Windows 8 system recovery on a tablet. Using a bootable USB flash drive

Recovery Windows systems 8 may be required when critical errors in PC operation. To prevent the user from having to completely reinstall the OS, special tools are provided that allow you to restore your computer even without deleting files or changing general system settings. In this article you will learn how to start restoring a computer or laptop on Win 8 different ways.

Below we consider two scenarios: with a working operating system and with a faulty one. In the first case, you can perform recovery from the Windows 8 interface without a disk or flash drive, and in the second you will need bootable media to copy system files. All methods are presented below:

• rollback from a restore point;
• using Refresh your PC;
• reset to factory settings on laptop;
• recovery using boot disk or flash drives.

Let's consider each of the methods in detail. All instructions are fully working and suitable for any Windows builds 8 32/64 Bit.

System restore point

This method allows you to roll back the OS to a certain state. You must do the following:

1. Open File Explorer using the icon on the taskbar.

1. In the left directory, find the “This PC” item and right-click on it to select “Properties” from the menu.

1. In the window that opens, click on the “System Protection” button.

1. In the selected tab, click on the “Restore” button.

1. On the first screen, click on “Next”.

1. From the list, select a checkpoint according to the date when the computer was stable and working. Click "Next".

1. To start the procedure, click the “Finish” button.

Now you know how to use a checkpoint to rollback the state of the OS.

Creating a checkpoint

If you don't have it configured automatic creation checkpoints, you can do this manually. This option will be useful if problems arise with the OS in the future:

1. Open the Properties window again and click on System Protection.

1. Next, click on the “Create” button marked in the screenshot.

1. Enter a name and click "Create".

1. Wait until the procedure is completed. After it, the current OS configuration will be saved as a checkpoint. You can easily restore this state in case of Windows 8 malfunction using the instructions described above.

Rollback via Options

Windows 8 debuted the Refresh Your PC tool. With its help, the user can roll back the OS state to the required state. You can save applications and settings, return your PC to factory settings, completely reinstall the system, or launch a safe environment and perform the necessary actions through it.

First you need to open “Computer Settings”:

1. Right-click on the Start icon and select Find.

1. In the search bar, enter the query “PC settings” and open the corresponding application.

1. In the list of sections, select "Update and Recovery".

1. Go to the “Recovery” subsection. Here are tools that allow you to return the OS to its original state or start safe mode.

The first option (1) allows you to restore factory defaults. Windows settings 8 without losing personal files, music, photos, etc. Using the second item (2) you can call up the menu for complete reinstallation OS and return it to factory preset settings. This will delete all personal files and installed applications. By clicking on the button in the third paragraph (3), you can call up the safe environment and continue settings through it. The first two options allow you to roll back the system from the Windows 8 interface.

It’s worth taking a closer look at the safe environment, as advanced functionality awaits you there.

Click on the “Restart now” button and wait - on the screen you will see a menu launch with a choice of action. Click on "Diagnostics".

As you can see, here you can perform all the same operations as in the Windows 8 interface. However, the diagnostic menu can come in handy if the OS does not boot. Click on the “Advanced options” button to access advanced functionality. With it you can:

• roll back the OS to a checkpoint;
• use wim image for recovery;
• roll back the system via the command line.

Let's consider all the possibilities in more detail. We dealt with the first point above - the procedure is no different from doing it in running Windows 8.

By clicking on “Restore system image”, you launch a program to automatically unpack a pre-created wim archive. It should contain the entire OS with personal settings and programs. You can connect a disk or flash drive to your computer to unpack a third-party wim image. This way you will get a complete system.

"Command Prompt" allows you to start the rollback procedure using simple commands. Click on the appropriate button to launch the application. Now enter the command “rstrui.exe” and press Enter to run. After this, you will have access to the PC recovery menu via checkpoint.

You can launch this menu through bootable media if the installed OS does not work correctly and does not start. Let's consider this situation.

Performing the procedure using a flash drive

Performing the procedure this way will require some preparation. First, you need to create bootable media. To do this, you need to visit the official Microsoft website, where the Windows 8 web installer is located and download it to another computer. The bootloader will download the OS files and create a boot drive automatically.

Secondly, you need to make settings through the BIOS. To do this, when starting the PC, press the button responsible for entering the BIOS menu (it is indicated on home screen turning on the computer). Go to the "Boot" menu and install bootable USB flash drive first place in boot priority. To save the settings, press F10 and restart your PC again.

Now when you turn it on you will see the installer menu. Here you will find the option to uninstall, reinstall the system, format hard drive. The creators also included the recovery function in a separate menu:

1. Select the desired item and start the procedure.

Rollback on a laptop with a pre-installed operating system

Laptop manufacturers that sell devices with pre-installed software provide the ability to rollback using proprietary utilities and funds. Part of the hard drive space is allocated for recovery, so you can start the process of returning your PC to its original settings in a couple of steps.

This applies to laptops from Asus, Lenovo, Acer, HP and many others. Let's look at the procedure using an example Acer Iconia tab w5100. By default, this company uses the keyboard shortcut Alt + F10, which must be pressed on the initial boot screen with the Acer logo.

You will see the "Acer eRecovery Management" menu. Select the marked item.

After this, wait until the procedure is completed. During the process, the laptop may reboot several times. The only way to cancel the recovery process is to restart the PC. After the rollback is complete, you will receive the device with factory settings.

The names of the utilities and how to access them differ depending on the laptop manufacturer, but according to this example you can easily restore Windows 8 on any device.

Conclusion

Using the methods described, you can return Windows 8 to its working or original state in almost any situation. Use checkpoints to restore your computer to its previous state. The Refresh Your PC functionality is useful when restoring your PC to factory settings. A safe environment is useful if Windows 8 does not start - the necessary tools can be opened via a bootable USB flash drive.

Video

Below you can watch a training video that clearly shows all the steps from this article. Together with the video instructions, you will be able to figure out the difficulties and restore your computer without outside help.

This article discusses steps that can be used to restore Windows 8.1 without deleting user data.

If computer malfunctions cannot be resolved using conventional methods, there is only one radical solution left - reinstallation operating system. Many users are frightened by the prospect of reinstalling the system.

In Windows 8.1, the problem of reinstalling the operating system is almost solved. Of course, the operating system will not do everything for you, but many users who previously called specialists or experienced friends to reinstall the operating system will now be able to do it themselves. The fact is that in Windows 8, Windows 8.1 a new reset function has appeared, which allows you to quickly, in just a few clicks, restore the operating system or return it to its original state.

In the event of serious system failures that cannot be resolved using conventional methods, you can restore the operating system while preserving your personal files, Accounts and contacts. To do this, you need to reset the operating system. We will need a Windows 8.1 installation disk or a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 8.1

Press the key combination + I in the panel that opens Options click Change computer settings

A window will open Computer settings, select Update and recovery

In the window Update and recovery press Recovery

We wait a bit

If your computer does not have active partition For Windows recovery 8.1, the system will issue a warning. You will need a Windows 8.1 installation disc or a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 8.1

Insert the Windows 8.1 installation disc or bootable USB flash drive with Windows 8.1. An update wizard window will open, which lists the consequences of the update, namely:

● Your files and personalization settings will not change.
● Your computer settings will be restored to their default values.
● Applications from Windows Store will be saved.
● Applications you installed from drives or websites will be removed.
● List remote applications will be saved to your desktop.

If you accept the terms listed above, click the button Further

The computer will restart, after which the system recovery process will begin.

System recovery may take some time. The recovery time can range from several minutes to several tens of minutes (depending on the speed of the computer).

Recovery is complete in automatic mode. Your presence at the computer is not required. Once the recovery process is complete and rebooted, your computer is ready to use. All you have to do is install programs that were removed as a result of system recovery. All your accounts and passwords will remain intact, so use your old password to log in.

G8 users always have the opportunity to return the OS to working condition in case of unforeseen situations. However, the “rollback” option as such is not something new. IN previous versions The Microsoft product also included “return” functionality. And yet, restoring the Windows 8 system is an order of magnitude faster and, importantly, in a more correct manner. The rollback scenario in the new OS has become, so to speak, multifaceted and can be implemented under different conditions, including unfavorable moments when an emergency condition does not allow the standard “return mechanism” to be used. If you are interested in learning what effective measures are provided in Windows 8 in order to return your computer to a particular operating state, read a few useful tips. Make sure that you are using the appropriate method when restoring the OS.

A purely rhetorical question: why is this necessary?

Yes, the developers of the new OS really did their best. A significantly time-saving protective procedure called “Windows 8 system recovery,” when implemented, does not require the user to have in-depth knowledge in the computer field. Now, in the event that the operating system has ceased to function fully or does not want to boot at all, the owner of the eight only needs to press a couple of keys - and the lost stability will be restored using Windows operating tools.

At any time, under any circumstances, you can “roll back” settings and parameters that critically affect the performance of the system. You don't have to reinstall the entire OS and plunge into the sometimes tedious debugging process working environment. Restoring the Windows 8 system is optimal solution, designed for speed and comfort when solving various tasks related to "rollback". If you don't agree with this, hurry up and change your mind!

How it works?

Let's say that as a result of installing certain software, your system began to work unstable. If you are a beginner, then for many reasons the easiest way to return everything to its place is to “roll back” the OS to its default settings.

• Move the marker to the lower right corner of the screen.
• From the options, select "Options".
• Activate the item of the same name that appears at the very bottom of the toolbar with the addition “Change... PC”.
• In the new window, click on the “Update and Recovery” section.
• Use the item indicated at the end of the list that opens.

Attention: no matter which method you use, programs and applications will no longer be available for use. Registry settings and settings will be overwritten and changed to default values.

How to restore a Windows 8 system: three options for a standard “rollback”

So, in a new window the user is given the right to choose:

1. Recover your PC without deleting files.
2. Complete reinstallation of Windows with formatting of the system partition.
3. Loading the operating system from various (flash drive, DVD drive or external hard disk).

In the first case, all will be replaced system files. will remain untouched. However, previously installed third-party software will undergo a removal process. If you decide to restore the Windows 8 system using the second method, then it is advisable to choose the method of completely clearing the “C:\” partition. Practice shows that the process of overlaying files on top of old ones is an extremely unreliable installation method. Whereas formatting system disk before installing the operating system is much more promising in terms of further use. System files are written more correctly to the cleaned up disk space.

The third method is, so to speak, classic, and to implement it you will need a Windows distribution. However, the installation disk may be required in the two previous options if a Windows 8 system restore point has not been created.

Restore point

A far-sighted user understands that one’s own shortcomings and “machine incidents” in the process of using a PC simply cannot be avoided. This is why you should be careful to make a copy of a perfectly functioning OS. In case of unforeseen circumstances, you can always return to the “saving” recovery point.

• Press the key combination “Win ​​+ F”.
• In the search line, just enter the first three letters (“vos...”) - and the desired section “Creating a point...” will be displayed below.
• By clicking on the above item, you will be taken to the “System Properties” menu, to the “Protection...” tab.
• Click on the “Create” button, which is located in the lower area of ​​the window.
• Specify the name of the saved copy, and after a few seconds the backup data of a working OS will be copied to a special Windows partition.

Now you should have no questions about how to perform a system restore on Windows 8. However, some aspects of the “return functionality” still require detailed consideration. But more on that later, but for now let’s touch on the “compact topic.”

“Portable rollbacks,” or How to perform a factory reset on a laptop

As a rule, laptops are sold with a pre-installed OS. To date current version The operating system of the Microsoft family is considered “eight”. Therefore, let's look at the question of how to restore the Windows 8 system on a laptop. Moreover, in this situation, the process of returning to its original state may differ slightly from the same action in the case of desktop computing equipment.

Recovery section: what, where and why

As a rule, the laptop hard drive has hidden section, which contains a licensed Windows distribution. To restore a “crashed” system using the Recovery partition, you need to activate the corresponding key when you turn on the computer.

It is no secret that each manufacturer of portable electronics implements its own script for entering the PC hardware management firmware and the service recovery option is also no exception in the context of what was written. Therefore, without special knowledge, a practical understanding of the question of how to restore a system on Windows 8 cannot in any way guarantee the success of the enterprise.

• IN Asus laptops When starting the PC, you should activate the F9 key.
• For Lenovo devices, Toshiba and Dell this is the F11 button.
• For Samsung modifications, the optional key is F4.

Once you get to the return service menu, carefully study and only then follow the selected action scenario. It is worth noting that such recovery software has an intuitive shell and detailed annotations for each optional item. Maximum attention - and you will undoubtedly figure everything out. By the way, some portable models are equipped with separately derived Recovery, activating which, you will immediately find the answer to the question. on Windows 8 (on a laptop).

Typical problems and methods for solving them

The operating system does not always load so that the user can use one of the checkpoints. It often happens that a novice user does not even think about the need to create a backup copy of the OS. For such situations, a second recovery option is provided. In the event that the system software of an electronic machine fails due to the fault of a destructive virus, the third method should be used. Depending on the type of malfunction, all you have to do is use one or another solution from the list “How to perform a system restore on Windows 8.” Let's act!

Windows won't boot: there is a restore point on the hard drive

• When you turn on the computer, press the F8 button and hold it until the special boot menu appears.
• Next, go to the “Options” section.
• Activate the tile with the same name top point called “Select others...”.
• In the next work area, click the Diagnostics button.

• The presented update options will help you in practical terms solve the problem of how to restore the Windows 8 system. In our case, use the “From control point” option.
• It would be a good idea to pre-debug the OS boot process - click on the tile whose name indicates your problem.

When everything is “bad”, but the user has a Windows distribution: an option for the unpremeditated

If you have a disk with the operating system installation files, you have nothing to worry about. Thus, there are plenty of options to return the “combat efficiency” of your OS. However, let's consider the simplest of them, the description of which will help you implement a full system recovery (on Windows 8.1 this method also works).

• Insert the Windows distribution disc.
• If the computer is turned on, reboot, then use special key enter the BIOS menu.
• In the “Download” section, you should set the primary device to be a DVD drive or a USB device with an OS image placed on it.
• Next save changes made using the F10 key.

• At the initial boot stage, select the interface language and click on the “Recovery” tile.
• The next item is “Diagnostics”.
• The final preparatory action is to activate the “Restore” section.
• After the installation process is completed, your new OS will be ready for use.

Where do you think Windows 8 system recovery occurs first? You will find out the answer in the next chapter.

A multifaceted problem, or What to do if the system is infected with a boot virus

It is quite difficult for a novice user to determine whether his PC is infected with malicious code or whether the “uncontrolled behavior” of the OS is a banal system failure. However, “boot file pests” are capable of destroying and destroying the code of boot sectors, which leads to the moment when Windows (OS) does not start.

• Repeat all the steps from the previous paragraph of the article up to the “Recovery” point.
• From the list provided, select the operating system that does not boot. Click "Next".
• In the next window (“Options…”) activate the “Command Line” item.
• After the utility is launched, you should enter “Bootrec.exe”.
• Press Enter and wait for the operation to complete.

Finally

Well, now you know how to restore the Windows 8 system via BIOS and which method is most favorable for solving a specific problem. Hopefully, the information above will lead you to make some appropriate decisions, one of which will be creating a special recovery disk. However, today there is a huge amount of various specialized software on the Internet, with the help of which even a novice user can reliably protect himself from unforeseen situations of “machine crash”. Be wise and consistent!

Windows 8 has a new system recovery feature - Refresh Your PC. It has two application scenarios, which I will talk about today. You'll also learn about the technology behind this exciting opportunity.

Along with updating your PC without deleting files (Refresh Your PC), Windows 8 has the ability to delete all data and reinstall Windows (Reset Your PC). It formats the system partition (and optionally all partitions) and installs the system completely, which is not very interesting. Her sister is more flexible and therefore much more attractive. One of its trump cards is the ability to create a rollback image yourself!

The Refresh Your PC feature and the recimg console utility are only available in Windows 8 and 8.1. These features are not present in Windows 10, but it does have an old backup from Windows 7.

Windows Recovery Tools Comparison Chart

Due to the variety of Windows recovery tools, I have prepared a comparison table. In it you will find short description recovery methods and mechanisms of their work, as well as links to detailed articles about each of the means.

What is PC update without deleting files (Refresh Your PC)

The step-by-step instructions that you will find below are very primitive. It is much more important to understand how to use the new feature and what results it will lead to.

Methods of application in practice

Updating your PC without deleting files(and this is exactly the term they decided to use in the Russian OS) - this is a reinstallation of the system. It can be done using:

1. Installation disk. In this case, personal files are saved, as well as applications from the store (but that’s all!). After recovery, the OS itself will be clean.
2. Factory look. In this case, only personal files and store applications are saved. After restoration, the system itself will be the same as it was when you first turned on the PC.
3. WIM image created in advance by the recimg utility. In this case, the operating system returns and installed programs(but not their parameters!) to the state at the time of creation of this image.

If there is no image, Refresh Your PC is a convenient, but not the only solution for restoring Windows. Obviously, here Microsoft is focusing on maximum simplicity and high speed of reinstallation, as well as the low value of regular (“desktop”) programs for tablet users.

Difference between Refresh Your PC and reinstalling a system on top of an existing one

Usually, to reinstalling Windows accessed in the absence of backup copies. In this case, you can also reinstall the system on top of an already installed one, but... only if you can log into the system!

This is the advantage new feature Refresh Your PC, which accessible from the recovery environment(Windows RE). This means that you can bring the system back to life even if it does not boot.

Another advantage of recovery is full automation of the process. In other words, you don't have to go through the initial steps of installing the system first, and you don't have to configure OOBE settings (language, time zone, etc.) at the end.

Restoring Windows using an installation disc or factory image

Despite the simplicity of the recovery procedure, it contains a number of pitfalls, and at the very beginning. Let's first define the main rollback scenarios.

• You purchased a PC with Windows 8.1. The manufacturer registered the factory image as the recovery image for Refresh, so the procedure effectively restores the factory settings. It doesn’t matter whether you launch a rollback from Windows or a special key combination before booting the system (see user manual) - all roads lead to Rome.

You purchased a PC with Windows 8 and then upgraded it to 8.1. The manufacturer registered the Windows 8 image, so it is highly likely that a rollback to factory settings will not work, and even relatively simple way there is no way to return it. To restore you will need a free Windows distribution.

• You installed Windows 8 or 8.1 on your PC yourself. If you didn't create the image yourself, you will also need the OS distribution.

Now we can talk about everything that was acquired through back-breaking labor.

What data will be recovered

Based on my tests and data from the TechNet library, I have prepared for you comparison table. It compares recovery with and without its own image, as well as a detailed breakdown of system and user settings (note that in the Excel workbook three sheets).

Note that regardless of the presence of the image, most personal settings, as well as all desktop app options. I spoke separately about the reasons for this behavior of Refresh Your PC.

Starting recovery when the system can be logged in

The beauty of Refresh Your PC is that it requires minimal movement from you. Press Win + W and find Computer recovery(in English OS -), or press Win + R and execute systemreset.

Running recovery when login fails

If the system does not boot, you can get to the update mechanism from the recovery environment. where to Windows 8 should automatically log in if it is impossible to boot into the system. If this doesn't happen:

1. Boot from
   pre-created recovery disk
   or
   installation disk, select a language and press System Restore.
2. Click Diagnostics, then Restore.

That's all! At the end of the process, you will receive a working system, and a report about deleted programs will be saved on your desktop.

Lost programs can be quickly downloaded, because... for your convenience, their names are made with links leading to the developers’ website (if they provided links, of course).

In my experiment, recovery was generally successful. Only the shortcuts are lost command line and Run windows pinned to the taskbar and Start screen. I think this can be attributed to preview version Windows 8.

Restoring Windows using a pre-created image

The ability to create your own image and assign it as a mark for recovery is served as the most delicious part of the Refresh Your PC pie. The only difference from recovery without a pre-created image is the return Windows folders and Program Files to the state at the time of creation backup image. Otherwise identical.

Creating an image using the recimg utility

Windows 8 includes a console utility recimg, thanks to which the image is created with one command:

Recimg /createimage D:\backup

here D:\backup is the folder where the file will be saved CustomRefresh.wim.

If the specified folder is not on the disk, the utility will create it itself. And if the wrong path is specified, the image must be searched in the System32 folder (I checked this in practice by accidentally putting a semicolon instead of a colon after the drive letter :)

The created image is automatically registered as a starting point for recovery, which is launched by the command you already know systemreset.

Starting a recovery from a pre-created image

Now you can rollback without an installation disk by logging into the Windows RE environment. But even if you boot from a disk or flash drive, the system is restored using the image you created, and not the standard one. I provided instructions for starting the recovery above.

How Refresh Your PC works

Saving data in shadow copies

After executing the image creation command, I immediately noticed the line “Creating snapshot”.

This suggested that the data included in the image was first stored in shadow copies. Process Monitor confirmed my assumption.

After which I could not resist and looked into the shadow copies. With one command you can list them and see the path to the shadow copy volume. And access from file manager- this is already a matter of technology, thanks to symbolic links.

Vssadmin list shadows mklink /d c:\shadow \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy2\

Creating a WIM image

Shadow copies allow you to create an image running V this moment system, and this is a new feature in Windows 8.

In Windows 7 and Vista, a utility was used to capture a volume into a WIM image imagex, and the operation had to be performed when the system is not running (for example, from another installation or Windows PE). Now the main tool for working with images, DISM, has acquired the functions of creating and using WIM images.

DISM /Capture-Image/? DISM /Apply-Image/?

Obviously, recimg uses the same technology, but does not involve the DISM utility in the process, otherwise its log and Process Monitor would reflect this fact.

Image Contents

Having created the image, I did not fail to look into it:

DISM.exe /Mount-Wim /WimFile:D:\backup\CustomRefresh.wim /index:1 /MountDir:C:\mount

System folders and programs located on the system partition are present in full, which cannot be said about user data.

Of the user data, only a shared folder and a standard user profile.

As a result, the WIM image by itself is not suitable as a backup copy, for example, in the event of a disk failure. Obviously, it does not contain data or user settings. However, when you restore Windows 8 using Refresh Your PC, your data will not be lost!

Restoring Windows 8 in Windows PE

The recovery procedure is performed in Windows environment PE regardless of whether you launched Refresh Your PC from a running system or a recovery environment (Windows RE).

And this is where the already familiar mechanism of reinstalling the system comes into play, preserving the data and settings of the user environment. The sequence in brief is:

1. The contents of profiles and other folders are moved to a separate area on the disk.
2. A new system is being installed.
3. Your files are returned to their original locations

The difference from reinstalling on top is that the contents of the profiles are not restored entirely, which is why program parameters and personal settings are lost in particular.

If you have created your own image CustomRefresh.wim, it is used as the installation WIM image, and not standard file install.wim from the distribution.

As in the case of reinstalling a system over an existing one, the old OS is stored in the Windows.old folder, which can be deleted.

As you can see, Refresh Your PC uses a combination of new DISM capabilities and time-tested data transfer technologies to restore Windows 8 using Refresh Your PC.

Scenarios for using the recimg utility

The utility itself is extremely easy to use, but it is important to understand what purposes it is intended for.

recimg command line options

Since the utility's built-in help is currently only available in English, I will briefly comment on the command line parameters:

• /createimage– creates an image in the specified folder using shadow copies
• /showcurrent– displays the path to the image that is used for recovery
• /setcurrent– registers the folder where the image is stored as a starting point
• /deregister– unregisters (allowing you to restore using the installation disk)

As you can see, you can create multiple images at different times and register any of them as a rollback point.

Differences between using recimg and imagex

The recimg utility is not a replacement for imagex, since it is designed exclusively for the Refresh Your PC function.

• Launch environment. As I noted above, imagex can only capture an image if the system is not running. This can be done from Windows PE or another OS. In contrast, recimg is aimed at running on a busy system.
• Dataset in an image. The imagex utility captures the entire volume, except for some unnecessary files, or according to your list. recimg has a different task - only the system, programs and standard profile.
• Generalization of the image. Typically, imagex is started after the image has been generalized using the sysprep utility. Using recimg does not imply such a scenario, and the resulting image is intended only for deployment on the system on which it was created.

Thus, the recimg utility does not make any adjustments to the creation of a customized system image for the purpose of deploying it to other PCs.

Discussion and poll

The introduction of Refresh Your PC in Windows 8 shows that Microsoft continues to improve and simplify Windows recovery mechanisms.

Now, even in the worst case scenario, when you can’t restore the boot, you can get a working system in no time.

In this case, all personal data will be safe and sound, and losses will be reduced only to ordinary programs that are easy to reinstall.

And for IT professionals and enthusiasts aware of the ability to create their own image, there is another tool for creating a rollback image, although it cannot be considered a backup tool.

In Windows 7, I create an image of the system partition on a weekly schedule. By the way, how do you create system images? Justify your choice in the comments!

If you would like to discuss Refresh Your PC and other Windows recovery mechanisms, Share your thoughts in the comments! If you'd like to speak on other Windows 8-related topics, comments on this post are still open.

Today we will discuss Windows feature 8 called Refresh Your PC, which allows you to “reset” (or return) the system to its original state, essentially “softly” reinstall the system, without deleting user data. However, not everyone knows that this function allows you not only to return to a system “clean” image of the system, but also to an image created by the user and containing the necessary set of programs and system settings. In this article, we'll talk about Windows' ability to create and manage custom Windows 8 recovery images.

First, let us remind you about the features of the function (in the Russian version of Win 8, the function is translated as “Update your PC without deleting files”). So, when resetting the computer Using the Refresh Your PC feature, Windows saves all user data and MetroApps, replacing directories Windows And Program Files to the originals, which are taken from the installation Windows disk 8 or from a previously created WIM system image. All installed on the system third party applications(except MetroApps) are lost, which is quite inconvenient considering how much time you could spend installing and configuring them...

If you installed Windows 8 yourself, then by default there is no such wim recovery image in the system, and when you try to perform Refresh, the system will ask you to insert the OS distribution kit. If the computer was purchased with a pre-installed OS, most likely the system contains a modified image containing specific drivers, system utilities and software installed by the vendor.

In Windows 8, you can replace the standard system recovery image with your own, which will contain the programs and settings necessary for a particular user.

So, your task is to customize the system to your liking: install and configure the necessary software and drivers, make the necessary changes to the system settings, install - in general, customize the system for yourself, and after that create your own wim image of the system, which you can always access will be rolled back if there is a need to reinstall the OS.

Note. The created wim image will not include user data installed by Metro Apps and user settings (they are not affected when the Refresh your PC function is running). The image will only contain "classic" installed Windows applications, system files and settings.

To work with Windows images 8, used when restoring the system using the Refresh Your PC function, there is a special console utility recimg.

Based on the current state of Windows 8, we will create our own recovery image, for which we will execute the command:

Recimg /CreateImage C:\ RefreshImage\Image1

The recimg /CreateImage command creates a new image containing the current state and will automatically register it as a base restore point the next time you perform a Windows 8 state reset using Refresh Your PC.

System image ( CustomRefresh.wim) will be saved to the C:\RefreshImage\ directory (which can be changed to any other). If the directory does not exist, the utility will create it automatically.

In Windows 8, it is possible to support multiple custom recovery images. Using the same recimg /CreateImage command, we will create another image (which will be stored in a different directory), for example:

Recimg /CreateImage C:\ RefreshImages\Image2

The utility will create a second image and re-assign it as the base image. If you need to assign the first image as the base image, use the command:

Recimg /SetCurrent C:\ RefreshImage\Image1

To find out which image is currently being used as a base image, use the command:

Recimg/ShowCurrent

In the event that you need to unregister custom system images and return to the original one, run:

Recimg/deregister

This command disables the use of a custom recovery image, and if the system has a separate recovery partition created by the manufacturer, it will automatically be used to restore the system. If the partition is missing, when you try to reset the computer, the system will ask you for the original Windows 8 distribution.

So, Windows 8’s own recovery image allows you to quickly return to your possession a “clean” system, but containing the set of programs and drivers you need without the need for reinstallation.

Advice. It is worth understanding that the created wim image cannot be used as a . does not contain user data (it will not be possible to extract user files from this wim image, they simply are not there). Its main task is quick reinstallation systems that save user data.