How to Make a Windows 11 Recovery USB

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, solveyourtech.com earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

To make a Windows 11 recovery USB, search Start for Recovery Drive, open it, keep “Back up system files to the recovery drive” checked, pick your USB drive, and select Create. Use an empty drive, because everything on it gets erased, and plan on the process taking anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour. The finished drive can repair or reinstall Windows on that PC if it won’t start, but it doesn’t back up your personal files.

These steps work on Windows 11 Home and Pro, and on Windows 10. If you need a USB drive that can install Windows on a different PC, you want Windows installation media instead, covered below. For the full setup process, see how to install Windows 11.

Table of Contents show

What You Need

A USB flash drive you can erase. The Recovery Drive tool tells you the minimum size it needs before it copies anything. It’s often 16GB or 32GB when you include system files.
A drive with some room to spare. A “32GB” drive usually holds only about 28 to 29GB. If the tool asks for 32GB and grays out Next, use a 64GB drive instead.
A plugged-in PC. Keep a laptop on its charger so it doesn’t shut down partway through.
A separate backup of your files, because the recovery drive doesn’t include them. See how to back up Windows 11 to an external hard drive.

Need a drive? A 64GB drive like the SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 flash drive has plenty of room. Remember that the tool erases everything on it.

How to Create the Recovery USB

Plug in the USB drive and copy off anything you want to keep.
Select Start, type Recovery Drive, and open it. You can also press Windows key + R and run recoverydrive.exe. Select Yes if Windows asks for permission.
Make sure Back up system files to the recovery drive is checked, then select Next. Windows spends a minute or two working out how much space it needs.
Select your USB drive under Available drive(s) and select Next.
Read the warning that everything on the drive will be deleted, then select Create.
Wait while Windows copies the recovery files. Don’t unplug the drive or shut down the PC.
When it says The recovery drive is ready, select Finish. Label the drive so no one reuses it.

Can’t find it in Start? Open Control Panel, go to Recovery, and select Create a recovery drive.

Recovery page in the Windows 11 Control Panel with the Create a recovery drive link under Advanced recovery tools — Screenshot of the Recovery page in Control Panel, where you’ll find Create a recovery drive.

Microsoft’s Recovery Drive page says the drive includes built-in Windows files, updates installed at the time you made it, and your PC maker’s customizations. It recommends making a new one about once a year.

What if you uncheck “Back up system files”?

The drive becomes much smaller and only contains the recovery tools, such as Startup Repair and System Restore. System Restore only helps if restore points exist, so create a restore point in Windows 11 before big changes. It can’t reinstall Windows, so leave the box checked unless you only want the repair tools.

How to Use It to Repair or Reinstall Windows

Try the repair options first. They don’t erase your files. Reinstalling from the drive does.

Plug the recovery USB into the PC and turn it on.
Boot from the USB drive. Most PCs show a boot menu when you press a key like F12, F11, F9, or Esc at startup. Check your PC maker’s manual or the startup screen for the right key.
Choose your keyboard layout.
To repair Windows, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options, then choose Startup Repair or System Restore. System Restore uses restore points saved on your PC and doesn’t affect personal files. To start in Safe Mode instead, see how to start Windows in Safe Mode while booting.
To reinstall Windows, select Recover from a drive, choose Just remove my files or Fully clean the drive, and select Recover.

Recovering from the drive erases your files, apps, and settings. Fully clean the drive takes longer but makes old data harder to recover, which is useful if you’re giving the PC away. If Windows still starts, resetting it from Settings is usually easier. From the recovery Command Prompt, you can also run CHKDSK on a drive that won’t boot.

Recovery Drive or Installation USB?

Illustration comparing a Windows 11 recovery drive, made on and for one PC with a 16 to 32GB or larger USB drive, and an installation USB that works on any PC and needs at least 8GB — Illustration: which USB drive to make.

Recovery drive: made with the Recovery Drive tool on the PC you want to protect. It’s meant for that PC only and includes the maker’s drivers and customizations.
Installation USB: made with Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool. It works on any compatible PC, needs a blank drive of at least 8GB, and is what you want for a clean install or a PC that has no working Windows to make a recovery drive from. It also includes the same repair tools.

To make an installation USB, go to Microsoft’s Download Windows 11 page, select Download Now under Create Windows 11 Installation Media, and run MediaCreationTool.exe. Microsoft covers this in its installation media guide. For more options, see our bootable USB and installation media guides.

Troubleshooting

The Next button stays grayed out. The drive is too small. Windows needs the full size it lists, and a drive’s real capacity is less than the number on the label. Try a larger drive.
“We can’t create the recovery drive” error. Try a different USB drive and port, run Windows Update, and try again. Some PCs can create the drive only with Back up system files unchecked. If so, make an installation USB for full reinstalls.
The PC won’t boot from the USB drive. Try another USB port, and check the boot order in your PC’s firmware settings. If Windows doesn’t see the drive at all, see how to fix a USB drive that isn’t showing up.
An older recovery drive won’t boot. Microsoft warns that recovery drives can be affected by Secure Boot security updates released since April 2024. See Microsoft’s Secure Boot boot manager revocation notice (KB5025885), and make a new recovery drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to make a recovery drive?

It depends on your PC and USB drive. Expect 15 minutes to more than an hour with system files included. A USB 3.0 drive in a USB 3.0 port is faster.

Can I use the drive for other files afterward?

Not without erasing the recovery files. Keep it as a dedicated recovery drive and store it somewhere safe.

Can I make a recovery drive for a different PC?

It’s meant for the PC it was made on. For another computer, make a Windows 11 installation USB instead, which works on any compatible PC.

Does a recovery drive need a product key?

Usually not. PCs that came with Windows have a digital license or a key built into the firmware, so Windows activates on its own after recovery.

Matthew Burleigh

Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.

Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.

Read more about Matthew and how Solve Your Tech writes and updates its guides, or report a correction.