

Once that's out of the way, the next thing I do is wipe all files and all partitions. Still, it's the first thing I do when I receive a new notebook or desktop computer. But this is highly unlikely and has never happened yet, so my factory recovery media has never been used.

Personally, I hate factory recoveries and never use them-however, I do make one in case I need to sell the notebook. If your USB factory disk failed, then use the clones to restore the partitions, including the factory recovery partition on your SSD/HD. It's a bit of work but the only way I know to make sure you've got a recovery that works is to actually use it to recover your system. The above clones should enable you to restore your computer back to its current state.Ĥ - Delete the contents of the recovery partition on your SSD/HD.ĥ - Run your USB recovery disc and recover your system back to its factory-new state.Ħ - If the USB recovery disc worked and your computer is back to its original factory state, then you can rely on your USB recovery disc and it should be safe to delete the recovery partition.ħ - Use the clones of your OS partition and application/game partitions to restore your system back to the state it was in before the test (except for the recovery partition which has been deleted). If you have applications or games installed on other partitions, clone each of these partitions, too. Here are the steps to take after you've made the USB recovery disc:ġ - Make a clone of the recovery partition that's on your SSD/HD.ģ - Make copies of any data on any other partitions that you do not want to lose. Unfortunately, testing the USB recovery disc takes a bit of work. I have heard of USB recovery discs not working-although this should be rare.

However, it's wise to test your USB recovery disc before you delete the partition.
