the difference between making a windows 10 recovery flashdrive and creation tool media

[steveb6]

Anyone know what is the difference between using windows 10 recovery to make a recovery flash drive or making it from window media tool. If we must re-install windows will the one we make from the media creation tool also install drivers? I know the recovery media needs a large flash drive as there are many files. I am assuming that recovery flash drive will include all programs and files. But I am not sure.

[lostinisaan]

Please read this: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/windows-10-recovery-options

[Pib]

Basically a Recovery Drive (a.k.a., USB Recovery Drive) is made from the Windows currently installed on your computer while the Windows Media Creation Tool creates basically the same thing but the Windows will probably be more up to date. And no, a Recovery Drive does not include it all your programs and drivers---it just includes Windows...like you went to the store to buy Windows to install it on a new computer....it's like the Recovery Partition on your hard drive that sometimes comes with some new computers when Windows is preloaded at the factory (not by Somchai). Well, actually it can get more complicated than that....read this weblink.

For pure recovery purposes I would create a Recovery Drive since you know it's the correct version for your computer and tailored for your current computer. When I say correct version I mean whether it's a Single Language version, some regional versions, etc. Download the wrong version and you Windows won't activate due to a license mismatch.

Plus, if your computer develops problems to where it can't boot and/or make a connection to the internet you are not going to be able to reach the online Windows Media Creation Tool unless you have another computer. But if you had a Recovery Drive/Disc you just boot from that to see if you can recover the situation.

Relying on a Recovery Drive/Disc (or even Windows Restore Points) to get your computer working again/back to a previous state due to software corruption/getting a virus is a poor, poor way to manage your valuable computer software and data. Instead, do frequent "image backups" when you computer is working normally....once a month at least. Reloading an earlier image backup can be done in under 30 minutes for most folks, puts your computer back to its operating state as of the date of the backup which may have been just days ago (just whenever you did the last backup) versus going all the way back to day one of getting the computer/installing Windows which is like starting to climb that tall, tall mountain all over again. Use the free built-in Windows backup capability or something better/faster like Macrium Reflect Free.

[lostinisaan]

Basically a Recovery Drive (a.k.a., USB Recovery Drive) is made from the Windows currently installed on your computer while the Windows Media Creation Tool creates basically the same thing but the Windows will probably be more up to date. And no, a Recovery Drive does not include it all your programs and drivers---it just includes Windows...like you went to the store to buy Windows to install it on a new computer....it's like the Recovery Partition on your hard drive that sometimes comes with some new computers when Windows is preloaded at the factory (not by Somchai). Well, actually it can get more complicated than that....read this weblink.

For pure recovery purposes I would create a Recovery Drive since you know it's the correct version for your computer and tailored for your current computer. When I say correct version I mean whether it's a Single Language version, some regional versions, etc. Download the wrong version and you Windows won't activate due to a license mismatch.

Plus, if your computer develops problems to where it can't boot and/or make a connection to the internet you are not going to be able to reach the online Windows Media Creation Tool unless you have another computer. But if you had a Recovery Drive/Disc you just boot from that to see if you can recover the situation.

Relying on a Recovery Drive/Disc (or even Windows Restore Points) to get your computer working again/back to a previous state due to software corruption/getting a virus is a poor, poor way to manage your valuable computer software and data. Instead, do frequent "image backups" when you computer is working normally....once a month at least. Reloading an earlier image backup can be done in under 30 minutes for most folks, puts your computer back to its operating state as of the date of the backup which may have been just days ago (just whenever you did the last backup) versus going all the way back to day one of getting the computer/installing Windows which is like starting to climb that tall, tall mountain all over again. Use the free built-in Windows backup capability or something better/faster like Macrium Reflect Free.

+ 1 for Macrium Reflect. Free and good.