Your Windows PC has a secret recovery tool that's seriously useful - here's how to access it

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We've astir apt each bumped into boot-up problems erstwhile Windows fails to load properly. That's erstwhile a betterment thrust tin travel successful handy. But however galore of america instrumentality the clip to acceptable 1 up? Well, Windows itself offers a betterment diagnostic that you whitethorn not adjacent recognize exists.

Known simply arsenic Recovery Drive, this bequest instrumentality lets you make a betterment situation to store connected an outer USB drive. If Windows ever has occupation launching, you'll beryllium capable to footwear up your PC with the betterment media. The instrumentality works the aforesaid successful some Windows 10 and 11.

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There are a mates of conditions to support successful mind. Using Recovery Drive resets Windows backmost to its archetypal mill state. Specifically, the betterment stores each built-in Windows files, immoderate updates installed erstwhile you acceptable up the drive, and immoderate customizations from the PC maker. 

Your customizations, idiosyncratic files, and immoderate apps you've installed are not included, truthful you'll privation to marque definite you person abstracted backups of those items. I urge Ed Bott's step-by-step usher to protecting yourself from data-related catastrophes.

The Recovery Drive is akin to the Reset enactment successful Windows. The quality present is that Reset tin clasp your idiosyncratic files. However, you person to tally Reset from wrong Windows, whereas the Recovery Drive tin thrust to the rescue if Windows isn't accessible.

However, since the Recovery Drive removes your idiosyncratic files and apps, you'll privation to usage it arsenic a last-ditch effort if you can't entree Windows done immoderate different means. Here's however it works.

How to entree Recovery Drive (and usage it)

To get started with Recovery Drive, link an outer USB instrumentality oregon thrust to your PC. Make definite the thrust has astatine slightest 32GB of escaped space. I person a fewer outer drives and respective USB sticks that I usage crossed my PCs, astir of which supply ample abstraction to store a afloat Windows betterment environment.

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Connect the USB drive
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

In Windows 10 oregon 11, commencement typing Recovery Drive successful the hunt tract oregon model and prime Recovery Drive from the hunt results.

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Open Recovery Drive
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At the adjacent screen, cheque the container for "Back up strategy files to the betterment drive." Click Next.

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Back up   strategy   files
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

At the adjacent screen, marque definite the close outer thrust oregon instrumentality is selected and past click Next.

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Choose the USB drive
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The adjacent surface reminds you that everything connected the outer thrust volition beryllium deleted. Click Create to proceed. Now, measurement distant for a agelong interruption oregon segue to different task arsenic the process volition instrumentality immoderate time. After the agelong wait, you'll beryllium told that the betterment thrust is ready. Click Finish.

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Confirm your settings
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Now let's question into the aboriginal astatine a clip erstwhile Windows is exhibiting footwear up problems and refuses to load properly. You person nary different means of booting up oregon accessing the operating system. Then you retrieve your trusty betterment drive. Connect the USB thrust oregon instrumentality to your PC. Power up oregon reboot your machine and property the due cardinal for your exemplary to load the footwear menu. From there, prime your outer thrust to footwear disconnected that device.

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Boot up   with the betterment   drive
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After the betterment thrust boots up your PC, you'll beryllium asked to take your keyboard type. The adjacent surface past offers you a fewer choices, specified arsenic recovering from a drive, utilizing a device, oregon troubleshooting a problem. Select the enactment to retrieve from a drive. This volition reinstall Windows from the betterment situation but region your idiosyncratic files and apps.

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Choose the betterment   option
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The adjacent surface asks if you privation to region files oregon afloat cleanable the drive. Choose the archetypal enactment to conscionable region your files.

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Recover from a drive
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The last surface present explains what volition hap erstwhile the betterment situation is applied. Make definite you're OK with the process and past click Recover. Your PC goes into betterment mode utilizing the thrust to reinstall Windows.

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Kick disconnected  the recovery
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After your betterment situation is applied, you'll beryllium taken to the accustomed Windows setup screens. Go done each surface until you implicit the process. After that's done, you'll beryllium deposited astatine your recovered Windows situation wherever you tin chemoreceptor astir to marque definite everything is moving arsenic expected. If so, you'll past person to reconstruct your idiosyncratic files and reinstall immoderate apps you need.

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Set up   and motorboat  Windows
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