“Create image” for Windows 10 can mean four different things, and each one captures different content and recovers a different problem. A Windows 10 installation USB or ISO gives you a clean copy of Windows to install. A Recovery Drive lets you boot a damaged PC and reinstall system files. A restore point rolls back system files, registry settings and installed programs. A personal backup protects your documents, photos and settings. None of them substitutes for the others. Choose by the outcome you need, then follow the matching section below.
Before you start: Windows 10 support status
Microsoft states that support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025. After that date, Microsoft no longer provides free Windows Update software updates, technical assistance or security fixes for Windows 10, and it recommends moving to Windows 11. Your PC continues to run after that date; what changes is that it no longer receives Microsoft’s free fixes. Because of this, creating a recovery or installation image is still useful, but it does not make an unsupported system secure on its own.
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Four options compared
The table below separates the four tasks readers usually mean by “create image.” Use it to confirm you are picking the right one before you start.
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| Option | Main purpose | What it captures | Storage and prerequisites | Destructive effect | Recovery route |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 installation media (USB or ISO) | Install a new or clean copy of Windows 10 | Windows setup files only; not your apps, settings or personal files | Blank USB flash drive of at least 8 GB, or an ISO file (ISO can be used in a virtual machine or burned to DVD) | Erases existing contents of the selected USB drive | Boot from the media and install Windows |
| Recovery Drive | Repair or reinstall Windows when it will not start | Windows system files, installed updates at creation time, and manufacturer customizations; not personal files | USB drive; Microsoft does not state a universal capacity for this tool on its guide | Erases existing data on the selected USB drive | Boot from the drive and use Windows Recovery Environment |
| Restore point | Undo a bad driver, update or program change | System files, registry settings and installed programs; not a copy of personal files | System Protection turned on, with disk space allocated on the system drive | None on creation; System Restore can remove programs and changes made after the point | System Restore to the selected point |
| Personal file and settings backup | Protect documents, photos and settings from loss | Selected user folders and available settings and preferences | Personal Microsoft account; OneDrive for folder sync; or an external or network drive | None on the source files | Sign in and restore backed-up items |
Microsoft’s Windows Backup guidance describes personal file and settings protection. The sources reviewed for this guide do not describe a full bit-for-bit system image. The separate Backup and Restore (Windows 7) tool in Control Panel is a different feature and is not covered by the Microsoft pages used here, so verify its current availability on your PC before relying on it.
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Create Windows 10 installation media or an ISO
Use this when you need to install or reinstall Windows 10 on a PC, or when you want an ISO for a virtual machine.
Requirements
- A blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of free capacity. Microsoft recommends a blank drive because the tool deletes existing content.
- An internet connection to download the media-creation tool and Windows files.
- A backup of any important files on the PC you are installing onto or on the USB drive, if the drive holds data.
Steps
- Open Microsoft’s Windows 10 download site and select Download Now under Create Windows 10 Installation Media.
- Run the downloaded
MediaCreationTool.exe. The filename may include a version suffix, such asMediaCreationTool_22H2.exe. - Follow the prompts. Choose the option to create installation media for another PC, or the option to save an ISO file, depending on whether you want a USB drive or an ISO.
- For a USB drive, select the blank drive of at least 8 GB and let the tool finish. For an ISO, save the file to a location with enough free space.
- To use the ISO on DVD, burn it with a disc-burning tool. To use it in a virtual machine, attach the ISO as the virtual DVD drive.
What this media is not
Installation media installs a new copy of Windows. It does not hold your personal files, installed apps or the configuration of your current installation. Do not treat it as a backup.
Create a Recovery Drive
A Recovery Drive is for repairing Windows when it will not start. Microsoft’s Recovery Drive guide applies to both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
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- Search Start for Recovery Drive, or run
recoverydrive.exe. - When the utility opens, leave Back up system files to the recovery drive selected, then choose Next.
- Connect an empty USB drive and select it. Microsoft warns that the process erases the drive’s existing data, so use an empty drive.
- Choose Create and wait for the process to finish.
Using it and keeping it current
To recover, boot the PC from the Recovery Drive and use Windows Recovery Environment. Boot steps vary by computer manufacturer, so check your PC’s boot menu key or firmware settings. Microsoft recommends recreating the drive annually, because the medium contains updates installed at the time it was created.
Secure Boot compatibility caveat
Microsoft flags a specific case: Recovery Drives created and used on PCs that have the April 9, 2024 security update with the revocation policy applied may be affected by Secure Boot changes associated with CVE-2023-24932. Microsoft points to KB5025885 for details. This is not a general problem for every PC, so check that article if your machine has that update and the policy in place.
Create a restore point
A restore point is for undoing system changes, not for recovering files. System Protection is not turned on by default according to Microsoft’s guide, so you may need to enable it first.
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Turn on System Protection
- Search Start for Create a restore point and open it. This opens System Properties.
- Open the System Protection tab and select Configure.
- Choose to turn on system protection.
- Set the maximum disk-space allocation for restore points, then apply the change.
Create a point manually
- On the System Protection tab, select Create.
- Enter a description that identifies the change, such as “Before driver update.”
- Confirm to create the point.
Microsoft also says System Protection can create restore points automatically when it is needed. To roll back, use System Restore and pick the point you created. System Restore reverts system files, registry settings and installed programs to that point. It does not restore deleted personal files.
Back up personal files and settings
Use this option to protect documents, photos and settings. It is separate from the install media and Recovery Drive, which do not include personal files.
Windows Backup with a personal Microsoft account
- Sign in to Windows with a personal Microsoft account.
- Open the Windows Backup app.
- Select the user folders you want to sync with OneDrive.
- Choose the settings and preferences you want to back up.
- Select Back up.
Microsoft’s guidance says the consumer-focused Windows Backup app does not work with work or school Microsoft accounts. The guide states that a free Microsoft account includes 5 GB of OneDrive storage. Storage entitlements change over time, so confirm the current amount on your account before relying on it, and buy more space if your folders exceed it.
Cloud or external storage
Microsoft’s backup comparison guide describes cloud-based backups and external or network-drive backups. It suggests external or network storage when you have no reliable internet access, or when you have large or numerous files that would take longer or cost more to upload. Cloud storage gives you an off-device copy without extra hardware; an external or network drive is faster for large volumes but stays in the same place as the PC unless you store it elsewhere.
Which option to use
- The PC will not start: use a Recovery Drive if you already made one. If you did not, use Windows 10 installation media to reinstall.
- You need to install Windows on a new drive or PC: create installation media on a blank USB drive of at least 8 GB, or an ISO for a virtual machine.
- A driver, update or program change broke something: enable System Protection and use a restore point.
- You need to protect your files: use Windows Backup with a personal Microsoft account, or an external or network drive if you lack reliable internet access or have large data sets.
Most people need more than one of these. A Recovery Drive, a restore point and a personal file backup each cover a different failure, so set up the ones that match the risks you care about.
What these sources do not establish
The Microsoft guidance used here describes how each feature works. It does not provide measured performance comparisons between installation media, Recovery Drives, restore points and backups, so this guide does not rank them by speed or reliability. Boot steps for Recovery Drives vary by manufacturer, and the OneDrive storage amount applies to the free account tier described in the guide, not to every account type.
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