A USB created with Windows Recovery Drive can help reinstall the operating system when a computer cannot start. It does not contain your personal documents, photos or other everyday files. Keep those protected through a separate, tested backup.

This distinction matters when preparing for a drive replacement. Having a recovery USB may provide a route back to a working Windows installation, but it does not mean your old drive can be erased without checking its data first. Microsoft describes this media as intended for the device on which it was created.

Prepare the USB deliberately

Choose an empty USB drive that you are willing to erase. If it has ever held useful files, inspect them and copy anything needed elsewhere before beginning. Disconnect unrelated removable drives to make identifying the target easier. Read the device name and capacity at the selection screen; do not select a drive merely because it is the first item.

Search Start for Recovery Drive. Follow the utility and select the option to include system files. The creation process erases the selected USB. Allow it to finish before removing the drive, and label the result with the computer model and creation date.

Store the recovery drive separately from the computer where practical. Also retain the manufacturer's instructions for opening that model's boot menu. A forgotten boot-menu key is easier to resolve while the machine is working than during an outage.

Keep creation separate from recovery

Creating the USB does not require reinstalling Windows. Do not select Recover from a drive simply to see whether the media works: recovery is a separate operation with data-loss consequences. Arrange any boot check so it stops before recovery or disk changes.

Microsoft recommends recreating recovery media periodically to capture updates. Review your personal-file backup at the same time. The useful preparation record has two answers: how Windows would be recovered, and where your own files could be restored from.

Reference: Microsoft Support.