6 Solutions to Fix Windows 10 Unable to Create Recovery Drive

Some Windows users have reported that they can't create a recovery drive on a USB flash drive or a local drive. If you get the error message, "We can't create a recovery drive. There was a problem creating the recovery drive.", it indicates that the creation of a Windows 10/8/7 recovery drive has failed.

Don't worry. Here, we've found practical solutions to assist you. Read on to understand why this "can't create recovery drive" issue occurs and discover the fixes to resolve it:

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Applies to: Solves the issue where creating a recovery drive gets stuck, fails, and displays the error message "We cannot create a recovery drive."

Why Can't I Create a Recovery Drive?

A Windows Recovery Drive is essentially a DVD or USB drive that contains a copy of the Windows operating system. It is commonly utilized to access a malfunctioning Windows system and promptly restore or recover a failed or crashed Windows 10, 8, or 7.

If you encounter the "we can't create a recovery drive" error, it might be due to any of the following reasons that hinder your success:

• The option 'back up system files to the recovery drive' requires a USB flash drive with at least 16GB of space.
• Your antivirus software is preventing you from creating the recovery drive.
• The USB flash drive is damaged or the Windows file system has become corrupted.
• Windows is unable to format the entire drive to create a recovery drive.
• If the winre.wim file is missing or deleted, you will encounter an error message.
• Cannot create a Windows 10 recovery drive; some required files are missing.

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How to Solve the "We Can't Create a Recovery Drive" Issue on Windows 10

So, how to fix the "We can't create a recovery drive" error on your computer? Considering the aforementioned causes, we have compiled 6 effective solutions for you:

• #Solution 1. Prepare another USB flash drive
• #Solution 2. Disable Antivirus software
• #Solution 3. Check & repair system file corruption
• #Solution 4. Check and format the USB drive
• #Solution 5. Run the DISM tool
• #Solution 6. Create a USB recovery drive using a different method

Solution 1: Prepare Another Large USB Flash Drive

Essentially, creating a recovery drive with Windows system files necessitates having a substantial USB drive. For Windows 10 64-bit, the drive should have a capacity of at least 16GB.

Note: We recommend using a 32GB or larger USB drive to create the recovery drive in Windows 10/8/7.

Step 1. Unplug the old USB drive and insert the new, larger one into your computer.

Step 2. Begin to recreate a recovery drive to your USB drive using the same method.

For a step-by-step tutorial, click and follow this link for assistance: Windows 10 recovery USB Drive.

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Solution 2: Disable Antivirus Software

Sometimes, the antivirus software on your computer might block specific actions. Temporarily disable your antivirus software and attempt to create a recovery drive again to check if that resolves the issue.

Step 1. Open the antivirus software on your computer and disable it.

Step 2. Open Windows Defender and disable the antivirus feature.

Important: If you successfully created a recovery drive after disabling the antivirus, make sure to reactivate it once you're finished.

Solution 3: Check and Repair Corrupted System Files

Corrupted system files can prevent Windows from accessing your external USB drive.

Attempt to run a System File Checker (SFC) scan to verify and address any file corruption. The SFC scan will examine damaged system files on your computer and rectify them.

Step 1. Press "Windows + X" and then click "Command Prompt (Admin)".

Step 2. In the Command Prompt, type the command sfc /scannow and then press "Enter".

Solution 4: Check and Format USB Drive

To ensure the USB is usable for creating the recovery drive, follow these steps to check its health status and format the flash drive: 1. Connect the USB drive to your computer. 2. Open File Explorer on your Windows computer by pressing the Windows key + E or by clicking the File Explorer icon in the taskbar. 3. Locate the USB drive in the list of drives usually displayed on the left-hand side. It might be labeled with a drive letter like "D:", "E:", etc., or with the brand name of the USB. 4. Right-click on the USB drive and select "Format" from the context menu. 5. In the Format window, verify that the "File system" is set to "FAT32" (for Windows 10) or "NTFS" (for Windows 8/8.1). If not, change it accordingly. 6. Choose "Quick Format" to speed up the process, but note that this may not detect any serious underlying issues with the drive. 7. Click the "Start" button to begin formatting the USB drive. A warning message will appear, reminding you that formatting will erase all data on the drive. Make sure to back up any important files before proceeding. 8. Click "OK" to confirm the formatting process. Wait for the process to complete, which should take only a few moments. 9. Once the format is finished, click "Close" to close the Format window. Now that the USB drive is formatted and ready, you can proceed to create the recovery drive using the built-in utility in Windows.

Step 1. Back up all of your USB drive content, then connect the USB drive to the computer.

Step 2. Access "This PC", right-click on the USB drive, and select "Format."

Step 3. Click "File System" and use the drop-down arrow to select FAT32 for the drives.

Step 4. Check "Quick Format" and click "Start".

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Solution 5: Run the DISM Tool

The DISM tool stands for Deployment Image Servicing and Management. You can run this utility through the Command Prompt and then attempt the operation again.

Step 1. Press Win Key + X, then click Command Prompt (Admin).

Step 2. Type dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth and then press Enter.

Wait for the operation to complete, and then you'll see a message saying "Operation completed successfully."

Step 3. Type dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth and press Enter.

It will take some time to finish.

Solution 6: Create a USB Recovery Drive Using Another Method

Another effective method you can try is to create a Windows USB recovery drive using an alternative approach. This involves utilizing a third-party bootable USB creation tool to resolve the issue of Windows being unable to create a recovery drive.

Tools like System Backup Software - Todo Backup can be of assistance. It serves as an ideal alternative to replace the Windows Recovery Drive, allowing you to back up your Windows operating system and subsequently restore your computer at any time from a bootable disk should your OS fail to start.

Learn how to run this user-friendly software and effortlessly create an OS backup plan for your computer, which can be restored at any time:

#1. Backup Windows Operating System

Step 1. Launch Todo Backup on your computer, and click Create Backup on the home screen. Then, hit the big question mark to select backup contents.

Step 2. To back up your Windows operating system, click "OS" to start the backup task.

Step 3. Your Windows operating system information and all system-related files and partitions will be selected automatically, so there's no need for manual selection here. Next, click the highlighted area to choose a location to save your system image backup.

Step 4. The backup location can be another local drive on your computer, an external hard drive, network, cloud, or NAS. Generally, we recommend using an external physical drive or cloud to store the system backup files.

Step 5. If interested, you can access customization settings such as enabling an automatic backup schedule for daily, weekly, monthly, or event-based backups, as well as creating differential and incremental backups by clicking on the Options button. Press "Backup Now" to initiate the Windows system backup process. Once complete, the backup task will be displayed on the left side in a card format.

Once you've created the image backup of your operating system, you can proceed to create a WinPE disk on your USB flash drive. If your computer is unable to create a recovery drive, you can attempt to boot your computer from the WinPE disk.

#2. Create an Alternative USB Recovery Drive - Bootable Disk

Step 1. Prepare a USB drive that can be written to and read from.

Step 2. Launch and install Todo Backup on Computer B.

Step 3. Look for and click "Tools", then select "Create Emergency Disk".

Step 4. Select the Boot Disk Location. You can choose to create an ISO file, a bootable USB, or a CD/DVD disc.

Step 5. Click "Create" to begin.

Once you've created this USB bootable drive, you can always restore your computer back to a healthy state.

"Solving the 'Can't Create a Recovery Drive' Issue is Achievable, Act Now"

On this page, we outlined the primary reasons that might prevent you from creating a Windows recovery drive. Don't worry if you encounter the "We can't create the recovery drive" error.

We've compiled 5 manual solutions to resolve this issue. If none of these work, you still have one final option: turning to third-party system backup software, such as Todo Backup, for assistance.

It efficiently and reliably rescues your system from sudden OS crashes or failure errors anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on "Windows 10 Can't Create Recovery Drive"

When your computer shows "Cannot find recovery environment," it means the built-in system restore tools aren't available. Here's a step-by-step guide to reset your computer: 1. **Boot from Recovery or Installation Media:** - Insert a Windows install USB/DVD or system repair disc. - Restart your computer and hit the relevant key (usually F2, F10, F12, or Delete) to get into the Boot Menu. The key depends on your computer model. - Select the USB/DVD drive as the boot device and hit Enter. 2. **Windows Setup or Repair Tools:** - With a Windows install media, follow the on-screen cues till you see the "Install now" screen. Instead, click "Repair your computer" in the bottom left. - If using a system repair disc, it'll automatically start the Automatic Repair process. 3. **Troubleshoot Options:** - Pick "Troubleshoot" from the options given. - In the Troubleshoot window, choose "Advanced options." 4. **Advanced Recovery Options:** - Depending on your needs: - **System Restore:** If you've set restore points, this reverts your system to an earlier point. - **Startup Repair:** Fixes issues stopping Windows from starting normally. - **Command Prompt:** For advanced users, manually troubleshoot or fix the recovery env. with commands. - **Reset this PC:** Erases data and settings, returning it to factory fresh. Choose "Keep my files" or "Remove everything" based on preference. 5. **Follow Instructions:** - After picking your choice, follow the on-screen cues to finish. Remember, resetting wipes personal files, apps, and settings unless you pick "Keep my files" during reset. Always back up crucial data before major system changes.

If your computer indicates that it cannot locate the recovery environment, you can initiate a restart using the Command Prompt. To accomplish this, press "Windows + R" on your keyboard and type "cmd." In the Command Prompt, type "C:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe" and press Enter. This will launch the System Restore Wizard. From here, you can select a restore point and follow the on-screen instructions to reset your computer. If you don't have a restore point available, you can attempt to use the "Startup Repair" option within the Recovery environment.

Is it necessary to create a recovery drive in Windows 10?

Creating a recovery drive gives you a place to store your recovery image and files. This is useful if you ever need to reinstall Windows 10.