Are you looking for lab-tested, expert reviews of the latest Windows versions? PCMag.A recovery drive stores a copy of your Windows 10 or Windows 11 environment on an external source, like a DVD or USB drive. Here's how to create one before your PC fails.

Uh, oh. Windows 10 and windows 11 Your computer will not boot or can't be fixed. You would likely be stuck unless your computer has a backup drive that stores the copy of Windows on another device, like a USB or DVD drive. If Windows fails you will be able to restore the environment from this drive.

However, it is possible to keep your personal files and desktop applications separate backing up your personal files separately. A recovery drive can restore Windows 10 and 11 to an operational state. This is how you can get started.

First, make sure that Windows 10 or 11 is running and you have a working recovery drive. You can either connect a USB stick or insert a DVD to your computer. Enter Recovery Drive in the Windows search box and click on Recovery Drive. Alternatively, open Control Panel in icon view, and click Recovery > Create a recovery drive. 

If Windows asks you if this app can make any changes to your device, answer Yes. Select Next to allow Windows to select the DVD or USB drive you want to create a recovery disk.

. Select the drive you wish to use from the list of available drives. Select Next. All files on the recovery drive are deleted. 

Click Create to create the recovery drive. It may take some time so please be patient. Click Finish after the drive is created.

Now let's move on to an era when Windows cannot load or repair itself. Your recovery DVD or USB drive should be inserted into your computer. After your computer boots up, select the key that corresponds to your country or language and hit Enter.

. To tell your computer which version of Windows to use, select Recover from the drive. This will remove all files and applications after the operating systems is installed.

. If you are going to throw away or recycle your computer, then choose Fully Clean the Drive. If you plan to keep the machine, choose Just delete my files.

The last step is to click on Recover. After this, the computer will inform you that your personal data will be erased and that any applications that were not included with the OS will also be deleted. If you have partitioned your hard drive, it will be restored to the original state.

This means that you will need to create another partition. The OS will be reinstalled once it is done. The setup is completed and all updates applied. Once the setup process is complete, you will be able to sign in to Windows. 

You can sign in to Windows. You'll also need to reinstall your desktop applications.

However, if preserving your personal files is absolutely necessary, a System Image Backup Another option is to use a. You can create an image that includes all of Windows's files, applications and personal data. 

To keep it current you will need to update this image regularly. If Windows doesn't start, you can create a System Repair Disc. You can make sure that Windows 10 and 11 can be revived by having both a Recovery Drive as well as a System Image.