Recreate WinRE files on a new recovery partition?

iamc3k · 08 Feb 2024

Folks,

I updated my hard drive and somehow overwrote my recovery partition. I thought it would be easy to create a new recovery file...but I'm stumped. I've read about 2 dozen threads on reagentc and esd files and am not sure where to go.

Here's my current version:

Recreate WinRE files on a new recovery partition?-windows-version.jpg

Disk manager looks like this:

Recreate WinRE files on a new recovery partition?-disk-mgt.jpg

You can see that I've created a 1.0GB partition on my C drive for the recovery environment. It's Disk 4, Partition 4.

Running sfc /scannow shows no errors.
Running reagentc /info yields this:

Recreate WinRE files on a new recovery partition?-reagentc-info.jpg

I'd -really- appreciate a bit of guidance.

I've got a Win10 install USB drive.

Where do I go from here?

Thanks!

- - - Updated - - -

...more:

Mounting my USB install media (drive G) shows an install.esd file.

Recreate WinRE files on a new recovery partition?-install-esd.jpg

Running dism /get-wiminfo /wimfile:G:\sources\install.esd in an elevated command prompt gives:

Recreate WinRE files on a new recovery partition?-wimfile-info.jpg

That shows a version of 10.0.19041.3636 (and the Win10 Home is at Index 1). My system info shows I am running version 10.0.19045.3930.

These are different versions. I downloaded the install media a week ago. Is it "close enough"? Do I need a different version that is closer to my running version?

Thanks.

Bree · 08 Feb 2024

iamc3k said:

I've got a Win10 install USB drive.... Mounting my USB install media (drive G) shows an install.esd file.

Open the install.esd with 7-Zip file Manager. Extract the WinRE.wim (the Windows Recovery Environment windows image file) and ReAgent.xml and place them in C:\Windows\System32\Recovery. You can now run the command reagentc /enable. This should move WinRE.wim to the recovery partition, sometimes though it may not be able to use the existing recovery partition and will put it in C:\Recovery\WindowsRE instead. Either way, it will add the recovery path to the BCD and you'll be able to boot to advanced startup again. You can see where it has put WinRE.wim by running reagentc /info again.

iamc3k · 08 Feb 2024

@Bree,

You nailed it!

Recreate WinRE files on a new recovery partition?-fixed.jpg

Thank you! (I had a bit of an issue copying the files from the install usb to my C drive. 7-zip showed "copy" but I got an error message. Instead, I left-click-dragged the files from the expanded 7-zip to the C drive and all is good.)

As you can see, my reagentc /info shows the recovery files are in the recovery partition.

Again, thank you.

Bree · 09 Feb 2024

iamc3k said:

@Bree,

You nailed it!

.....thank you.

glad I could help.

popeye · 11 Mar 2024

Bree said:

Open the install.esd with 7-Zip file Manager. Extract the WinRE.wim (the Windows Recovery Environment windows image file) and ReAgent.xml and place them in C:\Windows\System32\Recovery. You can now run the command reagentc /enable. This should move WinRE.wim to the recovery partition, sometimes though it may not be able to use the existing recovery partition and will put it in C:\Recovery\WindowsRE instead. Either way, it will add the recovery path to the BCD and you'll be able to boot to advanced startup again. You can see where it has put WinRE.wim by running reagentc /info again.

Thanks so much! Had same issue with wife's new computer after transferring/cloning to the new ssd. Wasn't allowing the January update a lot of folks have been having problem with.