How to Create and Use a Windows 11 Recovery Drive

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Why You Need a Recovery Drive

A Recovery Drive is a bootable USB flash drive that contains a copy of the Windows 11 recovery environment. It’s an essential troubleshooting tool that can help you fix problems even if your PC won’t start. You can use it to restore from a system restore point, reset your PC, or use other advanced tools to diagnose issues. It is highly recommended that you create one as soon as you set up a new PC and refresh it annually.

What You’ll Need

  • A USB flash drive. It should be at least 16GB. All data on the drive will be erased during the process, so make sure it’s empty or backed up.

Steps to Create a Recovery Drive

  1. Plug the USB flash drive into your computer.
  2. Click the Start button, type ‘Recovery Drive’ into the search bar, and select Create a recovery drive from the results. You will need administrator permission.
  3. The Recovery Drive tool will open. Ensure the box for ‘Back up system files to the recovery drive’ is checked. This is crucial as it includes the files needed to reinstall Windows. Click Next.
  4. Windows will scan for a suitable USB drive. Select the correct flash drive from the list. Be careful to choose the right one, as it will be completely erased.
  5. Click Next, and then on the final warning screen, click Create.
  6. The process will take some time as Windows copies the necessary files to the drive. Once it’s complete, you can safely eject the USB drive and store it in a safe place.

How to Use the Recovery Drive

If your PC fails to boot, you can use the Recovery Drive to start it.

  1. Insert the Recovery Drive into a USB port.
  2. Start or restart your computer and boot from the USB drive. You may need to press a specific key during startup (like F12, F2, Esc, or Del) to open the boot menu and select the USB drive.
  3. Your PC will load the Windows Recovery Environment. Here you can choose Troubleshoot to access options like System Restore, Startup Repair, or Reset this PC (using the option ‘Recover from a drive’).

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Hello! I'm a gaming enthusiast, a history buff, a cinema lover, connected to the news, and I enjoy exploring different lifestyles. I'm Yaman Şener/trioner.com, a web content creator who brings all these interests together to offer readers in-depth analyses, informative content, and inspiring perspectives. I'm here to accompany you through the vast spectrum of the digital world.

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