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Question

Windows 8 Recovery Disc/Driver

by Aug 5, 2013 4:46AM PDT

I just received a refurbished Gateway NE56R49u laptop with Windows 8 64-bit.. The instructions encourage creating a "recovery disc or driver" and "application disk" as soon as possible. Gateway Recovery Manager recommends and lists (1.)"create factory default backup" and (2.)"create drivers and applications backup". Do I have a choice of creating a drive or disc with both (1.) and (2.)? Are there advantages and/or disadvantages of using drives or discs ? Can I copy these drives to discs and/or discs to drives?

Discussion is locked

9 Posts
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Answer
Sure you can copy these for safety.
by Forum moderator Aug 5, 2013 4:51AM PDT

I'll skip any discussion about how to copy a CD/DVD/USB Drive or such as that's well discussed. However I will mention I use CDBUNRNERXP to create .ISO images of CD and DVDs and CLONEZILLA to backup the entire image of a HDD or drive.

As to advantages over one or the other, mostly this is all about what folk have access to. Imagine the person that can't bring themselves to use an USB memory stick for this or another that didn't have a DVD recorder in the laptop. There is no true advantage of one over the other but rather each is a solution to the problem.
Bob

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Windows 8 Recovery Disc/Driver
by ojdl Aug 5, 2013 11:05PM PDT

When I open "Create a factory default backup", there is an option that is "checked" that reads "copy the recovery partition from the PC to the recovery drive". The user manual states that this option creates the best recovery file for my laptop. I saw a video on Youtube suggesting leaving the box unchecked to create a generic recovery drive that's usable on other computers. My question is if I leave the box unchecked, will I create a Windows recovery copy that "may" possibly work on other computers? Also, regardless of the method I choose, once I create the recovery 16GB flash drive, can I copy that recovery drive to my 500GB external hard drive so I can use my 16GB flash drive for other purposes? THANKS

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With a 16 GB flash drive ...
by Kees_B Forum moderator Aug 5, 2013 11:25PM PDT

being so cheap, I shouldn't take the risk. If you want to do it, you must make an image of that flash drive to your external disk. Then restore that image to another flash drive and see of it works.

Kees

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Answer
if you're smart
by Aug 5, 2013 4:55AM PDT

you'll create a couple of sets of disc's right away. Store one home and one away from home in secure places. That way if you ever have to format the machine you have it all on disc's. Not sure about flash drives.

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Answer
No DISC no Problem! NOT!
by Mar 25, 2014 2:33PM PDT

OK OK. I know this is an old tread but for histerical purposes I'm updating the information about Gateways for
someone that gets confused with this new 'feature' (B.A.D> broken as designed!)

I just got back from helping a friend with her refurbished Gateway Win 8 that may also be a NE5649u.
I asked her if she created the Recovery DISCs (with a "C") and of course she said : "WHAT?"

So I offered to do it with the 8 blank DVDs and one CD I brought along in anticipation.

When I noodled around to the Recovery Manager I found NO OPTION to create DISCs but
it offered to create a DISK (with a "K") and / or a USB Flash drive.

I was shocked to say the least. You can no longer use 8 DVDs and a CD that cost pennies now a days
to backup your OS in place of the previous furnished install DISCs.

You now have to spend dollars on a minimum 16GB SD card or stick. And a minimum 512 MB to create
that other thing that just boots up and rewrites your boot information. SIGH!

I can understand using this technique for a Win8 Tablet that doesn't come with a DVD drive but really????
A laptop?

So if you are getting a Windows 8 system these days (at least from Gateway) be sure to purchase a
16Gb or maybe even a 32 Gb SD card or Flash Drive to save your OS for the inevitable.
P>S> my GF's Dell Windows 8 came with the DISC creation option so it hasn't gone away completely!!
PPS > once again another reason I will buy a Dell but never a Gateway.

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I just made the USB stick.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Mar 25, 2014 2:36PM PDT

It wasn't painful at all. I think there are ways to create the DVD but rather than duplicate the web, the reason Microsoft changed it is a little of a mystery.
Bob

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In case you didn't find it. Read "Using Optical Media"@link
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Mar 25, 2014 2:55PM PDT
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an update on this
by itsdigger Mar 31, 2014 9:47AM PDT

since this post was created, I have a set of disc's in a safe place and I used an external HDD and both work fine.

I still have never used a flash drive but will learn how to soon.

Digger

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(NT) Great to read that.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Mar 31, 2014 9:51AM PDT
Back to Windows 8 forum

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