usb flash drive not a valid backup location for system image

No kidding, I specifically bought a usb 64gb to back up my hp laptop.  Try to do a backup, and now they tell me it won't read the drive, and I purchased a TB external drive for my sons gaming computer.  I just switched from Apple to a nice HP pavilion.  Just got this computer 3 days ago.  Now Microsoft wants us to buy separate external drives for every computer we own.  What a joke, I should just pack it up and send it back, and spend the money on a MacBook.   Everything is one, two, three more steps with Microsoft, they have to complicate everything.

You guys are going about this the most complicating way possible! No, you are not missing something it's just that MS changed how to make your system file image. Instead of doing it the old way we are used to with a USB, or this long, confusing way of sending it to yourself, you simply need to do this:

1. Type CREATE A RECOVERY DRIVE into the search box (in Windows 8 or 10) and select it. Confirm your choice, or enter admin. password if necessary.
2. When the tool opens be sure that BACK UP SYSTEM FILES TO THE RECOVERY DRIVE is selected, then select NEXT.
3. Connect your USB, select it, then select NEXT > CREATE.
4. When it is done, you will see an option to "Delete the Recovery Partition." If you want to free up drive space on your PC choose this and Delete. If not, select Finish.

This recovery partition is the reason you cannot create the system image on your USB the way you are all trying. Just do this simple thing to create your system image and be sure your USB is large enough! See the link if you need more help:

Windows 10: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/create-a-recovery-drive

Windows 8: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-usb-recovery-drive?tduid=(a3ab3ac526f98612aa3c419c6ceac1ad)(256380)(2459594)(TnL5HPStwNw-QAOQ7w\_tyu8XicdVAqWheA)()

I am on Windows 10.

Typing what you say into the search box takes me to other options in my browser, but the one to create a USB windows 10 recovery drive includes the following warning:

Warning

• Creating a recovery drive will erase anything already stored on your USB flash drive. Use an empty USB flash drive or make sure to transfer any important data from your USB flash drive to another storage device before using it to create a USB recovery drive.

I already have a 'copied' backup of my 8.1 recovery drive on my 500GB flash drive. So, will this be overwritten, and does the flash drive have to be dedicated to this one function only?

The other links in the browser do not give me an option to 'create a recovery drive' ... Nothing is simple it would appear. My browser just opens a million other options all of which seem to take me in a loop, but none back to asking me to select a drive.?

Is this correct or have I once again come unstuck trying to follow 'simple' instructions?

I am signed into my MS account when doing my search.

Hello mmwilli4:

We're not trying to create a RECOVERY DRIVE. We're trying to create an IMAGE.

I have created a Recovery Drive on flash media, but when it comes to creating a 75 GB system image on a 128GB drive formatted in NTSF, the Windows 7 utility says that the 128GB drive is not a valid drive. This is the root of the problem as expressed in this thread. Unless 128GB is still just too small for this utility?

I've been looking at third party solutions such as Macrium Reflect and Acronis True Image, but in checking on the first, I've been unable to determine if it supports flash media (not SSD). The Acronis web site does not seem to address the issue either although there is a reference to using an external hard drive or NAS.

It seems that we will have to continue using USB HDD, SDD or Optical media for now.

dr bug

My college-age kid has the same problem. I'm getting him to try ubuntu. How to overcome resistance to change? 

 “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent,but the one most responsive to change.” -Anonymous