You might be asked to enter an admin password or confirm your choice. In the search box next to the Start button, search for Create a recovery drive and then select it. To create a recovery drive in Windows 10: To download Windows 11 installation media, see Recovery options in Windows. Need more options for creating a recovery drive?įor Windows 7, see Create a system repair disc.įor Windows 8.1, see Create a USB recovery drive. It doesn't contain your personal files, settings, or programs. It's a good idea to Backup and Restore in Windows frequently because the recovery drive isn't a system image. If you ever need to use the recovery drive to reinstall Windows 11 on your PC, see Recovery options in Windows for further instructions. Many files need to be copied to the recovery drive, so this might take a while.

When the tool opens, make sure Back up system files to the recovery drive is selected and then select Next.Ĭonnect a USB drive to your PC, select it, and then select Next.

In the search box on the taskbar, search for Create a recovery drive and then select it. To create a recovery drive in Windows 11: Some of these programs-like ImgBurn-do include junkware in their installers if you get them from elsewhere.Warning: Use an empty USB drive because this process will erase any data that's already stored on the drive. Just be sure to download them through Ninite. On the ISO front, Ninite includes tools like InfraRecorder, ImgBurn, and CDBurnerXP. There are lots of tools that can do this, but you need to be careful because many of them are packed with junkware.Īs always, we recommend Ninite as a safe place to grab tools of all sorts. To actually create an ISO file from your own physical disc, you’ll need a third-party program. RELATED: Defend Your Windows PC From Junkware: 5 Lines of Defense Windows doesn’t have a built-in way to create ISO files, although modern versions of Windows- Windows 8, 8.1, and 10-can all natively mount ISO files without any additional software. RELATED: How to Use CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs on a Computer Without a Disc Drive Windows ISO files are also great for things like providing a disc to a virtual machine program, or just saving a copy of a disc so that you can recreate it in the future if you need to. Although, you should note that some DRM copy protection schemes won’t work with ISO files, unless you jump through additional hoops. ISO files are particularly useful if you want to use old game or software discs on a modern computer that doesn’t have a disc drive.

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