Lenovo OneKey Recovery Not Working Windows 10/8/7? Solve It Now!

Overview of Lenovo OneKey Recovery Windows 10/8/7

As for some branded laptops, desktops, notebooks, and notepads, there is always an available program that is designed to back up OS and restore the computer to a normal state in case of a sudden black/blue screen, crashing, freezing, slowing down, etc.

Lenovo OneKey Recovery (OKR) is such a backup and recovery tool. In your hard drive, there has already been a hidden partition from the factory to store the system image file, the OneKey Recovery system program files as well.

For the purpose of preventing mistakenly deleting the recovery partition, the partition containing OneKey Recovery essential files is invisible in Windows Explorer by default, which explains why the hard drive shows less available disk space than the stated capacity.

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Situations about Lenovo OneKey Recovery Not Working Windows 10/8/7

Although it is of great help to use OneKey Recovery software to perform a system recovery when something goes wrong with your computer, sometimes Lenovo OneKey Recovery doesn’t work as you expected. The following are some common causes:

1. C drive has been changed, leading to losing the function of the recovery partition.
2. The recovery partition is deleted.
3. The system has been reinstalled by means of a clean install.
4. The hard disk where the recovery partition resides gets corrupted or damaged.

If something is done, Lenovo OneKey Recovery is not working – you are unable to back up Windows and restore the system properly, then what you should do is finding an alternative solution that compensates for these shortcomings.

MiniTool ShadowMaker – The Best Alternative to Lenovo OneKey Recovery Windows 10/8/7

For backup and recovery purpose, many PC users utilize third-party programs. And the main reason for this is the ease of use and powerful features. One of the best free backup software in this regard is MiniTool ShadowMaker.

As the best alternative to Lenovo OneKey Recovery, it offers a possibility to create an operating system backup on the PCs of various brands including Lenovo, Acer, Toshiba, HP, Dell, etc., and restore the PC to a fully functional state in the worst case.

No matter if you extend or shrink C drive, or reinstall Windows OS, MiniTool ShadowMaker can work. So, as soon as Lenovo OneKey Recovery does not start or work, fix the issue by yourself with MiniTool ShadowMaker.

To safeguard the PC well, you can use the Trial Edition of this software to achieve your goal. Or try a full edition (Pro Edition) for backup and recovery in Windows 10/8/7.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

How to Back up Windows 10/8/7?

The following is the step-by-step guide. Just follow it to back up your OS in case of Lenovo OneKey Recovery not working.

Step 1: Start a Local Backup

1. Double-click on MiniTool ShadowMaker.
2. Wait for a few seconds to its main interface.

Step 2: Go to the Backup Page

1. This software will enter the Home page where you should click the SET UP BACKUP button to go to the Backup page if there isn’t yet a backup.
2. Or directly click the Backup button in the toolbar.

Step 3: Choose Backup Source and Destination

1. By default, MiniTool ShadowMaker will back up your Windows OS – all system partitions required for Windows to run are chosen as the backup source.
2. Also, a destination folder may be selected to store the system image file.

Step 4: Perform a Backup

1. Click the Back up Now button.
2. The backup process will be viewed in the Manage page.

Make advanced settings: MiniTool ShadowMaker has extra features that Lenovo OneKey Recovery doesn’t have, such as being able to automatically back up your computer and only create backups for the changed or added data (called incremental and differential backup).

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After introducing so much information about system backup, are you interested in this free backup software? Now, don’t hesitate to free download this alternative to Lenovo OneKey Recovery for PC protection.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Next, let’s see some information about the system image recovery in Windows 10/8/7.

How to Restore OS to an Earlier Date from the System Image

Step 1: Change the boot order in BIOS and set it to boot your computer from the disc or USB drive you have created.

Step 2: Run MiniTool ShadowMaker and go to the Restore interface where you need to choose the system image to restore.

If the system image is not listed in the following interface, please click Add Backup to find and add a proper one. Note that the drive letters may be different from what they are in Windows.

Step 3: Choose a backup version and click Next to go on.

Step 4: In order to ensure Windows 10/8/7 runs properly after a recovery, here please check MBR and Track 0, as well as all system related partitions from the selected backup file.

Step 5: Please decide which disk you want to restore the system image to. After clicking the Next button, MiniTool ShadowMaker will tell you which partitions will be overwritten during the recovery process.

Step 6: After clicking the OK button, this Lenovo recovery software will start performing the recovery operation. Just wait patiently.

Related article: How Do You Restore System Image from External Hard Drive?

Now, all information about this Lenovo OneKey Recovery alternative has been shared with you. It is powerful enough to back up Windows 10/8/7 and restore the unbootable PC to a normal state. Download MiniTool ShadowMaker for free when Lenovo OneKey Recovery doesn’t work.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

How to Fix Lenovo OneKey Recovery Not Working

Some of you still want to use OneKey Recovery in Lenovo to create a system backup and perform a system recovery. To make it work normally, you should take measures to fix this issue.

As the Lenovo company says, to use the feature of the OneKey Recovery system, a hidden recovery partition from the factory has been created to store the system image and program files. When starting a recovery, the system image will be recovered to C drive.

If the recovery partition is damaged, Lenovo OneKey Recovery doesn’t work in Windows 10/8/7. Below, we will tell you the solutions to some common situations.

Method 1: Use Diskpart

Sometimes you may not delete anything, but use all the unallocated space. As a result, Lenovo OneKey Recovery not working occurs.

This program loads up, but an error message – “The program cannot restore the system partition because its structure is incorrect. You may have to recreate the partition to continue” appears.

To put it simply, this happens when the partition’s attribute is changed automatically. To solve this issue, you need to enter the console with elevated privileges (run CMD as administrator) and perform the following operations:

1. Type diskpart and press Enter.
2. Type list disk and hit Enter and then all the disks on the Lenovo computer will be listed
3. Type sel disk N and press Enter: N refers to the letter of the hard drive where OneKey Recovery is installed.
4. Type list part and press Enter.
5. Type sel part N and press Enter: N means the number of WinPE partition which usually is the last one and has the biggest number.
6. Type set id = 12 and press Enter. This will hide the partition.
7. Type exit and press Enter.

After finishing all these steps, Lenovo OneKey Recovery may work properly in Windows 10/8/7. This method is suggested by some users from the Lenovo forum, so you can have a try.

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Method 2: Make a New Backup Image to Dump in Recovery Partition

Some Lenovo users reported that they resized partition C, leading to OneKey Recovery not working in Windows 10/8/7. Sometimes an error message comes up saying, “One Key Recovery partition has damaged, so do not launch the main application.“

If you are also facing this problem, you can choose to make a new backup image to dump in the recovery partition.

Step 1: Press the Novo button to boot into OKR.

Step 2: Choose the OneKey Recovery option.

Step 3: On the next screen, press CTRL+SHIFT+O to bring up Command Prompt. 

Step 4: Figure out if all partitions have the right letters. Note that OKR seems to only work if the OS is on drive C. Then, type dir c:.

Step 5: Figure out which drive letter the recovery partition adopts. Just try each of the following alphabet letters until you see the volume label LENOVO_PART and a list of folders including EFI, NB, OKRBackup, or OneKey:

• dir d:
• dir e:
• dir f:
• dir g:
• ……

Step 6: Change to the lenovo_part partition. If it is the G: drive, just type g:.

Step 7: Type cd onekey\osimage.

Step 8: Type osimage /fb.

Step 9: Wait patiently for the backup to finish and you will see a message – “Backup Success…”. Then, type dir \okrbackup\factory.

Step 10: Close the Command Prompt and then you can reboot the computer or test your recovery image.

This way can be very helpful to fix the Lenovo OneKey Recovery not working issue in Windows 10/8/7. If this seems to be complex, for more information, refer to this forum: How to restore Onekey Recovery function after changing partition size. 

Method 3: Use Recovery DVD

Some users suggest using a recovery DVD to perform a recovery operation when Lenovo OneKey Recovery not working issue occurs.

Step 1: Purchase a recovery disc and insert it into your computer.

Step 2: Start the computer and continuously press F12 at the Lenovo logo screen until entering the Boot Manager.

Step 3: Set to boot the computer from the bootable disc.

Step 4: And then, follow the instructions to perform a recovery process.

Method 4: Send the Lenovo PC to Repair Shop

This will be the easiest way. If Lenovo OneKey Recovery doesn’t work in Windows 10/8/7, please contact Lenovo Technical Support for assistance with this problem or send the PC to a repairing shop to restore everything back to factory default.

Remember to back up your important files first of all to avoid data loss with MiniTool ShadowMaker that has been mentioned above. 

Final Words

In summary, the Lenovo OneKey Recovery not working issue is very annoying. Just try the above ways to fix it.

To back up the Windows 10/8/7 operating system and restore the computer to a normal state well, we strongly recommend using MiniTool ShadowMaker – the best alternative to OneKey Recovery.

This freeware enables you to more easily and effectively keep your PC safe and perform a quick disaster recovery in case of system crash. Just download it on your Lenovo computer for a try.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

On the other hand, if you have some other methods to fix the Lenovo OneKey Recovery not working issue or some questions regarding MiniTool ShadowMaker, leave your ideas in the comment box or send an email to [email protected].

Lenovo OneKey Recovery FAQ