recovery images

Many Windows users may need to perform a clean installation of Windows if their system drive fails without a backup. The Media Creation Tool simplifies the installation process for Windows 10 or 11, but users often need to find and update drivers afterward. An alternative is to download a recovery image from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), which includes necessary drivers and utility programs, making the installation easier. This is common for business PCs and high-end consumer devices. To reinstall Windows using a recovery image, boot from the installation media, go to the Windows Recovery Environment, select Troubleshoot, and choose Recover From A Drive. Steps to locate recovery images from major PC vendors include: - Dell: Visit the Dell OS Recovery Image page, download the appropriate recovery tool for your device, and follow the instructions. - HP: Use the HP Cloud Recovery Tool for compatible business PCs, or the HP Cloud Recovery Tool app for consumer PCs from 2018 onward to create a bootable flash drive. - Lenovo: Digital downloads for Windows 11 and 10 are available for THINK systems, and bootable media can be ordered for older devices. Users can also create a recovery image manually if their device has a OneKey Recovery partition. - Microsoft: Surface device users can access recovery images via the Surface recovery image download page by signing in with their Microsoft account or entering their device's model and serial numbers.