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

I had a dual boot configuration on my old X58 platform. The setup was an up to date Windows 10 partition and a Windows 1809 partion. Both OS's were on the same SSD which had the same system reserved boot partion as a result

I have now moved to a new Z490 platform and cloned my SATA 3 SSD to my new NVME along with it. seeing as its a new platform, I decided to "fresh install" by reseting both partions from within Windows. However I can only do it for my up to date partition: Windows 10 1909. The Windows 1809 partition gives me "Could not find the recovery environement".

I tried "reagentc /enable" but it told me: "REAGENTC.EXE: Unable to update Boot Configuration Data"

So 2 questions then: Is there a way to create a recovery environment parmanently in Windows 1809 partion so that I won't need an external recovery media just like my Windows 1909 partition? If not, How can I reset the 1809 partition and not mess up the boot configuration?

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Or Should I redo the entire dual boot thing and if so, what is the right way to do it so that both installations have a recovery environment?

Since you say fresh install, it seams like you want a clean install anyway. So do a clean install of the first OS. Then before you do the second OS, open a command prompt with admin, or a powershell with admin and run:
reagentc /disable. Then delete any recovery partitions that were created.

Then install your second OS. When you are booted into it, run reagentc /disable. Then delete any recovery partitions that were created. You can distribute the unallocated space from deleting the recovery partition(s) back into the OS ("C: drive") partitions.

Finally boot back into each OS and run: reagentc /enable in each one.

Note, before you clone or copy a Windows 10 OS partition to another drive, you should run reagentc /disable first. After the clone or copy is done, when you boot into the new OS partition, you can reinstate recovery environment by running reagentc /enable.

NavyLCDR said:

Since you say fresh install, it seams like you want a clean install anyway. So do a clean install of the first OS. Then before you do the second OS, open a command prompt with admin, or a powershell with admin and run:
reagentc /disable. Then delete any recovery partitions that were created.

Then install your second OS. When you are booted into it, run reagentc /disable. Then delete any recovery partitions that were created. You can distribute the unallocated space from deleting the recovery partition(s) back into the OS ("C: drive") partitions.

Finally boot back into each OS and run: reagentc /enable in each one.

Note, before you clone or copy a Windows 10 OS partition to another drive, you should run reagentc /disable first. After the clone or copy is done, when you boot into the new OS partition, you can reinstate recovery environment by running reagentc /enable.

Why do you need to disable reagentc when you clone?

Also if you delete the recovery partition for each install, I suppose that doesn't mess up the boot partition?

Finally... since moving to this new motherboard, Windows is complaining about activation. My key was a student upgrade key way back on Windows 8. And I got around the pre-registered key by first installing the over it and reinstalling over it as an upgrade again. Do I now need to repeat this for Windows 10?

And can you use the same Windows key for dual booting or do you need to have a different windows key ?

You should disable reagentc when you clone because when you disable reagentc it actually moves the Windows Recovery Environment to a hidden folder on C: drive so that when you clone the C: drive partition it also copies the Windows Recovery Environment along with C: drive.

Deleting recovery partitions will not mess up the boot partition.

If you have a product key for Windows 8 or Windows 10, you just have to go to the activation window under settings, updates & security and change the product key and enter your own product key - if the product key is for a matching edition of Windows (IE: Home or Pro). You can also try this, but it probably won't work:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...d-fb3fc72b6665

In order to comply with the End Users License Agreement for Windows 10, you technically need two different licenses for Windows to dual boot the same computer. However, what is needed to comply with the EULA, and what Microsoft will allow you to do are two different things.

NavyLCDR said:

Since you say fresh install, it seams like you want a clean install anyway. So do a clean install of the first OS. Then before you do the second OS, open a command prompt with admin, or a powershell with admin and run:
reagentc /disable. Then delete any recovery partitions that were created.

Then install your second OS. When you are booted into it, run reagentc /disable. Then delete any recovery partitions that were created. You can distribute the unallocated space from deleting the recovery partition(s) back into the OS ("C: drive") partitions.

Finally boot back into each OS and run: reagentc /enable in each one.

Note, before you clone or copy a Windows 10 OS partition to another drive, you should run reagentc /disable first. After the clone or copy is done, when you boot into the new OS partition, you can reinstate recovery environment by running reagentc /enable.

If you delete your Recovery partitions, doesn't that mean Windows will complain about not being able to find a recovery environment when you run the reagentc /enable

edo101 said:

If you delete your Recovery partitions, doesn't that mean Windows will complain about not being able to find a recovery environment when you run the reagentc /enable

Nope.

NavyLCDR said:

Nope.

So I did a test reset after doing what you told me to do. However when i did reset on one partition, the other partition lost it's ability to reset.

Is there no way to make a recovery environment for each parition that won't require me including a Win 10 disk?

edo101 said:

So I did a test reset after doing what you told me to do. However when i did reset on one partition, the other partition lost it's ability to reset.

Is there no way to make a recovery environment for each parition that won't require me including a Win 10 disk?

You can try here:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...loy-windows-re

Please run:

DiskParInfo.bat - Click here to go to the BSOD batch repository to download and run this batch file.


Open disk management > by default some columns are compressed > widen each Status and Volume > make sure the contents within the parenthesis are in full view and that none of the characters are cutoff > view disk 0 > widen this row as needed so that all of the characters are in full view > post an image into the thread
Disk Management - How to Post a Screenshot of


Download and install Minitool Partition Wizard > click launch > post an image of the results into this thread
MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download
MiniTool Portable Partition Magic Brings Easier Disk Management

NavyLCDR said:

You can try here:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...loy-windows-re

So I just scanned through it. It would appear this will let me have each partition's recovery environment without the need in the future to have a Windows 10 disk. However my computer does not have a RE partiton though so i don't think it'd work for me

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zbook said:

Please run:

DiskParInfo.bat - Click here to go to the BSOD batch repository to download and run this batch file.


Open disk management > by default some columns are compressed > widen each Status and Volume > make sure the contents within the parenthesis are in full view and that none of the characters are cutoff > view disk 0 > widen this row as needed so that all of the characters are in full view > post an image into the thread
Disk Management - How to Post a Screenshot of


Download and install Minitool Partition Wizard > click launch > post an image of the results into this thread
MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download
MiniTool Portable Partition Magic Brings Easier Disk Management

Will do once I restore my backup image.

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zbook said:

Please run:

DiskParInfo.bat - Click here to go to the BSOD batch repository to download and run this batch file.


Open disk management > by default some columns are compressed > widen each Status and Volume > make sure the contents within the parenthesis are in full view and that none of the characters are cutoff > view disk 0 > widen this row as needed so that all of the characters are in full view > post an image into the thread
Disk Management - How to Post a Screenshot of


Download and install Minitool Partition Wizard > click launch > post an image of the results into this thread
MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download
MiniTool Portable Partition Magic Brings Easier Disk Management