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janaFlag for United States of America

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Is copying a Recovery Drive contents problematic

Hi,

We have  a series of USB drives with Boot Recover data from each PC in our location; these were created with "Created a Recovery  Drive" tool of Windows 10 (all  PC are W10).

One of the users needed emergency these USBs.  He created folders in a PC of each USB and copied each  separately to the computer giving a folder per USB.  He  said that when we need the USB, all we have to do format the  USB and copy over the corresponding USB contents from the folder.

Question, is that OK? Just by formatting the USB and copying over the original contents would make function as when the recover data we created?
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Colleen Kayter
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I'm not sure I understand exactly what the user did or why. But I think he's suggesting you make new recovery drives, overwriting whatever it was he did. I'd suggest recreating those recovery drives sooner rather than later and get the guy a flash drive of his very own.

BTW, recovery will only restore user content. You should probably have 2 USB drives per PC. One for data recovery and the other for a System Image.

To create a system image:

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Backup > Click link at bottom of center panel "Go to Backup and Restore (Win 7)" - Don't worry you won't be rolling back to Win 7.

2. In Backup and Restore > click Create a System Image (the whole shebang - system, data, everything) OR Create a System Repair Disc (the repair disc requires CD/DVD).

I recently picked up an external DVD burner on Amazon for about $30. Worth the money for that + 10 DVDs to create those repair discs. Then stash them in a drawer.
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ASKER

I think that I haven't been cleared.

Let's put the question this way:

Can I copy the USB data created by "Create a recovery drive" to a folder in our hard disk.  Then, when we need to use the USB Recovery data, copy it back to a USB in order to use it?
Avatar of fred hakim
I have done that with image backups and data backups, but never tried recovery drives.  Give it a try on a spare PC.  If it works, let me know.
I get it now. Pirate user relocated the recovery files so he could "borrow" the USB. Why worry about the old recovery files anyway? Just create a new recovery drive and smack user upside the head.
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ASKER

We don't have another pc to test it on.

Yeah, that is a choice, redo the recovery drives but the USB are being used.

(I guess also is we are all super busy here also to do any of those things....)

Well, we just wanted to know if anybody has gone thru something like this or know if there is no negative effect of copying the folder contents back to the USB and use it when the times comes.
with recovery drives, or partitions - you must be careful.
most PARTITIONS can be copied without problems - but some are to be started from within the bios; in which case it depends on the way it was made if you can start it up as "standalone"
best test it out on a spare drive - and system
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ASKER

We not talking about the actual computer partition.  We are talking about the USB drive perse, the  contents from saved in a this USB based on Widnows 10 option "Create a recovery drive"

What we want to know is if we copy the USB contents to a computer folder, and then copy it back to the USB, will that work?
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ASKER

(we are talking about the contents created by Windows 10 option "Create a recovery drive")

Hope we are explaining what we are wanting to  know.
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Colleen Kayter
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BTW, if accessing the BIOS is something you haven't done, you might also want to track down instructions on your computer manufacturer's website for changing the boot sequence.

Add that as a text file to the USB drive. When the PC crashes, you'll have to retrieve those instructions from the drive on another PC, but it will come in handy during the panic.
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ASKER

Thank you very much!