Create a Recovery Disc

How to Create a Vista Recovery Disc​

   Information

This will show you how to download or create a Recovery Disc for both the 32 bit and 64 bit Vista.

   Note

The Recovery Disc created here does not install Vista. It is also not like the OEM Vista recovery DVD that comes with most store bought computers created from the factory recovery partition. Instead it is used only to boot from to repair your already installed Vista. See the example below for the options available from the recovery disc when booted from.

   Tip

This can be useful if you only have a OEM Vista recovery DVD or partition and would like to have a dvd to boot from to repair your Vista instead of reinstalling it. Plus, the recovery disk files are small enough to fit on a CD if you do not want to or can use a DVD.

EXAMPLE: System Recovery Options screen
NOTE: Using the Recovery Disc you create below, you can boot to the System Recovery Options screen below.

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Here's How:

STEP ONE

Replace the recdisc.exe file

   Note

If you have SP1 or SP2 installed, then you will need to replace the recdisc.exe file installed by SP1/SP2 with a non-SP retail version below instead for the 32 bit or 64 bit version of Vista that you have installed.

   Note

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To see what 32-bit or 64-bit version of Vista you have, open the Control Panel (Classic View) and click the System icon, or right click Computer in the Start Menu and click Properties. You will see the bit version under the System type section.​

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If you ever run the sfc /scannow command, then it will restore the old original non-working copy of the recdisc.exe file, and you would have to do this STEP ONE section again to be able to create a Vista Recovery Disc.​

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1. If You Have 32 bit (x86) Vista Installed​

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A) Click on the Download button below to download the recdisc_x86.zip file.​

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B) Go to step 3.​

2. If You Have 64 bit (x64) Vista Installed​

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A) Click on the Download button below to download the recdisc_x64.zip file.​

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3. Save the ZIP file to your desktop.​

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4. Right click on the ZIP file (on desktop), and click on Open.​

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5. If prompted by UAC, then click on Allow.​

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6. Extract (drag and drop) the recdisc.exe file to the desktop.​

NOTE: You can delete the ZIP file (on desktop) when done if you like afterwards.​

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7. Right click on the extracted recdisc.exe file, click on Properties, General tab, the Unblock button, and on OK.​

NOTE: If you do not have a Unblock button under the General tab, then the shortcut is already unblocked and you can continue on to step 8.​

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8. In Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\Windows\System32\recdisc.exe. (See screenshot below)​

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9. Take ownership of and set permissions to Allow your user account Full Control of the recdisc.exe file at the location in step 8.​

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10. Right click on the extracted recdisc.exe file on the desktop from step 6, and click on Cut.​

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11. Go back to the C:\Windows\System32\recdisc.exe window and right click on a empty area and click on Paste. (See screenshot below step 13)​

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12. Click on Copy and Replace and Continue.​

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13. Right click on recdisc.exe, and click on Send To and Desktop (create shortcut).​

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14. Move the shortcut to where you like for easy use.​

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STEP TWO

Creating a Recovery Disc

15. Double click on the recdisc.exe shortcut on your desktop created from above to run the program.​

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16. Select your DVD drive, and click on create disc. (See screenshot below.​

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17. Insert your retail Vista installation DVD into the CD/DVD drive, and click on Continue. (See screenshot below)​

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18. You will now see this. (See screenshot below)​

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19. After a little bit, it will ask you to replace the Vista installation DVD with a blank CD or DVD.​

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A) Insert a blank CD or DVD into your CD/DVD drive and click on OK. (See screenshot below)​

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20. When it is finished, click on Close for both windows. (See screenshots below)​

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21. Now you can boot from this Recovery Disc to go to the System Recovery Options screen in the example above.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How To Perform a Repair Installation For Vista
• How to Do a Startup Repair in Vista
• How to Do a System Restore in Vista
• How to Restore the Complete Computer from a Complete Backup and Restore Image in Vista
• How to Use the Memory Diagnostics Tool in Vista
• List of Commands for Vista and How to Use Them
• How to Create a Vista SP1 Slipstream Installation DVD
• How to Create a Bootable USB Flash Thumb Drive to Install Vista
• How to Do a Custom Installation of Vista

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Carl.

Sometimes you can use METHOD ONE in this link below to use System Recovery Options to repair the computer though. It is the same thing that the recovery disc created in this tutorial will boot to and use.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/194765-system-recovery-options.html

 

[carl424]

You're welcome Carl.

Sometimes you can use METHOD ONE in this link below to use System Recovery Options to repair the computer though. It is the same thing that the recovery disc created in this tutorial will boot to and use.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/194765-system-recovery-options.html

Either way will do the same job, i,ll create a cd i could do with the practice, and getting to know ImgBurn.

About system recovery options, can you try this out to see if it works, with the cd.
But i,am not sure how to get back out when the system recovery screen appears

 

[Brink]

Sure you can. When you boot from the DVD, you will see the example screenshot on the first post if it works. Afterwards, you can click on the Restart button to exit it.

 

[carl424]

Afterwards,
you can click on the Restart button to exit it.

Thankyou shawn, i will try all this later on, and let you know if it was successful.:D

 

[carl424]

You're welcome Carl.

Sometimes you can use METHOD ONE in this link below to use System Recovery Options to repair the computer though. It is the same thing that the recovery disc created in this tutorial will boot to and use.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/194765-system-recovery-options.html

Hello shawn.

Well i finally got round to creating the system recovery options CD, using the option 1 method, just in case i did not have the option, or could not get to that option.

This may sound stupid, but can you test this, i don't want to go messing around just to see if i have done it right.

Unless you could tell me how to test it.

Thankyou shawn :D

 

[Brink]

Hello Carl,

I'm happy to hear that you got it created ok. You can test it by seeing if it will boot into the System Recovery Options screen. If it does, then it's good to go. You can then just remove the DVD and restart the computer as normal without doing anything else.

 

[carl424]

Hello Carl,

I'm happy to hear that you got it created ok. You can test it by seeing if it will boot into the System Recovery Options screen. If it does, then it's good to go. You can then just remove the DVD and restart the computer as normal without doing anything else.

Hi shawn.
Do i just start the computer up normally, and when the desktop appears then insert the cd.

Or go into safe mode, and go from there.
Sorry, i am completely new in this area, i have had windows xp for a few years now, but with no cd/dvd drive, so i haven't had to bother with things like this.

Until now with this new laptop. :D

 

[Brink]

No problem Carl. METHOD TWO in this tutorial can help show you how to with more details. You would basically place the DVD in the drive while the computer is on, then restart the computer and select to boot from the DVD instead.

 

[carl424]

No problem Carl. METHOD TWO in this tutorial can help show you how to with more details. You would basically place the DVD in the drive while the computer is on, then restart the computer and select to boot from the DVD instead.

thankyou for your quick replys shawn.
But just checking on this ,

WARNING: Check to make sure that you set the BIOS to have the CD or DVD drive listed first in the boot order.

As i never go in the BIOS , i take it i would have to do this, it sounds rather scary, as i have never done anything like this before, and i dont really want to make a mistake in the BIOS, or is this nothing really to worry about, and is quite easy and straight forward.

Also looking at method two, do i have to go through all that, what happens when i come to (number 4) repair your computer.


Sorry shawn, if i am making this sound difficult

 

[Brink]

No problem Carl,

It's pretty straight forward for those settings in the BIOS. Once you boot into the BIOS, look for a "Boot priority order" type setting. You will usually have to select each listed boot item, then select the device to be booted in that order. You would normally want CD/DVD first, hard drive second, then nothing/disable (unless you have a USB device you wanted to select to boot from sometimes).

After you have selected that in step 4 of the tutorial, it may do a precheck before going to step 5.

 

[moosescooter]

Does Create a Recovery Disc serve the same purpose as USB Bootable Vista Installation Flash Thumb Drive?

 

[SIW2]

Hi moosescooter,

No, the recovery disc only contains the system recovery options.

It does not contain the installation media.

If you would like even better automated system recovery options, you will find them on the Win 7 RC - they work on Vista very well.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx

 

[TrDo]

Hi Shawn,

I have been visiting your forums for quite sometime now but never got around to register, and say thank you for your truly amazing posts and tutorials that I have used many times.

So now that I have the chance: Thank you very much.

Now, Shawn two quick things please: I want to create the Recovery Disc:

1. I'm in the middle between Option 1 and Option 2, since I have an OEM DVD version of Vista (so my Vista is OEM), but at the same time I have SP1 installed (well now SP2, for that matter). Could you please tell me which option should I follow? I hope it's the manual option.

2. Does SP2 qualify for creating and running the Recovery Disc? I've read somewhere in here (you said it in another post earlier in the year) that is fine to run. Could you confirm please?

Thanks a lot.

TrDo.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome TrDo, and welcome as a member of Vista Forums.

Yes, you should be able to do OPTION TWO for the manual way. I would recommend to have SP2 and all Windows Updates installed first before creating the recovery disc so it will be as up to date as Vista.

 

[TrDo]

Thank you Shawn for your prompt reply.

You have to remember, that your tutorials and suggestions represent the "manifests" for any Vista operations, that many of us attempt.

So keep up this excellent work of yours.

Thanks again,

TrDo.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome. Thank you.

 

[TrDo]

Hi Shawn,

Feedback:

I followed your instructions for the Recovery Disc. To test it, I booted my pc, I got the options between installing Vista and Repairing Vista (these options came after the Language options, etc.). (Just note that before getting the GUI where the Language option comes up, it took a while on a black background screen with a white progress bar at the bottom showing a "Windows to load the files" message).

I chose the Repair Option and finally got to the Repair Menu. In there, I chose the System Restore Option just to check how it responds. So, after a while I got all of my Restore points on the screen.

At this point, I aborted, because I didn't want really to restore anything; I was just testing. Rebooted and got into Vista enviroment normally.

My conclusion is that all went fine and well.

Now, to test whether there is a difference between the OEM Recovery disc and the one I created, here is the story:

OEM Original Recovery Disc: 2,41GB
(it looks as though my OEM Recovery Disc has the capability of installing Vista; bit strange that, because I thought OEM Discs do not have this capability).

Created Recovery Disc: 121MB.

One question: Should I get back into restoring the TrustedInstaller to take full ownership again of the recdisc.exe again? Or should I leave it like this because it doesn't make any real difference?

Thanks a lot Shawn.

Take care.

 

[Brink]

That's great news TrDo.

You can restore TrustedInstaller as the owner of the recdisc.exe file if you wanted to, but it makes no difference if you do or not.

A OEM recovery disc is not the same as this. The OEM recovery disc will do a factory restore to reinstall Vista back like it was the first day you got your computer. The recover disc in the tutorial only allows you to repair Vista.

 

[xsimsimmax]

Hi there, i've recently encountered a few problems with windows in that many host processes fail to work. Frequent error messages i receive are 'cryptographic services have stopped working' and 'host process for windows services stopped working and was closed' I have consulted a few people about the situation and it seems a clean installation of vista is the only solution.

Now, since i'm new to all of this i wanted to ask, if i download and make a copy of the recovery disc and install this again - is that a clean installation or just repairing my previous version? Secondly, is any key/serial required?

 

[Brink]

Hello Simsimma, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Sorry, but the recovery disc created using this tutorial will not install Vista. It can only be used to repair Vista with by allowing you to boot to the System Recovery Options screen from the recovery disc instead.

Is this a OEM computer that you bought at the store that came with Vista preinstalled? If so, then what brand is your computer? I will post back with instructions from the manufacturer's website on how to do a Factory Restore to restore Vista back like it was the first day you turned on the computer.