A recovery USB drive is a separate, portable flash drive that your computer can use instead of your main hard drive to start up from.

Learn how to create a system recovery drive or media using a USB flash drive in Windows 11/10. In event of system failure, the recovery media can help you recover your Windows computer.

In other words, you can use any USB flash drive to create a recovery unit for Windows 11 or Windows 10. For your information, you can do that without using third-party software.

A recovery drive stores a copy of your Windows 10 or Windows 11 environment on an external source, like a DVD or USB drive. Here's how to create one before your PC fails.

It's quick and easy to install Windows 11 to a USB flash drive to take it for a test drive, and we show you how.

Perform essential recovery and repair tasks on your Windows 8 PC with a USB recovery drive.

Windows 11 is available to download as an .ISO file. You might want a drink before you start, though.

Windows 8 has the ability to create a bootable USB flash recovery drive that can be used to troubleshoot a Windows 8 computer that is unable to start.