Create a Windows 8 Recovery USB [Download]

Overview of Windows 8 Recovery USB & Why You Need It

The Windows 8 Recovery USB is a bootable flash drive that contains the necessary system recovery tools and files. It is designed to help you troubleshoot, repair, and recover your Windows 8 operating system should you encounter any issues.

This USB drive can be used to access advanced recovery options such as System Restore, System Image Recovery, and Startup Repair, among others. Essentially, it is a portable toolkit that allows you to fix problems without the need for the original installation DVD or an internet connection. In this post, you will find performing a Windows 8 recovery USB download is an easy thing.

Why You Need a Windows 8 Recovery USB?

When something goes wrong with your PC, it can be a major inconvenience, if not a disaster. Here’s why having a Windows 8 Recovery USB is crucial:

1. Fix System Problems: If your computer won't start or has errors, a recovery USB can help you fix these issues. It has tools that can automatically repair your system, restore it to a previous state, or even reinstall Windows without losing your files.

2. Protection Against Viruses and Malware: If a virus or malware prevents your computer from booting, a recovery USB can help. You can boot from the USB and use its tools to remove the harmful software and repair any damage.

3. Recover from Software Glitches: If a software update or installation causes problems, a recovery USB can help you undo recent changes and get your system working again.

4. Solve Boot Issues: Boot problems can stop you from accessing your computer. With a recovery USB, you can bypass these issues and boot directly into a recovery environment to perform repairs.

#1. Create a Windows 8/8.1 Recovery USB from Another Computer

If your Windows 8 operating system encounters errors, you can swiftly resolve the issue by creating an emergency recovery USB disk from another computer. To accomplish this, you'll need a reliable disk creation tool. One of the best tools for this task is MyRecover. MyRecover allows you to create bootable USB in Windows 10/11/8/8.1/7 and effectively recover data from a crashed PC.

Before you do:

• Creating a recovery drive will erase everything on your USB flash drive. Use an empty USB flash drive or transfer any important data from it to another storage device before proceeding. Alternatively, you can use free backup software like AOMEI Backupper Standard to back up your entire drive.
• Once you download and install MyRecover on your working computer, connect an empty USB flash drive to your PC and launch the software.

Steps to create a Windows 8 USB recovery drive

Step 1. Run MyRecover

Open MyRecover and click "Crashed PC Recovery".

Step 2. Select a path to create

Choose how you want to create USB recovery drive based on your needs and click "Execute". For a bootable USB, select "USB Boot Device".

🤞 Tips: MyRecover offers 3 ways to create a Windows PE-based boot disk:

• USB Boot Device: Create a bootable USB device.
• Export ISO file: Create a bootable ISO file, which you can later burn using a third-party program or use to boot virtual machines.
• Burn to CD/DVD: Create a bootable CD/DVD.

You can also use the "Add Drivers" option to include any necessary drivers in the bootable disk for enhanced device compatibility.

Step 3. Confirm formatting

A pop-up will appear warning that the CD will be formatted and all data will be lost. Back up any important data first. Click "Yes" to continue.

Step 4. Create a bootable CD

The creation process will start. You can monitor the progress, which will take a few minutes.

Step 5. Compete the process

Once finished, you’ll receive a success message with steps on how to boot from the bootable disk and recover your crashed PC.

Here are key features of it:

• MyRecover offers a simple interface to make bootable CD/DVD/USB and recover lost/deleted data easily.
• Allow you to recover deleted Microsoft Word, Excel, PPT, PDF, PPTX, MP4, ODP, CSV, WPS files, and other 200+ file formats.
• Quick & Deep scan can search and recover lost or deleted files while retaining their original format, filename, directory, and path.
• Handles all types of data loss scenarios, including lost or deleted partitions, virus infections, formatted disks, and computer crashed recovery, etc.

#2. Create a Windows 8.1 Recovery USB via Built-in Tool

How to download Windows 8 recovery USB? Windows 8.1 has a built-in tool for creating this USB recovery drive. Windows will inform you of the size of the recovery partition, and you'll need a USB flash drive that can accommodate it.

Steps to create a USB recovery drive in Windows 8.1

Step 1. Open the recovery drive tool

Type "recovery drive" in the search box and select "Create a recovery drive".

Step 2. Set up the recovery drive

When the tool opens, ensure the "Copy the recovery partition from the PC to the recovery drive" checkbox is selected, then click Next.

⚠ Note: If the checkbox is greyed out, your PC doesn’t have a recovery partition. The recovery drive will include only the recovery tools and a bootable image, not a recovery image for refreshing or resetting your PC.

Step 3. Prepare your USB flash drive

Insert a USB flash drive that meets or exceeds the indicated size. Select the USB drive you want to use and click Next.

Step 4. Create a Windows 8.1 recovery USB

The recovery image and tools will be copied to the USB flash drive, which may take some time depending on your PC and the size of the recovery image.

Step 5. Complete the process

When the process is done, you have two options:

• If you want to keep the recovery partition on your PC, select Finish.
• If you want to remove the recovery partition to free up space, select "Delete the recovery partition" and then click Delete. This will free up the disk space used by the recovery image. When the removal is complete, choose Finish.

⚠ Note:

• Some PCs do not offer the option to remove a recovery partition, indicating no recovery partition is using additional disk space.
• Remove and store the USB flash drive in a safe place and do not use it to store other files or data.
• If your PC originally came with Windows 8 and you upgraded to Windows 8.1, the recovery drive will include Windows 8. You'll need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 again after using the recovery drive to refresh or reset your PC.

Bonus Tips: Boot from a Windows Recovery USB to Recover Data

Create a Windows 8 Recovery USB through the above 2 options, you can use it to boot your PC and recover lost data. First, boot your PC:

• Insert the Windows 8 recovery USB into the crashed PC.
• Press F12, F2, F10, F11, Del, or Esc to enter the BIOS.
• Change the PC’s boot order in the BIOS to prioritize the USB drive.
• Save the changes by pressing F10 and exiting the BIOS.
• Reboot the PC and select the Windows 8 recovery USB as the boot device.

After booting the PC from the Windows 8 recovery USB, you can start the data scanning process and recover lost data.

Step 1. Run MyRecover

Launch MyRecover on your Windows PC. Hover over the hard disk you want to scan and click Scan.

Step 2. Scan for deleted or lost files

MyRecover will automatically and thoroughly scan your drive to locate all the found data. Use the Search or Filter features to quickly find the data you need.

★Tip: You can preview or filter data based on:

• File Type: Choose from Documents, Images, Videos, Audios, Mails, Webpages, Compressed files, etc.
• Date modified: Set the date to today, yesterday, last 7 days, last 30 days, or custom.
• Size: Filter by file size (<128KB, 128KB-1MB, 1MB-512MB, 512MB, and above).

Step 3. Select files and click recover

You will see a list of data that MyRecover found on your selected drive. Choose the files you want to recover and click Recover X Files. Choose a new location to save the recovered files.

• The free edition of MyRecover can help you recover deleted or lost files, up to 500MB. To enjoy unlimited data recovery, consider upgrading MyRecover to the Pro or Tech version.
• Additionally, you can use it to recover deleted files from USB, HDD, SSD, external hard drive, SD card, and other storage devices easily.

In the End

Performing a Windows 8 Recovery USB download doesn't have to be complicated. Creating a Windows 8 Recovery USB is an important step to protect your system from unexpected crashes and errors. With the right tools and some expertise, you can troubleshoot, repair, and restore your system like a pro.

MyRecover can help you create a Windows 8 Recovery USB and can handle data recovery in a variety of situations, including recovering data from formatted hard drive. In addition, it allows you to recover lost and deleted files up to 500MB for free, just download it and give it a try!

FAQs About Windows 8 Recovery USB

1. How to make a recovery USB for Windows 8?

To create a USB recovery drive:

• Swipe in from the right edge of the screen and tap Search. (If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and click Search.)
• Enter "recovery drive" in the search box and select "Create a recovery drive."

2. How to repair Windows 8 with USB?

• If your PC cannot boot into Windows 8.1:
• Keep the USB recovery drive inserted and reboot the PC.
• Consistently press F12 to access the boot menu.
• Select the boot device and choose your keyboard layout.
• Navigate to Troubleshoot -> Refresh your PC or Reset your PC, then follow the on-screen instructions.

3. How can I create a Windows 8 recovery USB if I don’t have the installation DVD?

You can download the Windows 8 ISO file from the Microsoft website and use it to create the recovery USB.

4. Can you create a Windows 8 recovery disk from another computer?

One of the first things a new Windows 8 user should do is create a Recovery Drive. If you didn't and need one now, you can make one from any working copy of Windows 8, including from another computer.

5. What should I do if my computer doesn’t recognize the recovery USB?

Check your BIOS/UEFI settings to ensure the USB drive is set as the primary boot device. If the issue persists, try using a different USB drive.