What is the difference between a system image and a recovery drive Windows 10?
To create installation media, go to the software download website, where you'll find step-by-step instructions. On that website, you can select a version of Windows and create your own installation media using either a USB flash drive or a DVD.Windows 10: Create a Bootable USB

  1. Access the Windows 10 Installation Tool site.
  2. Scroll down the page, and click Download Tool Now.
  3. Click Save File in the Opening MediaCreationTool.exe pop-up.
  4. If the User Account Control window appears, select Yes.
  1. Type and search [Control Panel] in the Windows search bar①, then click [Open]②.
  2. In the System and Security field, select [Backup and Restore (Windows 7)]③.
  3. Select [Create a system image]④.
  4. In the On a hard disk field, select a drive where you want to save the system image⑤, and then select [Next]⑥.

Can I install Windows 10 from recovery USB : If you ever need to use the recovery drive to reinstall Windows 10 on your PC, see Recovery options in Windows for further instructions. It's a good idea to Back up your Windows PC frequently because the recovery drive isn't a system image. It doesn't contain your personal files, settings, or programs.

Can I boot Windows 10 from a USB drive

To do this, you'll need to insert the USB drive into your computer and then press the power button. Once the computer has turned on, press the 'F11' or 'Delete' keys repeatedly until you reach the boot menu. From here, select 'Boot from USB' and then choose your drive from the list of available options.

How to create Windows 10 recovery USB : Create a recovery drive

  1. In the search box on the taskbar, search for Create a recovery drive and then select it.
  2. When the tool opens, make sure Back up system files to the recovery drive is selected and then select Next.
  3. Connect a USB drive to your PC, select it, and then select Next.
  4. Select Create.

What to Know

  1. Download and open Rufus. Insert a USB drive and select it from the list. Choose Disk or ISO image.
  2. Go to Select > choose the ISO image > Standard Windows installation > Start.
  3. Wait for the status to say "Ready," then close Rufus and remove the USB drive.


System images are less flexible since you cannot choose to exclude items from backup. However, if you choose a full backup, you can choose to back up specific sets of files based on your requirements. Full backups provide dynamic and better flexibility than system images.

Can you install Windows from a system image

If a critical issue occurs on your computer (such as unable to enter Windows Operating System), you can enter Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and then recover Windows from a system image. The system image includes the current Windows, system settings, programs, and personal files when you create it.The recovery drive will include only the recovery tools and a bootable image, but not a recovery image to use for refreshing or resetting your PC.Use the recovery drive to recover / restore your device

If you experience the device cannot boot, you can use the recovery drive to enter Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), and then restore from a system restore point or reinstall Windows via the recovery drive.

Yes and no. because it will not work as it works on a laptop. Yes, you can copy or even install an OS on a pendrive as if it were another drive of a laptop, and then move it from laptop to laptop (from computer to computer, if fact, as long as they have the same processor architecture).

How to repair Windows 10 using bootable USB : When done:

  1. Insert the USB into the affected PC.
  2. Turn on the PC.
  3. Immediately, hold down the boto key of your PC. It's mostly F12, F10, Delete or some special key. You can search for it on the internet.
  4. Select the USB drive and press Enter to boot from it.

Is 32GB enough for recovery drive : For creating a Windows 11 recovery drive, a USB drive with a minimum capacity of 32GB is required. If your 32GB USB drive is showing only 28.8GB of available space, it may not be recognized by the recovery tool.

Can I install Windows from recovery USB

It's a good idea to create a recovery drive. That way, if your PC ever experiences a major issue such as hardware failure, you'll be able to use the recovery drive to reinstall Windows 10. Windows updates to improve security and PC performance periodically, so we recommend you recreate the recovery drive annually.

Can I convert a Windows 10 ISO to USB Yes, you can! To make a copy of Windows 10 on a USB flash drive, download and launch the Windows Media Creation tool, select Create installation media, and follow the prompts. Then download and install Rufus to complete the process.How to boot ISO using USB drive

  1. Download any third-party tool like Rufus, UltraISO, YUMI.
  2. Add the ISO image file into the tool.
  3. Insert the USB Drive to burn the ISO file.
  4. Once the ISO boot files are copied to the USB drive, you can insert them into the target computers for booting from ISO file.

Do I need both recovery drive and system image : Both of the backup options are critical components of the backup procedure. System Image is the way to go when you need to restore certain apps or files. Recovery Drive is a good choice for user settings.