Can now COPY contents in 8GB USB and have a REcovery USB (from 32GB Stick) ??? rather create again

[lse123]

HP PCs - Creating and Using a Microsoft Recovery USB Drive (Windows 10)

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c04641788

Created USB Recovery from following here instructions ^^^

but forgot rather using 16GB or 8GB USB Stick , i used by error 32GB Stick

Can now COPY & PASTE - in Windows Explorer - contents in 8GB USB and have a REcovery USB (from 32GB Stick) ??? rather create again 

[Lil_Boy_Blue]

Hi

Creating the REcovery USB flash drive (or DVD's) is stated as a one-off procedure, so you probably wont get a second chance.

However Copying/Cloning the existing 32 onto a 16 GB deivce seems like a good idea.

[lse123]

In my PC I can create RECOVERY USB as many times as I like/tried... i think the limit Not exist any more in Win 10....

so the recovery usb is a single partition FAT32 and can COPY & PASTE or CLONED [Acronis TI 2018] easy... correct?

May also fit in 8GB USB... ? The latter is always the case? 

[Lil_Boy_Blue]

Hi

No Idea.

[WAWood · Accepted solution]

@lse123

We thought you were using the HP Recovery Media creator; but instead, you are using the MS tool -- and personally, I have found MS tools to be unreliable.

My suggestion is you consider using a third-party solution known as Macrium Reflect (MR).

I prefer to use third-party recovery solutions for the following reasons:
1) More flexibility and reliabilty -- can make recovery media as often as you like, not restricted to one attempt, which if it fails, then you are stuck.
2) More media options -- can create media in DVD, USB stick, or external drive format
3) Mounting option -- can "mount" the save images as virtual "drives" and extract individual files and folders
4) WinPE boot option -- can install a special boot option that allows you to boot to recovery information and do a repair or restore from there -- when Windows will not boot

What I recommend is the following:
1) Download and install Macrium Reflect (MR) from here: http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
2) Run MR and choose the option: "Create an image of the partition(s) required to backup and restore Windows" to write a full backup to an external drive, USB stick, or DVDs
3) Use the option to create a boot USB stick or CD

My experience is that MR, when using the High Compression option, typically can compress the saved image file to about 50% of the USED space in the OS partition. This means if you have an 80GB OS partition, and 40GB is used, MR only needs about 20GB to store the image file.

I use this all the time and it typically takes less than 15 minutes to do the image backup and about the same time or less to do a restore. Plus, MR has the option to Add a Recovery Boot Menu entry. This allows you then to boot into WinPE, and you can then use that to do a restore -- when you can't boot into Windows!

NOW, you have the means to restore a full working system from the external drive, USB stick or DVDs in only a few minutes.

Good Luck