WinRE.wim file missing

I tried to do Windows update from 1803 to 1809 and now my winre.wim file is gone. How do I recreate it?
Description of Problem:
Yesterday I wiped my SSD and reinitialized with GPT (mbr2gpt refused to run on that disk), then created the partitions using script from Microsoft article. I then restored my Boot partition (C drive) from Macrium Image and then used Macrium to fix boot problems. First time I've ever done this and my system booted into Windows OK!
In \Windows\System32\Recovery I found 3 files: winre.wim was there, hidden as a system file.
I was looking at the drive with AOMEI Partition Wizard and noticed that the Recovery partition had not been created. There was 469 MB of free space after the Boot partition, but it was not formatted at all. Strange, but I re-ran the parts of the Microsoft script that applied to it and was able to create the recovery partition.

I was not sure how I was supposed to populate the Recovery partition, so I left it empty.
Then tried to update from Windows 1803 to 1809 - it had failed before and that was one reason for this GPT conversion. Afterwards I see that my only copy of winre.wim, in \Windows\System32\Recovery is gone! And the update still fails, but that's not the topic here.

Questions

1. How do I create winre.wim?
2. What files should be found in Recovery partition?
3. Why does partition #3 exist and why is it unallocated?

I dont have the winre.wim on any of my pcs. The 3rd partition isnt a parition its unallocated space. Why didnt you just do a clean install of 1809

Samuria said:

I dont have the winre.wim on any of my pcs. The 3rd partition isnt a parition its unallocated space. Why didnt you just do a clean install of 1809

• OK, it's not a partition. I wonder why that space got left there? The Microsoft article provides a DISKPART script that creates partitions on a clean disk. I just don't know why that unallocated space exists.
• Please explain what you mean by "clean install"? Obviously I wanted to use my backup of my boot partition. Could I just do 1809 install and then overwrite the boot partition? But then it wouldn't be 1809 any longer!

If your having problems with the update something is wrong with your current install so wiping the drive and doing a clean install give a brand new system with no problems and is always a good thing to do and speeds the system up

If you want a true Windows 10 disk layout, then wipe the SSD and do a clean install to it. Then if you want your old Windows 10 boot partition back, just replace it only with your backup. That way you get a proper GPT drive layout for UEFI bootin and you get a new and fully populated recovery partition with winre.wim back.

Your only issue then will be that you still will not be able to update to ver. 1809.

NavyLCDR said:

If you want a true Windows 10 disk layout, then wipe the SSD and do a clean install to it. Then if you want your old Windows 10 boot partition back, just replace it only with your backup. That way you get a proper GPT drive layout for UEFI bootin and you get a new and fully populated recovery partition with winre.wim back.
Your only issue then will be that you still will not be able to update to ver. 1809.

Thank you for your help. I have a number of easy questions:
I have a USB flash drive for 1809 install ready to go. So I should use it and choose "clean install" or something akin to that?
And then simply restore my boot partition from Macrium image?
When I do a clean install, only the boot partition contains 1809-specific files? What about winre.wim in the new Recovery partition? Isn't that 1809-specific?

I can't find Windows install for 1803. Microsoft has done a good job of cleaning the past! Why?

docGlenn said:

I can't find Windows install for 1803. Microsoft has done a good job of cleaning the past! Why?

Because 1809 is the current release?

This 3rd-party tool can generate links to download 1803 (or earlier) ISOs direct from Microsoft's servers.

Microsoft Windows and Office ISO Download Tool

docGlenn said:

Thank you for your help. I have a number of easy questions:
I have a USB flash drive for 1809 install ready to go. So I should use it and choose "clean install" or something akin to that?
And then simply restore my boot partition from Macrium image?
When I do a clean install, only the boot partition contains 1809-specific files? What about winre.wim in the new Recovery partition? Isn't that 1809-specific?

I can't find Windows install for 1803. Microsoft has done a good job of cleaning the past! Why?

1. Yes - choose the custom install option.

2. Yes.

3. The recovery partition will contain a version 1809 winre.wim file. But that really isn't much of a problem. It only provides a mini, self contained OS but does not affect which version is restored, if you choose the option to restore the OS.

4. See @Bree's post #7.

I used 1809 install on a bootable USB stick and asked for upgrade of current Windows 1803. This worked and went thru a number of reboots. All my previous attempts with 1809 install had been upgrade withing a running Windows 1803 instance. I don't know why I didn't do this long ago!
But I've still got my somewhat screwy partition layout - and a second recovery partition has been added, it is the 5th block on the disk; the 6th block is the old recovery partition that I created when I rebuilt the disk with DISKPART. I cannot get inside to see if winre.wim exists, but I'm now beyond caring.

Thank you all for your patience and help.