Hi SCMBob1, As such there is no limit on how many times you can create recovery media. So, you can create multiple copies of recovery media. However, the recovery media is created from a recovery partition and it does not matter if you create recovery media before or after installing the software's. If you use the recovery media to restore your computer, it will restore the computer to factory condition and you would need to install the software's again. Hope this helps.
Is there a limit on the number of sets of recovery discs that I can make using Dell DataSafe Local software that came on the Inspiron 17R we just purchased.   I made one set when the machine was first booted.   After installing Norton Antivirus, MS Office and other software, I decided that a 2nd copy of recovery discs might be advisable, since no Windows 7 installation media is provided by Dell.
Limit on Recovery Discs with Dell DataSafe Local