How do you create a Windows 10 Recovery Partition?

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May 22, 2010
Messages
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I've successfully created a Windows 7 Recovery partition as follows in the past, but when I try this with the Windows 10 Installation DVD or flash it says permission denied:


Windows 10: Create a System Installation Partition to install Windows (Installation Partition, not image)



1.) Boot From the Windows 10 Installation USB Flash drive and choose cmd from troubleshoot.



2.) Create a 16GB partition at the beginning of the hard drive, then partition the rest of the hard drive as you wish as follows:

Diskpart



select disk # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list disk command.)



Create Primary Size=X (where X is in megabyte hint: 16 GB is exactly 16384MB)



3.) Copy the entire USB Flash drive on to the 16 GB partition and make the partition bootable.



Open the command prompt and type this:

diskpart (note if not already in it)



list disk (note: disk number next to disk)



list volume



select volume # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list volume command.)



list partition



select partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



delete partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



select partition # (where # is the partition you want to format on the disk note the number beside partition in the list partition output.)



create partition primary size=16384



Active



FixPartOffset



DumpMBR



select volume



assign letter=z:



format fs=ntfs



exit


(Note: A message should appear saying “boot code was successfully undated on all targeted volumes” should appear. The check if the partition is marked “active” in disk part and if not type select disk and then type active.)



Then type the following:

robocopy D: /MIR Z: (Where D: is the letter of your flash drive and Z: is the letter assigned to the 16 GB partition on the hard drive for the creation of the Windows 10 Recovery Partition.



4. Restart. The PC should automatically launch the installer from the partition and add an entry “Windows setup” in the entries BCD. If not edit the boot menu with Easy BCD.

Can anyone help me because I can't find a guide to this from Microsoft because all I can find is how to create a recovery drive, which is not the same. Also, when I try to ask on the Microsoft's forum all I get are answers to frequently asked questions and I can't find the phone number to call Microsoft either.
 
Last edited:
I've successfully created a Windows 7 Recovery partition as follows in the past, but when I try this with the Windows 10 Installation DVD or flash it says permission denied:


Windows 10: Create a System Installation Partition to install Windows (Installation Partition, not image)



1.) Boot From the Windows 10 Installation USB Flash drive and choose cmd from troubleshoot.



2.) Create a 16GB partition at the beginning of the hard drive, then partition the rest of the hard drive as you wish as follows:

Diskpart



select disk # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list disk command.)



Create Primary Size=X (where X is in megabyte hint: 16 GB is exactly 16384MB)



3.) Copy the entire USB Flash drive on to the 16 GB partition and make the partition bootable.



Open the command prompt and type this:

diskpart (note if not already in it)



list disk (note: disk number next to disk)



list volume



select volume # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list volume command.)



list partition



select partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



delete partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



select partition # (where # is the partition you want to format on the disk note the number beside partition in the list partition output.)



create partition primary size=16384



Active



FixPartOffset



DumpMBR



select volume



assign letter=z:



format fs=ntfs



exit


(Note: A message should appear saying “boot code was successfully undated on all targeted volumes” should appear. The check if the partition is marked “active” in disk part and if not type select disk and then type active.)



Then type the following:

robocopy D: /MIR Z: (Where D: is the letter of your flash drive and Z: is the letter assigned to the 16 GB partition on the hard drive for the creation of the Windows 10 Recovery Partition.



4. Restart. The PC should automatically launch the installer from the partition and add an entry “Windows setup” in the entries BCD. If not edit the boot menu with Easy BCD.

Can anyone help me because I can't find a guide to this from Microsoft because all I can find is how to create a recovery drive, which is not the same. Also, when I try to ask on the Microsoft's forum all I get are answers to frequently asked questions and I can't find the phone number to call Microsoft either.
I've successfully created a Windows 7 Recovery partition as follows in the past, but when I try this with the Windows 10 Installation DVD or flash it says permission denied:


Windows 10: Create a System Installation Partition to install Windows (Installation Partition, not image)



1.) Boot From the Windows 10 Installation USB Flash drive and choose cmd from troubleshoot.



2.) Create a 16GB partition at the beginning of the hard drive, then partition the rest of the hard drive as you wish as follows:

Diskpart



select disk # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list disk command.)



Create Primary Size=X (where X is in megabyte hint: 16 GB is exactly 16384MB)



3.) Copy the entire USB Flash drive on to the 16 GB partition and make the partition bootable.



Open the command prompt and type this:

diskpart (note if not already in it)



list disk (note: disk number next to disk)



list volume



select volume # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list volume command.)



list partition



select partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



delete partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



select partition # (where # is the partition you want to format on the disk note the number beside partition in the list partition output.)



create partition primary size=16384



Active



FixPartOffset



DumpMBR



select volume



assign letter=z:



format fs=ntfs



exit


(Note: A message should appear saying “boot code was successfully undated on all targeted volumes” should appear. The check if the partition is marked “active” in disk part and if not type select disk and then type active.)



Then type the following:

robocopy D: /MIR Z: (Where D: is the letter of your flash drive and Z: is the letter assigned to the 16 GB partition on the hard drive for the creation of the Windows 10 Recovery Partition.



4. Restart. The PC should automatically launch the installer from the partition and add an entry “Windows setup” in the entries BCD. If not edit the boot menu with Easy BCD.

Can anyone help me because I can't find a guide to this from Microsoft because all I can find is how to create a recovery drive, which is not the same. Also, when I try to ask on the Microsoft's forum all I get are answers to frequently asked questions and I can't find the phone number to call Microsoft either.

I finally found the phone number for Microsoft, but they weren't much help because they said they would send me an email on how to do this and I never got it. Also, when I asked them if they actually have a Windows 10 for refurbished PC's they transferred me to Microsoft Windows Automated activation.
 
I've successfully created a Windows 7 Recovery partition as follows in the past, but when I try this with the Windows 10 Installation DVD or flash it says permission denied:


Windows 10: Create a System Installation Partition to install Windows (Installation Partition, not image)



1.) Boot From the Windows 10 Installation USB Flash drive and choose cmd from troubleshoot.



2.) Create a 16GB partition at the beginning of the hard drive, then partition the rest of the hard drive as you wish as follows:

Diskpart



select disk # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list disk command.)



Create Primary Size=X (where X is in megabyte hint: 16 GB is exactly 16384MB)



3.) Copy the entire USB Flash drive on to the 16 GB partition and make the partition bootable.



Open the command prompt and type this:

diskpart (note if not already in it)



list disk (note: disk number next to disk)



list volume



select volume # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list volume command.)



list partition



select partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



delete partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



select partition # (where # is the partition you want to format on the disk note the number beside partition in the list partition output.)



create partition primary size=16384



Active



FixPartOffset



DumpMBR



select volume



assign letter=z:



format fs=ntfs



exit


(Note: A message should appear saying “boot code was successfully undated on all targeted volumes” should appear. The check if the partition is marked “active” in disk part and if not type select disk and then type active.)



Then type the following:

robocopy D: /MIR Z: (Where D: is the letter of your flash drive and Z: is the letter assigned to the 16 GB partition on the hard drive for the creation of the Windows 10 Recovery Partition.



4. Restart. The PC should automatically launch the installer from the partition and add an entry “Windows setup” in the entries BCD. If not edit the boot menu with Easy BCD.

Can anyone help me because I can't find a guide to this from Microsoft because all I can find is how to create a recovery drive, which is not the same. Also, when I try to ask on the Microsoft's forum all I get are answers to frequently asked questions and I can't find the phone number to call Microsoft either.

It gives me the following error when I get down to the end to robocopy and I wiped out all partitions and create on 16GB for the Windows 10 Intallation disc to copy to in order to create the recovery partition:


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robust File Copy for Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Started : Mon Jul 10 16:16:03 2017

2013/07/12 16:16:03 ERROR 3 (0x00000003) Getting File System Type of Destination \\SERVER\drive\folder
The system cannot find the path specified.


Source : H:\folder
Dest - \\SERVER\drive\folder

Files : *.*

Options : *.* /TBD /TEE /S /E /COPY:DAT /PURGE /MIR /R:1000000 /W:30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2017/07/10 16:16:03 ERROR 3 (0x00000003) Creating Destination Directory \\SERVER\drive\folder
The system cannot find the path specified.
 
It gives me the following error when I get down to the end to robocopy and I wiped out all partitions and create on 16GB for the Windows 10 Intallation disc to copy to in order to create the recovery partition:


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robust File Copy for Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Started : Tue Jul 10 16:16:03 2017

2013/07/12 16:16:03 ERROR 3 (0x00000003) Getting File System Type of Destination \\SERVER\drive\folder
The system cannot find the path specified.


Source : H:\folder
Dest - \\SERVER\drive\folder

Files : *.*

Options : *.* /TBD /TEE /S /E /COPY:DAT /PURGE /MIR /R:1000000 /W:30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2017/07/10 16:16:03 ERROR 3 (0x00000003) Creating Destination Directory \\SERVER\drive\folder
The system cannot find the path specified.

Now it says:


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robust File Copy for Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Started : Tue Jul 11 19:12:03 2017

2013/07/11 16:16:03 ERROR 3 (0x00000003) Getting File System Type of Destination \\SERVER\drive\folder
The system cannot find the path specified.


Source : H:\folder
Dest - \\SERVER\drive\folder

Files : *.*

Options : *.* /TBD /TEE /S /E /COPY:DAT /PURGE /MIR /R:1000000 /W:30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2017/07/11 19:12:03 ERROR 5(0x00000005) Copying file D:\hyperfil.sys
Access is Denied.
 
Now it says:


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robust File Copy for Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Started : Tue Jul 11 19:12:03 2017

2013/07/11 16:16:03 ERROR 3 (0x00000003) Getting File System Type of Destination \\SERVER\drive\folder
The system cannot find the path specified.


Source : H:\folder
Dest - \\SERVER\drive\folder

Files : *.*

Options : *.* /TBD /TEE /S /E /COPY:DAT /PURGE /MIR /R:1000000 /W:30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2017/07/11 19:12:03 ERROR 5(0x00000005) Copying file D:\hyperfil.sys
Access is Denied.

I think I figured it out because the Optical Drive is using the same drive letter as the second hard drive.
 
I think I figured it out because the Optical Drive is using the same drive letter as the second hard drive.

Actually Drive D: was the second hard drive and J: was the Optical, but the instructions I wrote wouldn't work. However the following did:


Windows 10: Create a System Installation Partition to install Windows (Installation Partition, not image)



1.) Boot From the Windows 10 Installation USB Flash drive and choose cmd from troubleshoot.



2.) Create a 16GB partition or big enough to hold the entire contents of the DVD at the beginning of the hard drive, then partition the rest of the hard drive as you wish as follows:

Diskpart



select disk # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list disk command.)



Create Primary Size=X (where X is in megabyte hint: 16 GB is exactly 16384MB)



3.) Copy the entire USB Flash drive on to the 16 GB partition and make the partition bootable.



Open the command prompt and type this:

diskpart (note if not already in it)



list disk (note: disk number next to disk)



list volume



select volume # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list volume command.)



list partition



select partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



delete partition



create partition primary size=16384



Active



select volume



assign letter=z:



format fs=ntfs



exit


(Note: A message should appear saying “boot code was successfully undated on all targeted volumes” should appear. The check if the partition is marked “active” in disk part and if not type select disk and then type active.)



Then type the following:

robocopy J: /MIR Z: (Where J: is the letter of your flash drive or optical drive and Z: is the letter assigned to the 16 GB or optical disc size partition on the hard drive for the creation of the Windows 10 Recovery Partition.



4. Restart. The PC should automatically launch the installer from the partition and add an entry “Windows setup” in the entries BCD. If not edit the boot menu with Easy BCD.
 
What's interesting is how some manufacturers can code a startup key press (say F12) to boot to a recovery manager. I wonder if that's possible for a home user.
 
What's interesting is how some manufacturers can code a startup key press (say F12) to boot to a recovery manager. I wonder if that's possible for a home user.
IIRC, Acronis can or did do that. It would provide a F-key option on bootup to access the recovery partition area.
 
I tried it installing Windows 10 Pro OEM with a Windows 7 Pro OEM product key and yes you can use a Windows 7 Pro or Home OEM Product key with Windows 10 Home or Pro, even if it's Dell licensed as far as I can tell. I don't know if this works for all vender licensed copies of Windows 7 Home or Pro and if it will works with Vista to 7 or earlier attempts to upgrade to the most current Windows though, so I'm not guaranteeing this works for all official licensed product keys to upgrade to 10. Obviously you have to upgrade Vista to 7 first or XP to Vista and so on if possible as well as use OEM with OEM and retail with retail.
 
Actually Drive D: was the second hard drive and J: was the Optical, but the instructions I wrote wouldn't work. However the following did:


Windows 10: Create a System Installation Partition to install Windows (Installation Partition, not image)



1.) Boot From the Windows 10 Installation USB Flash drive and choose cmd from troubleshoot.



2.) Create a 16GB partition or big enough to hold the entire contents of the DVD at the beginning of the hard drive, then partition the rest of the hard drive as you wish as follows:

Diskpart



select disk # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list disk command.)



Create Primary Size=X (where X is in megabyte hint: 16 GB is exactly 16384MB)



3.) Copy the entire USB Flash drive on to the 16 GB partition and make the partition bootable.



Open the command prompt and type this:

diskpart (note if not already in it)



list disk (note: disk number next to disk)



list volume



select volume # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list volume command.)



list partition



select partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



delete partition



create partition primary size=16384



Active



select volume



assign letter=z:



format fs=ntfs



exit


(Note: A message should appear saying “boot code was successfully undated on all targeted volumes” should appear. The check if the partition is marked “active” in disk part and if not type select disk and then type active.)



Then type the following:

robocopy J: /MIR Z: (Where J: is the letter of your flash drive or optical drive and Z: is the letter assigned to the 16 GB or optical disc size partition on the hard drive for the creation of the Windows 10 Recovery Partition.



4. Restart. The PC should automatically launch the installer from the partition and add an entry “Windows setup” in the entries BCD. If not edit the boot menu with Easy BCD.

Here's what I meant to say and how you should actually do it using this method:


Windows 10: Create a System Installation Partition to install Windows (Installation Partition, not image)







1.) Boot From the Windows 10 Installation USB Flash drive and choose cmd from troubleshoot.







2.) Create a 16GB partition or big enough to hold the entire contents of the DVD at the beginning of the hard drive, then partition the rest of the hard drive as you wish as follows:

Diskpart







select disk # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list disk command.)



list disk (note: disk number next to disk)



select disk # (note: where# is the number of the partition in the output of the list volume command.)



list volume



select volume # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list volume command.)



list partition



select partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



delete partition (note: you should probably do this for all partitions.)



Create Primary Size=X (where X is in megabyte hint: 16 GB is exactly 16384MB)



select volume



assign letter=z: (note: where z: is the desired drive letter of the volume you wish to assign.)



format fs=ntfs



exit



(Note: A message should appear saying “boot code was successfully undated on all targeted volumes” should appear. The check if the partition is marked “active” in disk part and if not type select disk and then type active.)







3.) Copy the entire USB Flash drive on to the 16 GB partition and make the partition bootable.

Active



Then type the following:

robocopy J: /MIR Z: (Where J: is the letter of your flash drive or optical drive and Z: is the letter assigned to the 16 GB or optical disc size partition on the hard drive for the creation of the Windows 10 Recovery Partition.



4. Restart. The PC should automatically launch the installer from the partition and add an entry “Windows setup” in the entries BCD. If not edit the boot menu with Easy BCD.
 
Now I have and don't like either of these methods because I don't feel that anyone can do them and because of what they require.

I've done it a number of times, and it's not much different than what you're already doing.

In short: with a recovery partition assigned to, say, Z:, you would take an image on your flash drive (F: in this case) and use

Dism /apply-image /imagefile:F:\RecoveryImage.wim /index:1 /ApplyDir:Z:\

to deploy the recovery image.
 
I am also trying to create recovery on my Windows 10. But not success at all.

I messed up where is says create primary size=X because it should say create partition primary size=X at that point as follows:


Windows 10: Create a System Installation Partition to install Windows (Installation Partition, not image)







1.) Boot From the Windows 10 Installation USB Flash drive and choose cmd from troubleshoot.







2.) Create a 16GB partition or big enough to hold the entire contents of the DVD at the beginning of the hard drive, then partition the rest of the hard drive as you wish as follows:

Diskpart







select disk # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list disk command.)



list disk (note: disk number next to disk)



select disk # (note: where# is the number of the partition in the output of the list volume command.)



list volume



select volume # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list volume command.)



list partition



select partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



delete partition (note: you should probably do this for all partitions.)



create partition primary Size=X (where X is in megabyte hint: 16 GB is exactly 16384MB)



select volume (note:where # is the number of the volume in the output of the list volume command.)



active



assign letter=z: (note: where z: is the desired drive letter of the volume you wish to assign.)



select partition # (note:where # is the number of the partition in the output of the list partition command.)



format fs=ntfs



exit



(Note: A message should appear saying “boot code was successfully undated on all targeted volumes” should appear. The check if the partition is marked “active” in disk part and if not type select disk and then type active.)



3.) Copy the entire USB Flash drive on to the 16 GB partition and make the partition bootable.

Active



Then type the following:

robocopy J: /MIR Z: (Where J: is the letter of your flash drive or optical drive and Z: is the letter assigned to the 16 GB or optical disc size partition on the hard drive for the creation of the Windows 10 Recovery Partition.



4. Restart. The PC should automatically launch the installer from the partition and add an entry “Windows setup” in the entries BCD. If not edit the boot menu with Easy BCD.
 
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