Solved Upgrading laptop and getting supplier to create recovery media

CaseyBee · Jul 17, 2022

Hi all,
I'm a fairly competent computer user, on the verge of getting a new laptop.
I know exactly what I want, but the shop I'm intending to buy from offer a set up service where they'll also create recovery media.
In over 20 years of computer usage I've never needed it, but I'm wondering whether it's worth getting them to do it?

Many thanks,
Casey

cereberus · Jul 17, 2022

Unless it is free - waste of money.

You can create your own recovery media using a variety of image backup tools - the most popular one on this forum is Macrium Reflect Free.

Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect

How to Create and Restore a System Image Backup with Macrium Reflect

www.tenforums.com

The tutorial here is a little out of date but easy enough to follow.

If you want a barebone recovery usb, you can create it from the recovery menus in control panel.

The days of needing recovery partitions is long gone.

SIW2 · Jul 17, 2022

a rather abrupt ending, was the author abducted by Martians while typing ...

Berton · Jul 17, 2022

A caveat: the OEM/Manufacturer/original seller can only provide the software the machine originally came with. I got 2 new computers, Oct. Notebook and Apr. Desktop, both with Win10 and automatically Upgraded to Win11 after all the Win10 setup and updates finished, no way I'll want to start over with Win10 as they are working just fine.

CaseyBee · Jul 17, 2022

Thanks, @Berton

So, I'd create recovery media to be able to get the laptop back to the configuration that it had when I first bought it? Just want to check that I'm understanding this correctly.

Berton · Jul 17, 2022

CaseyBee said:
Thanks, @Berton

So, I'd create recovery media to be able to get the laptop back to the configuration that it had when I first bought it? Just want to check that I'm understanding this correctly.

That's pretty much the use of Recovery media. I've never done it but supposedly having that media will allow some customization of it, last I did it was over 20 years ago and slipstreaming a Service Pack into the original media then creating a new CD for it. If wanting to create it from a running machine cloning may be the answer, I've only cloned drives using a Hard Drive Dock not connected to a computer, exact copy from a Source drive to a Destination drive.

NavyLCDR · Jul 18, 2022

CaseyBee said:
Thanks, @Berton

So, I'd create recovery media to be able to get the laptop back to the configuration that it had when I first bought it? Just want to check that I'm understanding this correctly.

If you really want to restore the computer to its "virgin" status, then boot it for the first time from a Macrium Reflect Rescue Drive (USB flash drive). Save a system image to an external drive or NAS. That's what I do with brand, factory, off-the-shelf computers. As @cereberus posted - if they will do it for free, go for it. But I'll bet there is additional cost for it, which is a total waste of money.

Winuser · Jul 18, 2022

@CaseyBee, if you make a Macrium Rescue disk on another computer or have a Macrium Rescue disk available you can boot from it and image the drive before booting the laptop to the Windows desktop.

badrobot · Jul 18, 2022

If you are a competent user, then you don't need it. You can make your own for free or create back-up images so you don't always have to install your programs when you need to go back at some point. You don't necessarily have to go as far back as the time you bought it where nothing is installed but the OS.