# can't create recover drive??



## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

I am trying to create a bootable recovery USB (or DVD) using the Win 10 feature. But when I try is says, "sorry, we are unable to create a recovery drive, some files are missing"??

I am creating a full image backup using the old Win7Control Panel image backup feature. But I'd also like to have a recovery USB drive. What do I need ot do to make this work?


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## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

Use the MS ISO for windows 10 
It will only create windows 10 and not all the bloatware put on by the manufacturer

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Just to make sure we're all using the same terminology, are you referring to a Repair Disc possibly? MS recommends everyone make one after upgrading to Windows 10.


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

PC has no mfg bloatware, it is self built with Win7 Pro, recently migrated to Win 10 via Windows update. i7-920, Gigabyte x58-ud3r, 12 GB RAM, good video, etc. SSD primary OS drive.

I was really liking Windows 10 until this... as to terminology, if you go into the "Windows 7 backup and recovery" features of Windows 10 (how bizarre) you can make a "repair disk". In the Windows 10 side of Windows 10 it has the option to create a "recovery drive", that can be USB or on a DVD disk. I believe these are one and the same but MS decided to name them differently?? Whatever. In either case if I try I get a message that some required files are missing???

I found this post that has a possible solution o this:
Open command prompt in elevated mode and type:
reagentc /disable (press enter)
then type:
reagentc /setreimage /path \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition1\Recovery\WindowsRE (press enter)
Then type:
reagentc /enable )press enter)
You may need to change "harddisk0" to "harddiskX" where X is the number of your "C" drive and "partition1" to partitionX where X is the partition number to conform with your system setup. To check go to Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Computer Management/Storage/Diskmanagment. The disk partitions are numbered from the left of the screen starting with number 1.

I ran that command and it said files not there need to run diskpart "retain" command.

This is all pretty obtuse and seems a throwback to the bad old Windows days.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

How about just an SFC scan?


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

Sorry, I am only a semi-geek. I don't know what that is.



Corday said:


> How about just an SFC scan?


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Run sfc /scannow. If you are not familiar with it, read this: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929833


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

OK, ran scannow. result message: "Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations."


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## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

Any reason you do not want to use the ISO from MS in my post #2 above?


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

OK, Wayne, I am doing that now. Simple enough... but. What is wrong with my system or is this a known Win10 bug (I see literally dozens of threads on this same issue at many Windows forums and no consistent solution)?

And if I use the clean Windows ISO to recover from a HD crash (hopefully won't happen with SSD) what do I use for an activation key? I used to have one for Win7 (still have the disk and key for that) but this was an online Win10 upgrade from system update. I believe a recovery drive created from the PC would have this key embedded, but the clean MS Win 10 ISO will not. So how would MS know to approve my activation?

I was able to make a recovery drive USB on my Asus Zenbook notebook that was migrated to Win 10 from 8.1. That went without a hitch.



etaf said:


> Any reason you do not want to use the ISO from MS in my post #2 above?


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## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

MS have a record of your hardware and the activation, so it should auto activate 

But other than the generic w10 key, this script will produce the unique Key 
NOTE - i have not tried to use it at all 

Also any programs installed you will also need the installation software and keys 

Not sure why you cannot create a recovery drive - But on the 10 PCs I have updated so far, not been able to create a recovery DVD from control panel 

Find Windows 10 product key using VB Script


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

I guess my plan would be to use the recovery disk to boot and then reinstall the image I save with Windows backup. But I am having trouble with that so far, too (image backup failed to complete). Oy vey. Never had any issues with this stuff with Win 7. I'll beat on it for awhile longer.


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

Well, I guess I am giving up for now. I am also unable to complete a Windows backup image. I am just trying to image the system, not data, and the C: drive is a brand new 512 GM SSD with about 150g GB used. As the target drive I have tried both a 2 TB USB HDD and also a 256 GB internal SSD. In either case backup fails due to target "not having enough space" for the image of one or more of the backup volumes, which is plainly not the case. Not sure what MS did to break what used to be a simple and reliable backup protocol.

Oh well, if I ever have an issue I can start with a clean install as per Wayne.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Any error code?


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

Error code: 0x81000033

And the following text, bad grammar and all. Same thing whether going to target 2 TB or 256 GB drives. Source C: drive has only 131 GB out of 512 GB. Again, backing up C: drive system only, no data drives, no libraries.

"Windows backup skipped backing up system image because one of the critical volumes is not having enough free space. Free up some space by deleting unnecessary files and try again."


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

I'm not there with you but it looks like you're trying to force a backup into the original restore portion of one of your HDs. List or take a screen shot of your drives. Maybe we can sort this out. In any event, were you successful in creating the ISO Etaf suggested?


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

Not sure how that could be possible.... This is in the "Windows 7 backup and restore" section. It ie pretty straightforward and I have been using it for > 4 years. I selected the source manually, not the Windows recommended, so just the C: drive, no libraries or data drives... then selected the target drive, either the 2TB external USB or the F: drive that is a data 256 GB SSD. The backup directory is created on the specified target drive, but after the backup fails it is empty, 0 bytes.

Yes, I created the MS Windows 10 ISO. Piece of cake.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

And the large HD and SSD have plenty of room left?


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

Yes, the usb has 1.7 TB free and the 256 GB internal SSD is empty.



Corday said:


> And the large HD and SSD have plenty of room left?


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

The Windows 7 Backup and Restore are for your personal data. Why it doesn't work is anybody's guess, but you have the OS backup you need already in the ISO and if it still exists, the Recovery Partition. As a trial, see if you can use Backup and Restore onto an optical disc.


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## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

have a look at the version of ISO you created ?

MS have pulled the November update from the Media Creation Tool (MCT)
so you may possibly have a faulty ISO - not sure why they have pulled the update.
The reports appear to say , its now only available via the Windows update 

The OLD iso was version 10240
The ISO with the November update was version 10586

If you right click
Properties
Details tab 
you should see the version

I have used the MCT version 10240 and update (not clean install) BUT upgrade this PC 
and then following the upgrade , created the ISO Onto a DVD for the owner of the PC to keep for a clean install o if something goes wrong


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

No recovery partition. The original Win 7 C: drive SSD had a recovery partition in the install that stayed there after the Win10 upgrade. But when I cloned the originl C: drive over to my new bigger SSD a couple weeks ago using the Samsung migration software the recovery partition stayed on the old drive and did not clone over onto the new drive. I deleted it on the old drive to free up space to use it as a data drive. But the new SSD does not have a recovery partition... nor does Win 10 seem to have a way to create another.


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