Windows 10 Disaster Recovery

I've recently made a disturbing discovery regarding Windows 10 disaster recovery. It is not a straight forward process anymore and would probably require the likes of myself or technical administrator to fix and you can't revert back to your older Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 installation.

If you find that your computer is suffering errors or is not performing as well as it used to, it probably needs to be recovered, and it will require a few more steps than some of the simpler methods that used to be available.

In my case, I have a gaming laptop that was performing poorly recently and some of the drivers and applications weren't executing properly and giving errors. I did not have a computer virus but that would be another good reason to re-format and re-install Windows. Most brand named computers and pre-built workstations, have a Backup and Disaster Recovery option. A portion of the hard drive is reserved to save the Backup and Recovery feature for re-installing Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 depending on your system. You are able to access this Recovery option during the boot-up sequence when the computer is turned on and can select it before Windows loads. The recovery option is usually selectable by pressing one of the corresponding 'F' function keys at the top of the keyboard.

If you went ahead and upgraded from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to the free Windows 10, that previously mentioned Windows 7 or 8.1 Backup/Recovery partition actually gets destroyed when you fully install Windows 10. There will be no reverting back to the older operating system at all. You'll have to do a clean re-install of Windows 10 or have someone do it for you. It is no longer a simple press of one of the 'F' Function keys to select the Recovery option at boot-up. 
Here are some articles to help you re-install Windows 10 in case you want to take on the task yourself. 

How To Create Bootable Windows 10 USB Flash Drive [Guide]
Download Windows 10 Pro ISO File Without Product Key From Microsoft
How To Clean Install Windows 10 On Your PC The Right Way [Guide]

If you used Windows 10 free upgrade option, you won’t get a unique product key. Your license will be tied to the hardware you upgraded Windows 10 on, not your Microsoft account. Clean installs will activate automatically as long as they are done on the same hardware.

If you changed the hardware, you will need to call Microsoft support, inform them about the change to get your copy activated.

If you find yourself in this situation and are in the Vancouver area, contact me for consultation. http://www.phreshnewmedia.com