If something goes wrong with Windows 8 and you can’t boot, it is essential to have recovery media created so that you have an alternative way to boot your machine and run recovery tools. I am certain that most of you have already done this, but let me recap just in case.
The nice thing about this process is that Windows 8 now allows you to use USB-based as well as disk based recovery media. In Windows 7 you were only allowed to specify disk based options for creating recovery media and the change in Windows 8 is welcome to say the least.
To start the process, hit the Windows Key + C to access the charm bar. In the Search, type “recovery” and filter the results by selecting the Settings Category.
Look for and choose the “Create a Recovery Drive” option from the results list. This will open the “Create a Recovery Drive” screen.
Clicking next will scan your PC for USB-drives and give you the option to create the recovery media on the USB drive.
After you select your USB-drive, the data will be formatted and the required tools copied to set up your recovery environment. Creating recovery media is a second line of defence. If you have the original installation media for Windows 8, you can access the recovery tools by doing a repair from the installation screen. In my experience, you can never be too safe.
