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Do I need a new USB stick to create recovery drive?
Do I need a new USB stick to create a recovery drive? Q
I was given a recovery USB stick when I bought my current computer from PC World, several years ago. Back then the computer ran on Windows 8.1. So, now that it runs on Windows 10, should I create a new recovery stick as you suggest in your reply to Anton Davenport in Issue 567’s Problems Solved (page 68)? If so, what size USB stick will I need to buy? I assume I cannot use the original as it will overwrite the original rescue details – would that be correct?
A
Microsoft says that the minimum size for a Windows 10 USB recovery stick should be 16GB ( www.snipca.com/33798 – see screenshot below), so that’s the answer to your first question.
To address your second query, you’re both wrong and right. By that, we mean there’s nothing stopping you from using the original USB stick – assuming that its capacity is at least 16GB. However, you’re right that doing so would overwrite whatever is on that stick currently.
Whether or not that’s a good idea is hard to say. If it’s a manufacturer-supplied stick, it’s probably designed to restore the computer to its original factory state – with Windows 8.1 and all. On the one hand, this means you can always restore the PC to exactly how it was when you bought it. On the other, would you really want to revert to Windows 8.1? There’s no guarantee you’d be able to then ‘re-upgrade’ to Windows 10 for free, either.
Creating a new Windows 10 recovery drive every now and then is a good idea, as we advised Anton. USB sticks are cheap as chips (around £3 for a 16GB stick, www.snipca.com/33780), so buying one for the purpose won’t break the bank. But equally, you might have a perfectly good stick that could be repurposed. The choice is yours!
Where’s the folder that stops Windows updates stalling? Q
In Issue 567’s Problems Solved (page 68) a solution is proposed to overcome Windows 10 updates stalling at around 90 per cent. However, when I try to find the C:\$getcurrent folder mentioned, two of my computers say it cannot be found. Is there a way to overcome this? I should note that both of my computers were upgraded from Windows 7 and Windows 8.
A
This folder is both created and automatically deleted by Windows 10 during the update process, so there’s no guarantee it’ll exist on any PC at any given time. If a PC stalls during an update then the C:\$getcurrent folder might exist and, if it does, then it presents one possible way forward – as explained in Issue 567.
However, its absence is not unexpected: rather, it means that Windows 10 has yet to reach the point where C:\$getcurrent has been created, or the process has moved on to where the folder is no longer required, so it has therefore been deleted.
Either way, the folder isn’t on your PCS, so it can provide no solution for problems you might be encountering. We’re guessing from your question that both of your computers are stalling during a Windows 10 update. While there are an almost endless number of possible causes to a stalled update, two computers owned by the same person suffering the same problem could suggest a common culprit.
Try disconnecting any shared devices, such as a network drive or printer, and remove any and all memory cards and USB sticks from the PCS. If you still have no joy, feel free to contact us again – providing more details about the computers and the specific point at which you’re encountering problems.
Where’s the Windows 10 media-creation tool? Q
I’ve been trying to access the Windows 10 upgrade package mentioned by Nik Rawlinson on page 50 of Issue 569. I’ve tried going through the Microsoft Store, but without success. Please can you help direct me?
A
Nik suggested using Microsoft’s media-creation tool to upgrade a Windows 7 PC to Windows 10. This is not available via the Microsoft Store. In fact, we provided a link for the download. That link was (and remains) www.snipca.com/33390. Did you try this? If you’re not sure how to use our our snipca addresses, then take a look at the panel we publish on page 3 of this and every issue.
Of course, it might be that you did visit this page but then weren’t sure what to do next. If that’s the case, then all that’s required is to click the ‘Download tool now’ button (see screenshot below), below the ‘Create Windows 10 installation media’ heading. Then, double-click the downloaded file to launch the tool, then follow the onscreen prompts.