How to Revive Windows With a Recovery Drive

Uh, oh. Your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer won’t boot up and can’t fix itself. In most cases you would be out of luck, unless you created a recovery drive, which stores a copy of your Windows environment on another source, such as a DVD or USB drive. Then, if Windows ever fails, you can then restore it from that drive.

The downside is that personal files and desktop apps won’t come along for the ride, but you should already be backing up your personal files separately. At the very least, a recovery drive will bring Windows 10 or 11 back to a bootable and working state. Here’s how to get started.

Set Up a Recovery Drive

First, you’ll want to set up the recovery drive while Windows is still alive and working so you capture it at its best. Connect a USB drive or insert a DVD into your computer. Type Recovery Drive into the Windows search field and click Recovery Drive. Alternatively, open Control Panel in icon view, and click Recovery >Create a recovery drive. 

Answer Yes if Windows asks if you want to allow this app to make changes to your device. When the Create a recovery drive window appears, check the box next to Back up system files to the recovery drive, then click Next.

Wait for Windows to pick up the USB drive or DVD. If multiple drives appear, select the one you want to use. Click Next. Everything on the recovery drive will be deleted, so make sure no needed files are on the USB drive or DVD. 

Click Create,and the recovery drive will be made. This process may take a long time, so be patient. After the drive has been created, click Finish.

How to Use the Recovery Drive

Now, let’s fast forward to a time when Windows is so damaged that it’s unable to load or repair itself. Insert your recovery USB drive or DVD into your computer. Upon bootup, press the appropriate key to boot from the USB drive or DVD instead of your hard drive.

Select the keyboard for your language or country and press Enter. Select Recover from a drive to tell the computer to use the version of Windows on your USB drive or DVD. Once again, this means all your files and apps will be removed after the operating system is reinstalled.

You have the option to just remove your files or fully clean the drive to wipe the operating system. You might choose Fully clean the drive if you were planning to discard or recycle the computer. Since you’re planning to keep this machine and want to recover it, select Just remove my files.

The final step is to click Recover. The computer will warn you one more time that all personal files will be deleted and any apps that did not come with the OS will be removed. Furthermore, if you partitioned your drive, this will restore it to its original state, which means you’ll have to set up the partition again.

Windows will then tell you that it’s recovering your PC. When finished, the OS is officially reinstalled. You are then taken through the setup process and any updates are applied. After the setup is finished, you can sign into Windows. 

Again, your personal files won’t be here, but hopefully you’ve backed those up elsewhere so you can now restore them. You’ll also need to reinstall your desktop applications.

System Image Backup

However, if preserving your personal files is absolutely necessary, a System Image Backup is another recovery option. This method allows you to create an image of your entire Windows environment, including your personal files and applications. 

You would need to create this image on a regular basis to make sure it stays current, though. You can also create a System Repair Disc to boot up your PC if Windows won’t boot. By having both a Recovery Drive and a System Image, you can ensure that you’re able to revive Windows 10 or 11 if it can’t revive itself.