How important is it to have a Recovery Drive?


A

AshForeth

Active member
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Windows 11 24H2
By Recovery Drive, I mean that USB drive that Windows create to help fix our computer if it doesn't boot. My question is how important is this?

Secondly, do I need to create this USB ahead of time. Can I just create a USB recovery drive from another Windows computer or is it individual?

Thirdly, do I need to keep updating the recovery drive. Overtime, windows get updated so something like 24H may become 25H, etc. Do I need to keep updating the USB recovery?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 24H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ProArt P16
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Processor 2.0GHz
    Motherboard
    N/A
    Memory
    64 Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
    Sound Card
    N/A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 5600
    Motherboard
    MSI MS-7C56
    Memory
    32 Gb
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD RX6600
Most of your questions should be answered in the tutorial and that is also the best place to ask any remaining questions that you have.
Create Recovery Drive - ElevenForumTutorials

I have never bothered with Recovery Drives.
I make frequent system images,
my ditty - File backup vs imaging, imaging utilities, backing up drivers [post #3] - TenForums - references to particular system imaging utilities are out-of-date
I back up my hardware drivers every time I change one, and
Backup and Restore Device Drivers - ElevenForumTutorials
I always have an installation USB [or at least its ISO file] - these are both described in context within the Clean install & Repair install tutorials.
Clean Install Windows 11 - ElevenForumTutorials
Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade - ElevenForumTutorials


Denis
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home x64 Version 25H2 Build 26200.8037
AshForeth said:
By Recovery Drive, I mean that USB drive that Windows create to help fix our computer if it doesn't boot. My question is how important is this?
Click to expand...
A recovery drive that includes system files can be used to reinstall Windows on your PC. It does not include any software you may have installed, or any of your personal files or settings. It is effectively a 'factory reset' drive.

AshForeth said:
Secondly, do I need to create this USB ahead of time. Can I just create a USB recovery drive from another Windows computer or is it individual?
Click to expand...
The recovery drive is specific to the PC. If this PC has an OEM pre-installed Windows then the recovery drive will also include the OEM utilities and drivers that came with the PC. As I said, it will be your 'factory reset' drive.

AshForeth said:
Thirdly, do I need to keep updating the recovery drive. Overtime, windows get updated so something like 24H may become 25H, etc. Do I need to keep updating the USB recovery?
Click to expand...
Ideally, yes. If you don't make a new recovery drive after a feature update like 25H2 then you'd be installing an older build and have to go through the feature update again - not ideal, but better than no recovery drive at all.

Personally I don't make a recovery drive. I use Macrium Reflect to regularly make a system image that includes all my files, software, and settings.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven below to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package. Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
I always delete it and resize the partition. I make backup images daily, though.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.8457)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    CLX Intel Battlebox Ultimate (RA)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i9-13900KS 3.20GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero WIFI - ATX
    Memory
    128GB DDR5-5200 Kingston Fury Beast RGB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Zotac Trinity NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 4090 24GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    Realtek USB Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell G3223Q 32" 4K Ultra HD
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160 @144hz
    Hard Drives
    2TB x 2 Samsung 990 Pro 2280 NVMe M.2 SSD's
    2TB x 1 Samsung 980 Pro 2280 NVMe M.2 SSD
    4 TB x 1 My Passport Ultra External USB
    PSU
    1200W Corsair HX Ser HX1200 80+ Platinum
    Case
    Lian Li / Der Bauer 011DXL ROG
    Cooling
    Phanteks Glacier One 360 RGB AIO LC
    Keyboard
    Logitech K330 Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech M310 Wireless
    Internet Speed
    1GB Fiber : 945/57
    Browser
    Firefox - Brave
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Premium Personal
    Other Info
    Macrium Reflect X
I have daily data backups and weekly boot drive backups, so I haven't bothered with a recovery drive. I also have a complete spare computer that I can switch over to using a KVM in a flash.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M G P WIFI
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060
    Sound Card
    Chipset Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 45" Ultragear, Acer 24" 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    5120x1440, 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (O/S)
    Silicon Power 2TB US75 NVMe PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (backup)
    Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND (2nd backup)
    Seagate 4TB Ironwolf, rotating HDD archive files
    External off-line backup Drives: 2 NVMe 4TB drives in external enclosures
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W
    Case
    LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 E-ATX PC Case
    Cooling
    Lots of fans!
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek Embedded
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" HP 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 eD NAND PCIe SSD
    Samsung EVO 990 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
    Samsung 2TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
    Case
    Okinos Micro ATX Case
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
snerd said:
I always delete it and resize the partition. I make backup images daily, though.
Click to expand...
The recovery partition and a recovery drive are not the same thing. @AshForeth is talking about making a USB Recovery Drive.
Create Recovery Drive in Windows 11

The recovery partition contains the files required to boot to the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). So does a Recovery drive, and a Windows install USB.

If you want to delete the recovery partition and reclaim the space it is essential that you disable the recovery environment first. Failure to do so means you will loose your system's only copy of WinRE.wim, without which you cannot create a Recovery drive USB, a Macrium rescue USB, or ever be able to re-enable the recovery environment.
Enable or Disable Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) in Windows 11
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven below to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package. Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
Bree said:
The recovery partition and a recovery drive are not the same thing. @AshForeth is talking about making a USB Recovery Drive.............
Click to expand...
Ah, I see. My mistake. Carry on!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.8457)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    CLX Intel Battlebox Ultimate (RA)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i9-13900KS 3.20GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero WIFI - ATX
    Memory
    128GB DDR5-5200 Kingston Fury Beast RGB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Zotac Trinity NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 4090 24GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    Realtek USB Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell G3223Q 32" 4K Ultra HD
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160 @144hz
    Hard Drives
    2TB x 2 Samsung 990 Pro 2280 NVMe M.2 SSD's
    2TB x 1 Samsung 980 Pro 2280 NVMe M.2 SSD
    4 TB x 1 My Passport Ultra External USB
    PSU
    1200W Corsair HX Ser HX1200 80+ Platinum
    Case
    Lian Li / Der Bauer 011DXL ROG
    Cooling
    Phanteks Glacier One 360 RGB AIO LC
    Keyboard
    Logitech K330 Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech M310 Wireless
    Internet Speed
    1GB Fiber : 945/57
    Browser
    Firefox - Brave
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Premium Personal
    Other Info
    Macrium Reflect X
I don't use a recovery drive (or partition - which I delete) because I have a regular regime of automatically time-scheduled image creations
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 2xH2 (latest update ... forever anal)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Slim S01
    CPU
    Intel i5-12400
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT730
    Sound Card
    OOBE
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 32"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    512GB KIOXIA NVMe
    1TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    OOBE
    Case
    OOBE
    Cooling
    OOBE
    Keyboard
    BT
    Mouse
    BT
    Browser
    Brave FFox Chrome Opera
    Antivirus
    KIS
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 2xH2 (latest update ... 4ever anal)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion 15
    CPU
    i7-1165G7 @ 2.80GHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Hard Drives
    Samsung NVMe 512GB
    + numerous/multiple SSD Type C USB enclosures
    Internet Speed
    NBN FTTN 50
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    KIS
fishingfool said:
you can still build a macrium rescue disk with the absence of WinRE. Been there, done that.
Click to expand...
Without your WinRE.wim you cannot make a WinRE macrium rescue disk, the default choice and the only one that supports WiFi.

Macrium Reflect said:
Windows RE
This is the default choice for Windows 7 and above. Windows RE is pre installed with Windows. This option is best suited for your computer, includes WiFi support if built from Windows 10, and requires no further component downloads.
Click to expand...

You can still make a Win PE rescue disk, but that requires downloading the Windows ADK in order to do so, 1.17GB for the W11 WADK.

1774130208527.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven below to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package. Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
Bree said:
You can still make a Win PE rescue disk, but that requires downloading the Windows ADK in order to do so, 1.17GB for the W11 WADK.
Click to expand...
Just in case, if anyone's wondering...

Macrium (and other software vendors) cannot legally redistribute Windows system files, so they ask you install the whole 1.17 GB Windows ADK, just to borrow a couple of MB's of boot files from it. But everyone gets a copy of the WinRE recovery environment, when they install Windows.

So you can see Macrium's motivation for preferring the WinRE option.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
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