No, I didn't create my recovery media

[rreed]

I know. Being the backup administrator at my company, I half-butted my home laptop backup solution by ignoring the create recovery media step, fantasizing I'd get to it later. Then I lost my HDD. Shame on me, I know, it's my fault for ignoring that crucial step at home. I do handle my company's backups w/ far more care and seriousness.

New HDD on the way, I have my last good backup on external USB drive (at least I did that much), is there a way to do bare metal recovery w/o this laptop's original recovery media that I foolishly never got around to doing? Shame on me.

[rreed]

And no, I also don't have the original OS media, it didn't come w/ any. it's Windows 10, but I think had 8(?) when we first got it anyways.

[Dima P.]

rreed,
It just something that happens with all of us sometimes

is there a way to do bare metal recovery w/o this laptop's original recovery media that I foolishly never got around to doing?

Yup, create a recovery media on any other computer and you are good to go. Ideally use the same OS with the same x32 or x64 capacity. While creating such recovery media – uncheck collect drivers option so the drivers from another hardware wont interfere the Bare Metal Recovery.

[rreed]

Thanks as always Dima. Creating a basic recovery CD (just unchecked the network, drivers, etc.) from a different model, Win7Ent laptop, worked fine. Target laptop is Win10 Home. BMR got my laptop back to its last restore point like nothing ever happened. I've labeled and packed away my known-working recovery CD along w/ my backup drive now. In fact, I'll probably make a second one just in case.