Does Windows Recovery USB Include All Current Installed Updates and Drivers?

[Free_The_Jemhadar]

I did a factory reset on my laptop with Windows 8.1. using Lenovo One Key built in thing. So everything is reverted back to 2014. I can connect to the internet and there's 121 updates to install but every single one of them failed I've tried restarting I tried safe mode they just show that they were downloaded but they failed to install.

 

But prior to my factory reset I created a USB recovery drive, it was like 16gb. Does that include all of the Windows updates and drivers at the given time you create the drive? Or is the USB recovery drive just to set it back to factory? I was wondering if booting from that and doing the re-install would get me back the updates?

[TetraSky]

Just reinstall windows the proper way instead of using the broken built-in "features" that never work properly. By using the ISO of windows, on a usb drive or on a dvd.

 

But to answer your question... Technically, yes. Or at least, it should allow you to revert back to when the "backup" was made.

 

Windows updates failing following a recovery is a well known bug I myself suffered from. There's no fixing it other than a proper system reformat, without using the recovery garbage that brings with it broken Windows registry, files and drivers.

[Free_The_Jemhadar]

4 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Just reinstall windows the proper way instead of using the broken built-in "features" that never work properly. By using the ISO of windows, on a usb drive or on a dvd.

 

But to answer your question... Technically, yes. Or at least, it should allow you to revert back to when the "backup" was made.

 

Windows updates failing following a recovery is a well known bug I myself suffered from. There's no fixing it other than a proper system reformat, without using the recovery garbage that brings with it broken Windows registry, files and drivers.

It has already been formatted though so that's done I can't reverse it.

 

But if i try it now, the proper way, you mean to just use the built in windows reset this pc feature? Wouldnt that still leave me stuck at the original 2014 updates? It resets it back to like when I bought it right?

 

Should I try the USB recovery first and use the reset feature on it?

[Electronics Wizardy]

I'd highly suggest you upgrade to windows 10 as 8.1 isn't supported.

 

I think it has the updte, but you cn try it.

 

I think 7 and 8.1 has a issue where the update signing was changed near the end of life, and you need to manually install that update to install the rest of the updates.

[TetraSky]

20 hours ago, Free_The_Jemhadar said:

But if i try it now, the proper way, you mean to just use the built in windows reset this pc feature? Wouldnt that still leave me stuck at the original 2014 updates? It resets it back to like when I bought it right?

Re-read what I said.

20 hours ago, TetraSky said:

Just reinstall windows the proper way instead of using the broken built-in "features" that never work properly. By using the ISO of windows, on a usb drive or on a dvd.

 

Don't use the built-in reset this PC feature. It doesn't work properly. Use the ISO/creation tool to create a bootable USB drive to re-install windows.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8ISO

Or take that opportunity to upgrade to windows 10.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

[Free_The_Jemhadar]

55 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Re-read what I said.

 

Don't use the built-in reset this PC feature. It doesn't work properly. Use the ISO/creation tool to create a bootable USB drive to re-install windows.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8ISO

Or take that opportunity to upgrade to windows 10.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

Okay. I did already create a recovery drive on a usb. Through the recovery drive setup thing.

 

Why is that not as good as an iOS image recovery on a USB drive? I've googled this quite a bit but I still don't understand exactly what's being done differently between an "iOS recovery drive" versus a "recovery Drive". Seems like the same thing they're both backing up a fresh install of Windows 8 to a USB drive.

 

Plus the prior USB drive I made has the backups before I reformatted so I would think that would be more useful at this point, no?

[TetraSky]

23 hours ago, Free_The_Jemhadar said:

 

Why is that not as good as an iOS image recovery on a USB drive? I've googled this quite a bit but I still don't understand exactly what's being done differently between an "iOS recovery drive" versus a "recovery Drive". Seems like the same thing they're both backing up a fresh install of Windows 8 to a USB drive.

???????? I don't think we're on the same page here.

iOS recovery drive? This is not an apple device. 

If you've downloaded the thing in the link I gave, it is NOT the same as making it through windows.

One is a "factory fresh" ISO.

The other is garbage filled "recovery drive" with all the crap you had in your OS when you made it. If you're having issues like Windows update, you will STILL have them if you use that built-in feature. Hence why you need to download the Windows 8 ISO.

 

Then use a software like Rufus 

https://rufus.ie/en/

To create a bootable windows OS drive from the ISO through which you can fully, properly, reinstall windows.

[Free_The_Jemhadar]

3 hours ago, TetraSky said:

???????? I don't think we're on the same page here.

iOS recovery drive? This is not an apple device. 

If you've downloaded the thing in the link I gave, it is NOT the same as making it through windows.

One is a "factory fresh" ISO.

The other is garbage filled "recovery drive" with all the crap you had in your OS when you made it. If you're having issues like Windows update, you will STILL have them if you use that built-in feature. Hence why you need to download the Windows 8 ISO.

 

Then use a software like Rufus 

https://rufus.ie/en/

To create a bootable windows OS drive from the ISO through which you can fully, properly, reinstall windows.

lol as you know I was referring to the ISO image, just a typo out of habit thinking of apple- "IOS"

 

Okay that explains it then, that's what I wanted to understand. So the recovery usb Drive uses the same drivers and registry and all that stuff on your computer to reinstall windows. Thus may bring back issues.

 

Where as the iso image is a fresh install from your computer it's downloaded from Microsoft and thus is a more fresh install.

 

[TetraSky]

11 hours ago, Free_The_Jemhadar said:

lol as you know I was referring to the ISO image, just a typo out of habit thinking of apple- "IOS"

 

Okay that explains it then, that's what I wanted to understand. So the recovery usb Drive uses the same drivers and registry and all that stuff on your computer to reinstall windows. Thus may bring back issues.

 

Where as the iso image is a fresh install from your computer it's downloaded from Microsoft and thus is a more fresh install.

 

Exactly, yes.

[Free_The_Jemhadar]

On 6/10/2023 at 4:00 AM, TetraSky said:

Exactly, yes.

No luck doing it with Windows 8 ISO image to a USB.  still having boot issues.

Want to try one last thing in Windows 8 boot files  in general.

 

 Can I try with with Windows 10? BUT will Windows let me download and burn W10 ISO, if I'm currently on Windows 8.1? can I download the Windows 10 ISO image to a USB to then boot from it and install it?

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

 

I can't really upgrade to Windows 10 in the normal method because the computer has to keep restarting and windows won't boot so it will never properly finish I think. Thats why I want to try the USB ISO method from scratch.

[Free_The_Jemhadar]

No luck doing it with Windows 8 ISO image to a USB.  still having boot issues.

Want to try one last thing incase it is Windows 8 boot files  in general causing the issue.

 Can I try with with Windows 10? BUT will Windows let me download and burn W10 ISO, if I'm currently on Windows 8.1? can I download the Windows 10 ISO image to a USB to then boot from it and install it?

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

I can't really "upgrade" to Windows 10 in the normal method because the computer will have to keep restarting and windows won't boot so it will never properly finish I think. Thats why I want to try the USB ISO method from scratch.

[TetraSky]

1 hour ago, Free_The_Jemhadar said:

 Can I try with with Windows 10? BUT will Windows let me download and burn W10 ISO, if I'm currently on Windows 8.1? can I download the Windows 10 ISO image to a USB to then boot from it and install it?

You can download the windows 10 iso from your phone if you want. Nothing stops you from doing so.

If you download it from a Windows operating system, it will likely download the "Creation tool". Which is basically the ISO + Rufus with extra steps.

[Free_The_Jemhadar]

11 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

You can download the windows 10 iso from your phone if you want. Nothing stops you from doing so.

If you download it from a Windows operating system, it will likely download the "Creation tool". Which is basically the ISO + Rufus with extra steps.

But will it be accepted when I boot from it on my laptop and attempt to install? I thought there would be some licensing issue because my laptop is running Windows 8 not Windows 10

[TetraSky]

Just now, Free_The_Jemhadar said:

But will it be accepted when I boot from it on my laptop and attempt to install? I thought there would be some licensing issue because my laptop is running Windows 8 not Windows 10

It will "accept" it and boot off the usb drive into the windows installation.
It will ask for a license, you can skip that step. You can use Windows 10 without a license with no problem.
Not long ago you could even activate windows 10 with a windows 8.1 valid license. It's how I got my license to work when I built the PC I'm using right now (signature). So after skipping that step and getting into windows, you could try activating windows with your windows key (if you got one under your laptop somewhere).

Else there's always the cheap grey market keys if you feel like taking a chance with those (bought many without any issues. I don't know anyone how has had issues either).