HP Z1 G2-Workstation - Manual (Page 48)

Creating recovery media and backups
Recovery after a system failure is only as good as your most recent backup.
CAUTION: Use a flash drive with a capacity of at least 8 GB. Any information on the USB flash
drive will be erased before the recovery media is created.
1. After you successfully set up the computer, create recovery media. This step creates a backup of
the recovery partition on the computer. The backup can be used to reinstall the original operating
system in cases where the hard drive is corrupted or has been replaced.
You will use a USB flash drive to create a bootable recovery drive that can be used to troubleshoot
a Windows 8 computer that is unable to start. The USB flash drive can be used to reinstall the
original operating system and the programs that were installed at the factory.
CAUTION: If you select Copy contents from the recovery partition to the recovery
drive, you will have the option to delete the recovery partition when the Recovery Media creation
is finished. On most systems, this partition is 10 GB in size. HP recommends that you not delete
this recovery partition. If the partition is deleted, you will be unable to restore the Windows 8
factory recovery partition to the hard drive using the recovery USB drive. You can free up drive
space by deleting the recovery partition, but you won't be able to refresh or reset the PC again.
To create the recovery media, from the Start screen, type create a recovery drive, and
then select Create a recovery drive. Follow the on-screen instructions to continue.
2. As you add hardware and software programs, create system restore points. A system restore point
is a snapshot of certain hard drive contents saved by Windows System Restore at a specific time.
A system restore point contains information that Windows uses, such as registry settings. Windows
automatically creates a system restore point for you during a Windows update and during other
system maintenance activities (such as a software update, security scanning, or system
diagnostics). You can also manually create a system restore point at any time. For more
information and steps for creating specific system restore points, see Windows Help and Support.
From the Start screen, type help, and then select Help and Support.
3. As you add photos, video, music, and other personal files, create a backup of your personal
information. Windows File History can be set to regularly and automatically back up files from
libraries, desktop, contacts, and favorites. If files are accidentally deleted from the hard drive and
they can no longer be restored from the Recycle Bin, or if files become corrupted, you can use File
History to restore the files that you backed up. Restoring files is also useful if you ever choose to
reset the computer by reinstalling Windows.
NOTE: File History is not enabled by default, so you must turn it on.
For more information and steps for enabling Windows File History, see Windows Help and
Support. From the Start screen, type help, and then select Help and Support.
Restoring and recovering using Windows 8 tools
Windows recovery tools provide access to several options for recovering your system. Choose the
method that best matches your situation and level of expertise:
● If you need to restore your personal files and data, you can use Windows File History to restore
your information from the backups you created. For more information and steps for using File
40 Chapter 5 Setting up, backing up, restoring, and recovering Windows 8