How to Create Windows Recovery Media and USB Recovery Disk for Your Dell Computer

Summary: Create a Windows 10 recovery media for your Dell computer. This guide covers using a Windows recovery disk or USB to restore Windows if there are system issues. Essential for reinstallation and troubleshooting on Dell PCs ...

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Instructions

Note: Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. See our Microsoft Windows 10 End of Support Announcement for more information.

Windows recovery drive helps reinstall Windows if your computer experiences a major issue such as a hardware failure. Windows updates to improve security and personal computer performance periodically, so we recommend you re-create the recovery drive annually. The recovery drive is not a system image and creating a recovery drive does not backup your personal files, settings, or applications.

Table of contents:

  1. What you need
  2. Create recovery media for your Dell computer
  3. Use recovery media to factory reset your Dell computer

 

What you need

To create your recovery media, you need:

  • Your Dell computer
  • A USB drive that is 32 GB or larger.

Create recovery media for your Dell computer

To create the recovery media, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start Windows Key, then type "create recovery drive." Windows provides relevant results as you type.

  2. Select Create a recovery drive.

  3. At the User Access Control prompt, Select Yes to open the Recovery Drive wizard. Keep the check box next to Back up system files to the recovery drive checked, click Next.

  4. Connect the USB flash drive to an available USB port, ensure that the drive selected is correct, then click Next.

    WARNING: This process deletes all data on the USB drive and may take two hours or more to complete. This process does not backup your personal files, settings, or programs.

Use Windows Recovery USB to Factory Reset Your Dell Computer

To use recovery media to reset your Dell computer to its factory state, see Dell KB article, How to Reinstall Windows 10 on your Dell computer.

  • When files have finished copying to the drive, click Finish.
  • Remove the drive and store in a safe location.

Additional Information

Out of Warranty support Out of warranty? No problem. Browse to the Dell.com/support website and enter your Dell Service Tag and view our offers.

NOTE: Offers are only available for US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, China, and Japan personal computer customers. Server and Storage are not applicable.

Affected Products

Alienware, Dell All-in-One, Dell Pro All-in-One, Dell Pro Max Micro, Dell Pro Max Slim, Dell Pro Max Tower, Dell Pro Micro, Dell Pro Slim, Dell Pro Tower, Dell Slim, Dell Tower, Inspiron, Legacy Desktop Models, OptiPlex, Vostro, XPS, G Series , G Series, Alienware, Dell Laptops, Dell Plus, Dell Pro, Dell Pro Max, Dell Pro Plus, Dell Pro Premium, Inspiron, Latitude, Dell Pro Rugged, Vostro, XPS, Legacy Laptop Models, Fixed Workstations, Mobile Workstations, Dell Pro Max Micro XE FCM2250, Dell Pro Max Slim XE FCS1250, Dell Pro Max Tower T2 XE FCT2250, Dell Pro Max 16 XE MC16250, Dell Pro Micro Plus XE QBM1250, Dell Pro Slim Plus XE5 QBS1250, Dell Pro Tower Plus XE5 QBT1250 ...
Article Properties
Article Number: 000177164
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 20 Jun 2025
Version:  21
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