Windows 10: Win 10 recovery USB drive. Question re personal info

So if someone has lost their BCD and cant get into their machine at all and no repair is working and they didn't create a recovery usb nor have any install media. Is it ok to create from a different PC and send it to them? I'm in the process of creating one for someone and it prompted me to use a sizeable usb drive to create it and its taking quite a long time.. I'm wondering if this USB recovery drive is specific for that user PC and that user pc only. Most importantly does it contain personal files ? hidden away in an iso / cab format to recover personal files. Anyway all i want is the tools to try bootrec repairs to try and get them back up and running. but obviously don't want to go sending personal files.

:)

 

Windows 10 recovery partition

I recently bought a Toshiba computer which came with windows 8.1. The hard drive contained a win. 8.1 recovery partition, and I also created a usb recovery drive.

Then I did the upgrade to win.10 and once installed I created a usb recovery drive. At the very end of this procedure I got the message: "completed. Everything on the recovery partition on your hard drive has been copied to the usb drive."

What I need to know is what partition is it referring to? If a recovery partition was created during the upgrade to Win.10 then I can assume that the Win. 10 recovery partition was copied to the usb recovery drive, but if not, then all I did was create another
Win. 8.1 usb recovery drive. If this is the case then I have two usb Win. 8.1 recovery drives, both of which are worthless for diagnosing, repairing or reinstalling Win.10. So, in effect, I have no way to fix my Win.10 if it goes down.

This is a sad situation, and it makes me wonder why I upgraded in the first place.

So, what to do? Keep Win.10 with no recovery partitions or usb recovery drives to protect me, or go back to Win. 8.1 where I am protected with the recovery partition and USB recovery drive?

Is there anyone else out there who is dealing with this situation, and if so what are you doing about it?

Let me know.

Tiffany

 

Recovery Drive

Is the usb thumb drive big enough--8gb or larger--and empty of files? Make sure NOT to use an ext hard drive for the Recovery Drive because the drive will be wiped clean. A recovery drive is for making a bootable thumb drive for accessing recovery options
such as a system image on an ext hard drive or other recovery options when booting fails.

Edit-- I found more info that might help. Seems that win 8 rules do not all apply to win 10.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/windows-10-recovery-options#reset

 

Hello Doc, *Smile

The recovery drive won't include any personal files. It can be used on any Windows 10 PC for what you're wanting to do.

Create Recovery Drive in Windows 10 Windows 10 Tutorials

A Windows 10 installation USB would be better though. It would contain the same as a recovery drive with the option to be able to install Windows if needed.

Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10 Windows 10 Tutorials

 

No, it shouldn't contain personal info, but it is specific to the PC that created it (in one way, at least). If you left the 'include system files' box ticked (it's ticked by default) then it includes all the source files to reinstall Windows. This will include any OEM custom apps and drivers if you make it from an OEM-installed Windows 10 (effectively it is a 'factory reset' drive). It is also specific to the 'bits' of the system, x86 or x64.

If you just want the tools, then untick the 'include system files' box. You'll then not need a 'sizeable USB'.

As Brink says, an install USB would be useful. It includes all the repair tools in addition to being able to reinstall Windows. A minimum of an 8GB USB is required.

 

thanks, i'm sending both... a bootable copy of the windows 10 v1703 x64 iso and also win 10 recovery drive made off my win10 laptop.