Can't enable Windows Recovery Environment


  1. Posts : 5
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       #1

    Can't enable Windows Recovery Environment


    OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit

    Without WinRE I can't repair my system from the hard drive if something happens at boot, or if I need to reset my system.

    This is what happens when I type reagentc /info:
    Can't enable Windows Recovery Environment-2015_08_24_23_43_331.png
    It shows that WinRE is disabled.

    I then typed:

    Code:
        REAGENTC.EXE /setreimage /path c:\windows\system32\recovery
    ... which completed successfully.

    The output from "reagentc /info" is unchanged though.

    I can't put the WinRE environment out of the disabled state, even when I enable it successfully then try and disable it, it says it was already disabled.

    Can't enable Windows Recovery Environment-2015_08_24_23_48_562.png
    Any ways to fix without a format and clean reinstall?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,799
    Linux Mint 20.1 Win10Prox64
       #2

    Apparently Windows could not find the Winre.wim in this folder (c:\windows\system32\recovery) so it cannot enable.Can you post a screen shot of Disk Management ?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 5
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
    Thread Starter
       #3

    I have a Winre.wim file in the directory that I extracted from an ISO.

    Can't enable Windows Recovery Environment-2015_08_25_07_59_371.png
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2,799
    Linux Mint 20.1 Win10Prox64
       #4

    From what ISO did you extract from ? Because I know install.wim from the ISO of Windows 10 will not mount. I am not sure if you can just simply copy it to C:\Windows\system32\Recovery.

    A normal Windows installation will create a 450MB recovery partition for UEFI and 500MB for MBR style installation and will set a folder structure in the Recovery partition as shown below:
    Can't enable Windows Recovery Environment-.jpg

    Your Disk Management only show 100MB. Did you upgrade from Windows 7 ? if so, it should have created a 450MB Recovery partition and put Winre.wim in there. What happened to it ?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 10
    Windows 10
       #5

    I created a recovery image on a c-drive using the instructions from tutorial 4287-reset-recovery-image. And that seems fine. I will insert an image of reagentc info. So perhaps I am relatively lucky in comparison.

    But I am curious that all my recovery partitions show as being 100% free on disk mgmt, including where reagentc seems to be saying that the recovery environment location -- but not the recovery image -- is. Whereas the screen shots above (not mine) show partitions with content. I asked on some other threads whether I can delete my apparently empty partitions or whether I should be concerned. I am just following "recipes", not really understanding the situation. Any advice appreciated. Note: the disk 1 on my screenshot should be the ssd from the hybrid drive. That this also shows as 100% free also makes me curious / makes me wonder whether the 100% free report is not correct. Hopefully the ssd is being used to make the pc faster... I'll go investigate on an acer forum...
    Can't enable Windows Recovery Environment-reagentc-info.jpgCan't enable Windows Recovery Environment-disk-mgmt.jpg
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 4,131
    Windows 3.1 to Windows 11
       #6

    Windows 10 Does Not Use a Recovery Image or a Recovery Image partition...

    OP after running > reagentc /enable

    reboot
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 5
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Thanks for any help. Despite all my internet browsing I could never make the Windows RE work, so I did a format and reinstall of Windows 10 (unsafe to use Windows if the recovery environment used to fix it doesn't work...!) which created the 500MB partition.

    Carousel said:
    I created a recovery image on a c-drive using the instructions from tutorial 4287-reset-recovery-image. And that seems fine. I will insert an image of reagentc info. So perhaps I am relatively lucky in comparison.

    But I am curious that all my recovery partitions show as being 100% free on disk mgmt, including where reagentc seems to be saying that the recovery environment location -- but not the recovery image -- is. Whereas the screen shots above (not mine) show partitions with content. I asked on some other threads whether I can delete my apparently empty partitions or whether I should be concerned. I am just following "recipes", not really understanding the situation. Any advice appreciated. Note: the disk 1 on my screenshot should be the ssd from the hybrid drive. That this also shows as 100% free also makes me curious / makes me wonder whether the 100% free report is not correct. Hopefully the ssd is being used to make the pc faster... I'll go investigate on an acer forum...
    Can't enable Windows Recovery Environment-reagentc-info.jpgCan't enable Windows Recovery Environment-disk-mgmt.jpg
    The partitions are 100% free because they are actually hidden by Windows and you can't access the partition.

    If you use a partition manager (3rd party) like EaseUS Partition Master you can unhide the driver, find the real disk usage, and hide it.
      My Computer


 

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