How to Backup Recovery Partition | Free Built-in Tool

What Is a Recovery Partition

A recovery partition is a dedicated section of a computer's storage that contains crucial system files. It's used to restore the operating system and fix issues like crashes or data corruption. This partition holds the OS installation files, drivers, and utilities needed for repairs. Users can access it during startup to perform tasks like system restore, repair, factory reset, or OS reinstallation. Recovery partitions are found on many pre-installed computers, offering a convenient way to troubleshoot and recover without external media.

When you are in these scenarios, you may need a functional recovery partition to save your time and effort.

• Your computer experiences a sudden system crash, blue screen of death (BSOD), or other critical failures
• Operating System corrupted due to malware, software conflicts, or other issues.
• Human errors, accidental deletion, disk errors can lead to data loss.

Benefits of Copying Recovery Partition to USB or Another Drive

What are the benefits of copying the recovery partition to a USB or new hard disk? Here are key advantages:

🚩 Emergency Ready	Instant recovery options during system crashes.
✨ Protection from Corruption	Safeguard recovery tools from data corruption.
✍ Resilience to Drive Failure	Recovery resources safe if main drive fails.
🎈 Easy Portability	Carry recovery tools on a portable USB.

2 Free Way to Backup Recovery Partition in Windows 11

You can use the Windows built-in tool to backup recovery partition periodically which helps you to protect your Windows data from loss.

Way 1. Copy a recovery drive to USB

1. In the search box on the taskbar, search for Create a recovery drive and then select it. You might be asked to enter an admin password or confirm your choice.

2. When the tool opens, ensure that the Copy the recovery partition from the PC to the recovery drive is checked and then select Next.

Note: The check box is greyed out when your PC doesn’t have a recovery partition. The recovery drive will include only the recovery tools and a bootable image, but not a recovery image to use for refreshing or resetting your PC.

3. Insert your USB drive to your PC, select it and choose Next.

Note: It’s recommended to use an empty USB drive because this process will erase any data that's already stored on the drive. And the USB drive with at least 16GB of free space into a USB port on your computer.

4. Select Create to start the process to copy the recovery partition to the USB.

6. Once the process is complete:

• To keep the recovery partition on your PC, select Finish.
• To remove the recovery partition from your PC and free up disk space, select Delete the recovery partition. Then select Delete. This will free up the disk space used to store your recovery image. When the removal is done, select Finish.

7. Remove the USB stick from the PC.

Note: Some PCs don't offer the option to remove a recovery partition. If you experience this, there isn't a recovery partition on your PC that's using additional disc space.

Way 2. Backup recovery partition to Another Drive with AOMEI Cyber Backup

Another effective approach to consider is utilizing third-party tools for assistance. AOMEI Cyber Backup software is a free and powerful disk/partition backup tool.

✍ Discover the capabilities of AOMEI Cyber Backup for yourself:

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✻ Flexible Scheduling: schedule regular backups of your recovery partition.

✻ Quick Recovery: entire system or specific data from the recovery partition quickly.

✻ Comprehensive Compatibility: compatible with various Windows operating systems such as Windows 11, 10, 8, 7.

✻ Reliable Data Protection: create comprehensive backups of your system and important files, including the recovery partition, to guard against data loss.

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You can download and install the free backup software to have a try:

✍To create a backup including recovery partition:

✢ First, you need to install the AOMEI Cyber Backup Agent on your target device and connect to AOMEI Cyber Backup Management Server.

1. Launch the software and choose Create New Task >> Disk Backup or Partition Backup.

Note: Because of the unique characteristics of the OEM partition and the system reserved recovery partition, employing separate Partition Backup or System Backup functions might fail to detect the recovery partition or render it unusable following recovery. Therefore, it is advisable to generate a precise backup of the entire disk.

2. Select a partition or the disk including the recovery partition you want to back up

3. Choose a destination to save the backup.

4. Schedule backup method as full / incremental / differential backup and run the backup tasks at daily / weekly / monthly.

5. Click Start Backup to protect your recovery partition data.

✍ To restore my partition easily and quickly:

1. After completing the backup, you can click Restore to recover the Partition quickly when the unforeseen happens.

2. Select the partition you want to restore.

3. Click Restore to original location to create a same recovery partition easily.

✌ While the Free Edition covers most of the Windows backup needs, you can also upgrade to enjoy:
✦ Backup Cleanup: Configure retention policy to auto delete the old backup files and save storage space.
✦ Restore to new location: Easily make a clone of your partition in the same or another computer, without reinstalling or configuring a new partition.

Frequently Asked Questions About Recovery Partition

Q: Can I remove the Recovery Partition to free up space?

A: Removing the Recovery Partition is not recommended, as it contains vital system files for recovery purposes. If you need more storage space, consider cleaning up unnecessary files or expanding your storage with an external drive.

Q: What if my Recovery Partition is damaged or missing?

A: If your Recovery Partition is damaged or missing, you may need to use external recovery media (like installation discs or USB drives) to restore your system. It's a good idea to create a set of recovery media when you first get your computer.

Q: Is a Recovery Partition the same as a backup?

A: No, a Recovery Partition is not the same as a backup. A Recovery Partition helps restore your operating system to its factory settings, while a backup includes your personnel files, documents, and settings. Regularly creating backups is essential to safeguard your data.

Conclusion

Backup recovery partition offers a way to revert the system to a previous state, recovering lost data and ensuring the system's functionality in cases of accidental data loss or corruption.

This article focuses on what is recovery partition and how to copy recovery partition using the Windows built-in tool. However, regular upkeep is vital. Up-to-date backups and healthy recovery partitions are essential to maintain their effectiveness.