Recovery Drive, Image and Media

[TL99]

Like this new laptop. It came with 2 DVD disc for Win10, so I call them Recovery Media, may need a DVD player in case.

Now, my SSD has a "Recovery Image" (D: drive), believe to rebuild the machine when reset. There is also an utility call "Recovery Drive", my understanding is to rebuild plus all important app files so I don't have to reinstall, am I right?

[IT_WinSec · Accepted solution]

Hello @TL99

The operating system recovery process includes restoring the PC back to factory default condition - it will restore Windows, drivers and preinstalled apps. It will not save/restore your files and other apps. Windows 10 itself has an option to keep files during resetting of the PC but it will depends what kind of recovery you do and what is the condition of the OS at that particular moment.

Here are more details:

>> https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4130-reset-windows-10-a.html

>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukQlXKoMIKw

Besides that, you can also boot from the recovery media you have and use them to restore to factory default condition.

Only Reset option with option to Keep files may save files. Apps are not saved.

And, in addition to these, you can also use HP Cloud Recovery to build recovery media (available for business PCs):

>> https://ftp.hp.com/pub/caps-softpaq/CloudRecovery/crsupportedplatform.html

>> https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c05115630

🙂 and one additional option - clean Windows 10 installation >> https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-System-and-Recovery/EliteBook-very-slow-after-drive...

The option where you keep all files, all data, all apps in the condition they are at the moment of creating the recovery is known as System Image Recovery. You need to create a system image using Windows built-in tools or 3rd party tools like CloneZilla. The images are mirror copies of your SSD/HDD and they are stored on an external HDD/external SSD. More info these options:

>> https://www.howtogeek.com/239312/how-to-restore-system-image-backups-on-windows-7-8-and-10/

>> https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-revive-your-windows-10-installation-with-system-image-re...

>> https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/how-to-restore-a-windows-10-syst...

Hope this helps.