Need to Reset Windows 10 Dual Boot (no recovery environement found)

So I just did some experimenting. I did a clean install of Windows 1909 to a blank drive. I ran reagentc /disable. Then I shrunk the OS partition by 64 GB, and I did a custom install of Windows 20H2 to the empty 64GB partition that was created. I ran reagentc /disable. Then I deleted the System Recovery partition that was created as partition 1 on the disk. I recreated the recovery partition and gave it drive letter R:. I copied winre.wim from C:\System32\Recovery to R:\Recovery\WindowsRE. (All from 20H2 Windows 10)

Then I ran reagentc /setreimage /path \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition1\Recovery\WindowsRE
Followed by reagentc /enable

I got this result:

Code:

reagentc /info
Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration
Information:

    Windows RE status:         Enabled
    Windows RE location:       \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Recovery\WindowsRE
    Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: 78ca5e45-5a15-11eb-b4d5-00155d01aa0c
    Recovery image location:
    Recovery image index:      0
    Custom image location:
    Custom image index:        0

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

What the heck? Why is RE in my Windows partition? Hmmm.....
So I booted into 1909. I deleted C:\Recovery and I deleted winre.wim from C:\Windows\System32\. So there is no winre.wim file on the OS partition now. Then I did:
reagentc /setreimage /path \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition1\Recovery\WindowsRE
Followed by reagentc /enable

I got this result:

Code:

reagentc /info
Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration
Information:

    Windows RE status:         Enabled
    Windows RE location:       \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Recovery\WindowsRE
    Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: 78ca5e45-5a15-11eb-b4d5-00155d01aa0c
    Recovery image location:
    Recovery image index:      0
    Custom image location:
    Custom image index:        0

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

So, the results as far as I can see is that when you create your own recovery partition with Recovery\WindowsRE\winre.wim file in it, and you point reagentc to that folder, when you enable the recovery environment, reagentc will go find the winre.wim file in the folder you point it to, but it will actually set up the recovery environment in your C: drive OS partition (C:\Recovery}. I was doing all kinds of disabling and reenabling the recovery environment and never had a failure, including enabling the recovery environment on both OS from the same custom Recovery partition.

@NavyLCDR
Does your above method work in my case below?
How to recreate the Windows recovery partition.

@edo101,

This might help:

So, the test computer I used does not have a recovery partition, I deleted it. My Windows 10 installation ISO file is mounted as E: drive. Here is the command list below along with results on my computer:

Code:

reagentc /disable
md c:\WinMount
dism /mount-wim /wimfile:E:\Sources\install.wim /index:1 /mountdir:C:\WinMount /readonly
xcopy C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\*.* C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /h
reagentc /setreimage /path C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /target C:\Windows
reagentc /enable

Code:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19042.685]
(c) 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /disable
REAGENTC.EXE: Windows RE is already disabled.

C:\Windows\system32>md c:\WinMount

C:\Windows\system32>dism /mount-wim /wimfile:E:\Sources\install.wim /index:1 /mountdir:C:\WinMount /readonly

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.572

Mounting image
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>xcopy C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\*.* C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /h
Overwrite C:\Windows\System32\Recovery\ReAgent.xml (Yes/No/All)? a
C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\ReAgent.xml
C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\Winre.wim
2 File(s) copied

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /setreimage /path C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /target C:\Windows
Directory set to: \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Windows\System32\Recovery

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /enable
REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

C:\Windows\system32>

NavyLCDR said:

@edo101,

This might help:

So, the test computer I used does not have a recovery partition, I deleted it. My Windows 10 installation ISO file is mounted as E: drive. Here is the command list below along with results on my computer:

Code:

reagentc /disable
md c:\WinMount
dism /mount-wim /wimfile:E:\Sources\install.wim /index:1 /mountdir:C:\WinMount /readonly
xcopy C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\*.* C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /h
reagentc /setreimage /path C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /target C:\Windows
reagentc /enable

Code:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19042.685]
(c) 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /disable
REAGENTC.EXE: Windows RE is already disabled.

C:\Windows\system32>md c:\WinMount

C:\Windows\system32>dism /mount-wim /wimfile:E:\Sources\install.wim /index:1 /mountdir:C:\WinMount /readonly

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.572

Mounting image
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>xcopy C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\*.* C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /h
Overwrite C:\Windows\System32\Recovery\ReAgent.xml (Yes/No/All)? a
C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\ReAgent.xml
C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\Winre.wim
2 File(s) copied

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /setreimage /path C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /target C:\Windows
Directory set to: \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Windows\System32\Recovery

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /enable
REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

C:\Windows\system32>

If possible please post a reference for the technique used.
What method did you use to get wim instead of esd?

An additional option is the MCT esd can be converted to wim using third party software.

NavyLCDR said:

@edo101,

This might help:

So, the test computer I used does not have a recovery partition, I deleted it. My Windows 10 installation ISO file is mounted as E: drive. Here is the command list below along with results on my computer:

Code:

reagentc /disable
md c:\WinMount
dism /mount-wim /wimfile:E:\Sources\install.wim /index:1 /mountdir:C:\WinMount /readonly
xcopy C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\*.* C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /h
reagentc /setreimage /path C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /target C:\Windows
reagentc /enable

Code:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19042.685]
(c) 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /disable
REAGENTC.EXE: Windows RE is already disabled.

C:\Windows\system32>md c:\WinMount

C:\Windows\system32>dism /mount-wim /wimfile:E:\Sources\install.wim /index:1 /mountdir:C:\WinMount /readonly

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.572

Mounting image
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>xcopy C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\*.* C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /h
Overwrite C:\Windows\System32\Recovery\ReAgent.xml (Yes/No/All)? a
C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\ReAgent.xml
C:\WinMount\Windows\System32\Recovery\Winre.wim
2 File(s) copied

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /setreimage /path C:\Windows\System32\Recovery /target C:\Windows
Directory set to: \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Windows\System32\Recovery

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /enable
REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

C:\Windows\system32>

I'm 2 years late but Thank you ever so much! This solved my issue @NavyLCDR