Can't create recovery drive on this PC

No, it's not...

Your problem seems limited to Lenovo ThinkPads from what I can see.  I see you have posted in that community too, I hope you get some decent feedback from them to pass on to us in this Forum.

Twist - Create a recovery drive

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-Edge-S-series/Twist-Create-a-recovery-drive/td-p/958023

Cannot make Recovery DVDs for the G580 with Windows 8

 http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-3000-and-Essential/Cannot-make-Recovery-DVDs-for-the-G580-with-Windows-8/td-p/939807

The Recovery Drive you are trying to create whether it is on USB or DVD is mainly only a troubleshooting aid to problems with starting Windows 8.  The slightly more useful part is that it allows you to copy the Recovery Partition, should you want to, from the hidden Recovery Partition.

You might be able to get away without the "Recovery Drive" if you have a Windows 8 Retail DVD, or if you are able to  follow the instructions in this article (which wont be possible if Windows wont boot at all).

How To Access Advanced Startup Options in Windows 8

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows-8/a/open-advanced-startup-options-windows-8.htm

You could try using a Friends Windows 8 machine to create the "Recovery Drive" (don't add the Friends Recovery Partition to it though).  You should be able to use that "Recovery Drive" for Startup Troubleshooting on any Windows 8 machine.

You could use Windows 8 to make a System Image backup of your Partitions or Drives too which is always handy to have (and keep updating/creating) in case of disasters.

Have a look at this location, Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Windows 7 File Recovery.  Look at Create a System Image and see if that is useful for you.  Also look at  Create A System Repair Disc, see if that might work for you as it seems similar to, but a bit different to, the original "Recovery Drive" we are talking about.

Hi, thanks for your comments.

It's limited to my main computer. That is a ThinkPad. Also it's limited to my main OS. That is W8.

The posts are not related to this. This is a fresh full W8 installation.

I really don't care about the recovery partition. And I do have backup and all that. I just want the tools as they've always proved to be useful.

Cheers.

Well either the Master Boot Record (more likely) or the Boot Configuration Data got messed up because of the clone. There was nothing wrong with the drive or installation, I was simply migrating over. Today I used Visual BCD to go through and try and clean up my BCD, which I have managed successfully, but it hasn't fixed the problem.

I have made some progress though. Even though I still can't create the recovery drive/see advanced startup options, I managed to get REAgentC enabled by using the setreimage option to point to a hidden folder in C:\Recovery which contained Winre.wim. Then with the boottore option I managed to get into Windows RE on a reboot.

I have a completely different system MB and still have the problem! The provided instruction is zero help. I have the same problem as everyone else. Please get someone to look at the problem, not repeat the instructions that come from the create a recover drive. They don't work for a lot of people running windows 8 from MS approved machines.

Rich