply roll back to Windows 7 or 8 anymore.

Don’t worry though, we’ll show you how to create a Windows 10 recovery disk in this guide.

  • Also check out: How to use Windows 10
Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
1. Run the Media Creation Tool

1. Run the Media Creation Tool

If you upgraded to Windows 10 using the media creation tool you have the option to use it to create install media either on a disc or a USB flash drive. Even if you waited for Windows 10 to be delivered in the background you can still download and use the tool after you've installed the OS, and you can create media for use on other machines too.

Run the tool – there are different versions for 32-bit and 64-bit systems so make sure you get the right one – and select the 'Create installation media for another PC' option.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
2. Select a language and version

2. Select a language and version

You now need to select the language to use and the version of Windows 10. Note that this must match the version you've installed or your licence key won't be valid. If you're making media for another machine use the appropriate version for that. You also need to choose whether to create a 32-bit or 64-bit version – you can make media for either regardless of the machine you're using.

On the next screen you need to select either to burn a disc or create a USB drive, and then you simply wait for Windows to download the files and create the media.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
3. Create a recovery drive

3. Create a recovery drive

Previous versions of Windows had the option to create a recovery disc from the Recovery Options section in Control Panel. In Windows 10 you won't find this option on any of the Settings screens but it is still available, you just need to hunt for it.

Open up Settings from the Start menu and type Recovery in the Search box at the top right, then select 'Create a recovery drive' from the list of options that appears on the left side of the screen. You can also find it by typing Recovery drive in the Cortana Search box on the taskbar.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
4. Back up system files

4. Back up system files

You'll need to provide User Account Control approval, then the Recovery Drive tool will launch. A recovery drive will allow you to reset your system or troubleshoot problems. 

You have the option to back up your system files to the drive, and if you do this you can also use it to perform a reinstall of Windows. Tick the box to back up system files and then click on Next to continue. There will be a short wait while your system is checked, and you'll then be asked to connect a USB drive.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
5. Find out flash drive size

5. Find out flash drive size

The program will tell you what size flash drive you need – this will vary depending on what other software is installed on your system but will usually be at least 4GB. Note that any existing content on the drive will be wiped out as part of the process. Select the drive you want to use and click on Next to continue.

Before beginning to create the drive make sure that your version of Windows 10 is activated – if your old Windows was activated this should have happened automatically – you won't then need a licence key to reinstall.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
6. Create a recovery drive

6. Create a recovery drive

You'll get a further warning that the content of the drive will be deleted, so click on Create if you're sure you want to proceed. The system will then begin to create your recovery drive – this will take some time but you can continue to use your PC for other tasks while it's happening. 

You'll see it go through various stages including copying utilities and copying system. Once it's complete there will be a message saying 'The recovery drive is ready' and you can click on Finish to complete the task.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
7. Try a different install method

7. Try a different install method

If you don't want to do a complete reinstall there are other options. If you open Settings from the Start menu, select Update & Security, then choose Recovery from the left-hand menu, you have a number of options.

You can reset the PC which effectively allows you to do an in-place reinstall, though of course this only works if your PC is still running. There's also an Advanced start-up option, which we'll cover in the next slide.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
8. Do an advanced start-up

8. Do an advanced start-up

The Advanced start-up option allows you to start from the media you've created, either on disc or USB. You can also access the system's firmware or restore the system from an image. Note that this will only work on recent machines with a UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) rather than the BIOS used by older PCs.

On UEFI systems it's not possible to run 32-bit Windows on a 64-bit computer as it was on older machines. You can access Advanced start-up from Settings or by holding down Shift when you click Restart from the Start menu.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
9. Try an alternative

9. Try an alternative

If you're not happy with any of the recovery options that are offered as standard by Windows there is an alternative available – you can download the free AOMEI OneKey Recovery tool (opens in new tab). This allows you to create a recovery partition on your hard drive similar to those supplied by manufacturers on pre-installed systems.

The advantage here is that AOMEI images your current system state with all of your settings included. When you download and install it, you’ll be presented with two choices – click on OneKey System Backup to start.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
10. Create a partition

10. Create a partition

The program then walks you through the entire process of creating a partition – you will need to have around 25GB of unallocated space available on your drive. If you don't have unallocated space you'll need to create a new partition. You can choose to back up your system to another location, such as an external drive, if you prefer.

After creating the partition AOMEI adds itself to the boot menu of the system allowing you to access the recovery partition on startup. You have the option to add a message allowing you to simply press a key to access recovery.

  • Check out our collection of guides on how to use Windows 10
Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
Ian Barker

Ian Barker worked in information technology before discovering that writing about computers was easier than fixing them. He has worked for a staff writer on a range of computer magazines including PC Extreme, was editor of PC Utilities, and has written for TechRadar, BetaNews, IT Pro Portal, and LatestGadgets.

See more Operating systems how-to
  1. Retail store display of Taylor Swift's album Midnights in LP and CD formats
    1
    The vinyl revival is coming to a crashing halt – but don't blame Taylor Swift
  2. 2
    This long-delayed shooter finally has PS5 and Xbox Series X performance confirmed
  3. 3
    I'm going to turn on the feature that makes Dead Space run at 30 FPS on PS5
  4. 4
    Avatar: The Way of Water animator explains the truth behind that viral hand shot
  5. 5
    7 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend (January 20)
  1. HomePod 2 hero
    1
    I listened to music on the HomePod 2 and was totally blown away
  2. 2
    First Samsung Galaxy S23 hands-on leak shows off the Ultra model
  3. 3
    Avatar: The Way of Water animator explains the truth behind that viral hand shot
  4. 4
    Apple TV Plus just revealed its 2023 lineup – and it's finally made me a believer
  5. 5
    The Mac mini M2 is now the best upgrade from your Apple iMac

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab).

  • About Us (opens in new tab)
  • Contact Us (opens in new tab)
  • Terms and conditions (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy policy (opens in new tab)
  • Cookies policy (opens in new tab)
  • Advertise with us (opens in new tab)
  • Web notifications (opens in new tab)
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers (opens in new tab)

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.