Unable to create a recovery drive

So far nothing has worked. It's a windows issue! Hopefully Microsoft will apply a fix in the near future.

After completing all the steps provided it still failed.

Norton antivirus was turned off

Check Disk found no errors

Under System in the Event View no errors

Tried 3 different ports, however all are USB 3.0

I don’t have another Windows 11 machine available.

No idea how to create a system image backup

I might add I didn’t have this issue with Windows 23H2 a year ago (maybe longer)

Unfortunately I wiped that Flash Drive as I didn't realize I would have an issue re-creating it for Windows 24H2. My mistake!

Thank you for the update, and I am glad to help further. Since you've followed the steps and still encounter the "A problem occurred while creating the recovery drive" error during or after "Backing up system files," along with partial data (3.8GB) being written to the USB, let's narrow down the issue.

The presence of folders like EFI, sources, and reagent on the USB indicates that the recovery drive creation process starts but fails midway, likely due to an issue with specific system files or permissions during the backup phase. Since sfc /scannow found no integrity violations, the problem might not be with corrupted files but could be related to system configuration or the USB itself.

Let's try a few additional steps:

1. Use a Different USB Port or Drive: Sometimes, USB ports or specific drives can cause issues. Try a different USB port (preferably USB 2.0 if available, as some USB 3.0 ports can be finicky with recovery tools) or a different USB drive to rule out hardware issues.
2. Disable Third-Party Software: Temporarily disable any antivirus or third-party security software, as they can interfere with the recovery drive creation process by blocking access to system files.
3. Check Disk for Errors: Run chkdsk /f on your system drive (usually C:) via Command Prompt (as admin) to ensure there are no disk errors affecting the backup process.
4. Event Viewer for Details: Open Event Viewer (search for it in the Start menu), navigate to Windows Logs > System, and look for errors or warnings around the time of the failure. This might provide a specific error code or clue.

If these don't resolve the issue, consider creating a recovery drive on another Windows 11 machine (if available) or explore creating a system image backup as an alternative.

Please let me know if these solutions work otherwise, I would be happy to assist further.

Let me start off by saying I appreciate your help and quick response.

I followed your instructions and still get "A problem occurred while creating the recovery drive".

It appears to happen either during or after “Backing up system files” is processing.

The following folders with files/folders within them are present: USB: EFI, sources, reagent.

 Since I’m a novice when it comes to computers it appears something got created equaling 3.8GB.

I reformatted the USB

Ran SFC /scannow “Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations”.

I followed the steps again only to get the same error and files.

I am sorry to hear about the issue you are facing with creating a recovery drive on Windows 11 24H2. The error "A problem occurred while creating the recovery drive" often indicates a problem with system files, permissions, or the USB drive itself. Since it works when you uncheck "Back up system files to the recovery drive," the issue likely stems from the system files backup process.

First, ensure you're using a USB drive with at least 16GB of storage, as Windows 11 recovery drives often require significant space. Even though you're using 32GB or 64GB drives, confirm they are fully functional by testing them with another device or reformatting them manually to NTFS before starting the process. Avoid using the drive for other data during the creation.

Next, run the Recovery Drive tool as an administrator. Right-click the Start menu, select "Windows Terminal (Admin)," and launch the tool from there by typing RecoveryDrive.exe. This ensures proper permissions.

If the issue persists, check for system file corruption. Open Command Prompt as admin and run sfc /scannow to repair any corrupted files. After that, try creating the recovery drive again.

As a precaution, remember that using a 64GB drive may result in reformatting to FAT32 with a 32GB partition limit by the tool. Use diskpart to reclaim full capacity afterward, as you mentioned. If the problem continues, creating a recovery image via alternative methods (like ISO creation) might be an option.

Please let me know if these solutions work otherwise, I would be happy to assist further.