Proposal: Preinstalled Bare-Metal Recovery App for Windows 11 (Feedback Hub Link)

garlin · 2026-06-26T18:23:23-0400

I'm sure Toshiba had a factory image for when the laptop was shipped. And in the W8 days, it was common for OEM's to create a recovery partition where you could initiate a push-button reset back to a known Windows image. Unfortunately that recovery image was never updated and would be out-of-date a few years after you first purchased the PC.

These days, it's a less common for vendors to ship a factory recovery partition. Though some OEM's still do.

If you don't have the option to create a restore image from a freshly delivered PC, or the vendor doesn't provide the complete set of drivers, there are methods to export the current set of 3rd-party drivers from a live system.

The driver set can then be integrated to a current Windows install image. Of course, this doesn't help if the drivers are too old be supported by the new Windows. You may have hunt down a modern-day equivalent of the original driver.

Ghot · 2026-06-26T18:24:47-0400

JHDHD said:
without paying

Most of the computer industry wants US to buy new hardware, repeatedly.
Microsoft is one of the major leaders in this, and motherboard manufacturers are doing the same thing.
You can hardly even find Win 7 or Win 8 drivers on the manufacturer's websites'

If you could keep updating the operating system on old hardware... they won't make money.

I could link 100 topics that would show you this.

But I'll just link this one... it's 159 pages, so far...

Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

Inspired on this thread: Let's run Win10 on really really old hardware - Windows 10 Help Forums Most of our machines are unsupported on Windows 11, why not force it? --------- Run Windows 11 on unsupported machines --------- 1. How to Bypass Windows 11's TPM, CPU and RAM Requirements 2...

www.elevenforum.com

You're not the only one, by far, that feels as you do. ^^

I bought this $400 motherboard in May 2020, and they only have Win10/11 drivers...

This is the only driver listed under the "Other" operating systems heading...

So even if I wanted, I couldn't put Win 7/8/8.1 on this motherboard.

JHDHD · 2026-06-26T18:28:11-0400

I don't know. So everyone says no to this proposed app?

Ghot · 2026-06-26T18:31:50-0400

JHDHD said:
I don't know. So everyone says no to this proposed app?

We're just trying to save you some time.
Your method (Feedback Hub), is excellent, but the idea isn't gonna fly, these days.

The corporations don't want your idea to work. If it does... they'll not make as much money. ^^

Think back to the early 2000's, when some nasty Grinch, thought up DLC for games.
They made bazillions with DLC (downloadable content).

The original, three Diablo II discs cost about $60. They were chapters one thru four.
Then it cost another $60 for the fifth chapter (fourth disc), which was needed to finish the game. ^^

The hardware folks saw that, and they wanted a piece of the pie.
Now, they are getting it too. ^^

pseymour · 2026-06-26T18:55:27-0400

I know it's popular and, to some people, clever to blame the evil corporations for everything, but what company in their right mind wants to keep content around for a 2013 laptop that probably four people still have? If it was that important to one, one should have ~~put a ring on it~~ backed it up.

HeavyHemi · 2026-06-26T20:10:41-0400

pseymour said:
I know it's popular and, to some people, clever to blame the evil corporations for everything, but what company in their right mind wants to keep content around for a 2013 laptop that probably four people still have? If it was that important to one, one should have ~~put a ring on it~~ backed it up.

It took me until almost the end of this thread to realize what was being ask for was original OEM modified OS ISO file for every manufacturers Windows OS device ever released. I don't see that happening. I could see this as something as a forward looking project. I do not believe it should be MS as responsible for OEM installs ISOs.

garlin · 2026-06-26T20:15:46-0400

Let's assume you owned this laptop since 2013. And upgraded to every successive Windows release (bypassing the HW checks) from 8.1, to several generations of W10, and finally to a few generations of W11.

Your drivers would not look like the original versions shipped from the factory. During the time the PC was under support, it might have received updated 8.1 and early W10 drivers. You might be fortunate and later W10 releases could use your early W10 drivers. And even more lucky if W11 accepted your legacy W10 drivers, simply because vendors stopped releasing drivers over a decade ago.

Suppose the system still works. What good is the factory image if it doesn't resemble the current driver set? All the factory image would do is to restore it back to 8.1 conditions. It would not be a path to making it compatible with W11.

SIW2 · 2026-06-26T20:19:37-0400

Dont let them put you off. It is a good idea. I will support your suggestion if I am able to get into that site.

Bree · 2026-06-26T20:22:47-0400

JHDHD said:
I hope you and everyone else here understands why i am proposing for this new app. And i would really like to have both those computers back to the original factory state.

If you buy an OEM system it is not Microsoft's responsibility to maintain it, that responsibility falls on the OEM.

Does Microsoft support Windows 10 Pro OEM?

Actually no, it doesn't. Support for OEM versions of Windows is provided by the OEM, i.e., Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer, etc. In short, the company that made your computer. It's always been this way. That's the biggest reason why the OEM version of Windows is less expensive than the retail version of Windows.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/a...851/does-microsoft-support-windows-10-pro-oem

New computers from major OEMs now come with a cloud-based OEM recovery option built into the bios.

Lenovo said:
Connected System Recovery will contact Microsoft’s servers to download Windows Recovery Environment. This Windows Recovery Environment will then use the information stored in your BIOS by the PC manufacturer to download and rebuild Windows entirely on your device, which involves wiping the device storage and repartitioning it as your PC manufacturer built it.

https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/so...m-recovery-cloud-bare-metal-recovery-thinkpad

Dell said:
SupportAssist OS Recovery Cloud Restore (Recommended): This option downloads and installs the latest version of the operating system on your Dell computer.
Requirements:

An active Internet connection

A USB drive with 16 GB capacity

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/...r-system-using-dell-supportassist-os-recovery

JHDHD said:
I have two computers made 2012-2014....

JHDHD said:
All i want is the original factory state back and exactly how both my laptops were on day one....

Are you really sure? On Day One a PC that old would have had an OEM Windows 7 or Windows 8. If that's what you want then the only option would be to get hold of the specific factory restore CD for each PC. Being long out of support by their respective OEMs you won't be able to get that from the manufacturer. If you're lucky someone may have uploaded an ISO to the Internet Archive.

https://archive.org/details/cdromsoftware

SIW2 · 2026-06-26T20:25:10-0400

Proposal
To address this gap, I am proposing a new preinstalled application capable of handling bare-metal restores directly, which would be highly beneficial for users dealing with wiped hard drives.

From the first post. He is not suggesting an oem partition a far as I can tell.

windows system image can do that. the restore program is caled bmrui.exe Bare Metal Restore UI

pseymour · 2026-06-26T20:39:54-0400

It’s pretty irrelevant whether it’s a partition or ISO or flash drive or Zip disk. Where’s it going to come from? Microsoft isn’t going to make it, and the OEMs already do.

IownAmoneyPit · 2026-06-26T20:42:03-0400

hsehestedt said:
The first time you boot a new system, boot from your recovery drive for Macrium, Hasleo, etc. Create a disk image. You now have a backup of the system in exactly the factory shipped state.

When I bought my new Laptop I just happened to think of this very solution using a Macrium recovery USB I created and the after testing/restoring the created image it will indeed restore the Laptop to its "Factory Shipped state", As a bonus if you ever sell or give away your machine it is already prepared for the New user.

Proposal: Preinstalled Bare-Metal Recovery App for Windows 11 (Feedback Hub Link)

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

New member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

We summon thee from the dead, old threads!

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

We summon thee from the dead, old threads!

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Canadian Loonie X 2

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Similar threads

My Computer

My Computers

My Computer

My Computers

My Computer

My Computer

My Computer

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computer

My Computers