3. From there, you can: Restore from a system restore point by selecting Advanced options > System Restore. Launch the File History applet in Control Panel. 4. If you donât have an authentic Windows boot disk at hand, you can load the computer, including for the purpose of recovering the bootloader, with the help of a boot selection disk such as LiveCD. Removes any apps your PC manufacturer installed. Now click Recover from a Drive to tell the computer to take the version of Windows on your drive. A recovery drive stores a copy of your Windows 10 environment on an external source, like a DVD or USB drive. Keep my files > Change settings > Preinstalled apps On. PC manufacturers now often partition a computerâs primary hard drive into two volumes. Check your PC manufacturerâs website for info on how to change your PCâs boot order.). Your PC won't start, you haven't created a recovery drive, and resetting your PC didn't work. Press Windows logo key + L to get to the sign-in screen, and then restart your PC by pressing the Shift key while you select the Power button > Restart in the lower-right corner of the screen. This option takes your PC back to an earlier point in time, called a system restore point. Once again, this means all your files and apps will be removed after the operating system is reinstalled. MediCat USB aims to replace the discontinued and dated Hirenâs Boot Disk. In the Control Panel search box, type recovery. © 1996-2021 Ziff Davis, LLC. Select the Start  button, then select Settings  > Update & Security   > Windows Update  >View your update history > Uninstall updates.View update history settings. If you cannot log into Windows 10, but you ⦠Your PC isn't working well and you recently installed an update. Going back to an earlier build wonât remove you from the Insider Program. The process to create a Windows 10 Recovery Drive is really easy, just follow the steps outlined in: How to Create Bootable Windows 10 USB Drive. Type recovery drive into Windows search box and press Enter. For help with black screen or blue screen errors, see Troubleshoot black screen problems or Troubleshoot blue screen errors.Â. After the setup is finished, you can sign into Windows. If your PC won't start and you haven't created a recovery drive, download installation media and use it to restore from a system restore point or reset your PC. To access the recovery environment, turn your computer on and off three times. Windows 10 offers a lot of interesting features, and the advanced boot options to troubleshoot many of the Windows 10 problems, is one of them. Contact Lance via Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Steps to Boot Windows 10 From USB Drive. Press Windows logo key + L to get to the sign-in screen, and then restart your PC by pressing the Shift key while you select the Power button> Restart in the lower-right corner of the screen. You'll be asked to select the language, edition and architecture you want to use. Connect a USB drive or insert a DVD into your computer. For a limited time after upgrading to Windows 10, youâll be able to go back to your previous version of Windows by selecting the Start  button, then select Settings > Update & Security  > Recovery and then selecting Get started under Go back to the previous version of Windows 10. This will keep your personal files, but it'll remove apps and drivers installed after the upgrade, as well as any changes you made to settings. In Windows 10, the local copy of Windows RE gets an update as part of the OS updates. Connect the installation media you created to your PC and reinstall Windows 10.Â. Your PC will restart several times during the resinstallation. If you donât see the restore point that you want to use, select the Show more restore points check box to see more restore points. Note that you can't use a recovery disk made for Windows 8 to recover/troubleshoot/repair a Windows 10 PC. By having both a Recovery Drive and a System Image, you can ensure that you're able to revive Windows 10 if it can't revive itself. Windows 10 Recovery Tool allows you access to any non-working system and ⦠For tips on locating your product key, check Find your Office 2010 product key or Enter the product key for your Office 2007 program. Insert a blank DVD into your optical drive. Note: If you go back to Windows 8.1, some apps that came with Windows, like Mail and People, might not work anymore. Go back to your previous version of Windows. Keep my files > Change settings > Preinstalled apps Off. Try it out, see how it works, and let us know about your experience with the Windows 10 recovery ⦠On a working PC, go to the Microsoft software download website. Your PC will restart in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) environment. The first is to boot into Windows RE, and second to boot normally into the Windows OS. Press Enter. Since you’re planning to keep this machine, click Just remove my files. If the Turn on system protection option is selected, continue with step 6. Your PC won't start and you've created a recovery drive. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. Windows 10 Home (x64) Version 1909 (build 18363.1139) It took a lot of searching to discover that on my Lenovo Ideacentre 520 it was necessary to keep pressing F12 to boot ⦠Have the USB drive you used to upgrade to Windows 10 (if you used one). Also, a Windows 10 recovery disk made for 64-bit computers can't be used on 32-bit computers. Unlike other version ⦠As a rule, such disks feature several programs for bootloader recovery Windows 10. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. He's written two books for Wiley & Sons: Windows 8 Five Minutes at a Time in 2012, and Teach Yourself VISUALLY LinkedIn in 2014. Select Create installation media for another PC. If you're planning to donate, recycle, or sell your PC, use this option. You'll see a list of items that will be deleted if you remove this restore point. When finished, Windows is officially reinstalled. Here's how to get started. Besides, It is also a disk partition manager, after booting from recovery drive, it helps you to manage your hard drives, like create, delete , clone, resize partition. Data erasure Off just removes files. Use âShift + Restartâ on the Windows 10 Sign In screen. Manage appointments, plans, budgets — it's easy with Microsoft 365. Answer Yes if Windows asks if you want to allow this app to make changes to your device. At the Create a recovery drive screen, check the box for Back up system files to the recovery drive, then click Next. They can create a Windows 10 recovery disk on another computer and use it to boot their troubled PC. Remove any user accounts you added after the upgrade. The downside is that personal files and desktop applications won’t come along for the ride, but you should already be backing up your personal files. First, obtain an 8GB to 16GB USB drive and insert it into an open USB port on your PC. To create a bootable media using an existing Windows 10 ISO file, connect a flash drive of at least 8GB of space, and use these steps: Open Rufus download page . By day, he's a journalist, software trainer, and sometime Web developer. Now, let's fast forward to a time when Windows is so damaged that it's unable to load or repair itself. Surviving a long and varied career in publishing, advertising, and IT, Lance Whitney now wears a few different technology hats. It takes less time, but is less secure. First, you have to recover the recovery partition and then you can recover your machine using the recovery partition. If you've recently installed a Windows update, uninstall the update to try to resolve the issue. These days, he writes news stories, columns, and reviews for CNET and other technology sites and publications. Windows will then tell you that it's recovering your PC. First, you'll want to set up the Recovery Drive while Windows is still alive and working so you capture it at its best. If your PC wonât start, you can use a recovery drive to restore from a system restore point or recover your PC. For info on how to create a recovery drive on a working PC, see Create a recovery drive. Your PC will restart in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) environment. It is geared towards modern hardware, and follows the Ubuntu release cycle with a newly-updated release every 6 months. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. Then, if Windows 10 goes kerflooey, you can restore it from that drive. In this article, I will tell you about some methods that you can follow to Recover Windows 10 Recovery/Boot Partition If Deleted. There is no address that you can enter in the location bar to access them. Beginning in 2018, Recovery Manager does not come preinstalled on computers with Windows 10. Press the Windows key and type recovery drive Change the view to Settings, then on the left side ⦠If the Turn on system protection option is not selected, system protection isnât turned on and there aren't any restore points. When Windows 10 fails to start or work correctly, the recovery drive gives you options to fix your problems. Hereâs how to check: In the search box on the taskbar, type control panel,andthen choose it from the list of results. Select Troubleshoot and Recover from a ⦠By default, the tool ⦠You should use this method when youâre ⦠How to use a Windows 10 recovery disk Reboot your computer with the recovery disk inserted. Upon boot-up, press the appropriate key to boot from the USB drive or DVD instead of your hard drive. Use installation media to reinstall Windows 10. This launches Backup and Restore (Windows 7). To reinstall Windows 10, select Advanced Options > Recover from a drive. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC, and then choose one of the options in the previous table. At the very least, a recovery drive will be able to bring Windows 10 back to a bootable and working state. You have to instead go through Command Prompt. If you click on the "Change defaults or select other options" link on this screen, you can select the Windows operating system, which you want to load by default. Press F8 while booting the system to go into the Windows Recovery Menu. Your subscription has been confirmed. When you boot your computer, you have a choice between loading Windows 10 and Windows 7 or 8. In most cases you would be out of luck, but not if you've already created a recovery drive. Keep personal files only â This will preserve your personal data and settings, but all your apps will be removed. Keep nothing â This will remove all personal data, settings, and apps. Windows 10 Recovery Tool is based on Win10PE SE from TheOven. How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Find Free Tools to Optimize Your Small Business, How to Get Started With Project Management, How to Protect Your Microsoft Word Documents, How to Check Your Laptop Battery Health in Windows 10, 10 Tips for Using and Tweaking Siri on Your iPhone or iPad, How to View Picture-in-Picture Videos on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Track Workouts and Activities on Apple Watch, How to Transfer Your Facebook Photos and Videos to Another Service, How MacOS Big Sur Improves Your Favorite Built-In Apple Apps. In most cases, you'll have 10 days to go back. Open Recovery settings. PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis, LLC and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. You'll also need to reinstall your desktop applications. Download Windows 10. 2. Click one of the recovery options below and follow the steps to try to get things working again. EasyRE is the only repair CD to repair EFI bootloader errors and problems with bootmfw.efi, winload.efi, and more. The bootable disk or USB can be taken as a Windows 10/8/7 recovery disk to boot your PC and fix the boot problem via its various features. Restoring wonât affect your personal files, but it will remove apps, drivers, and updates installed after the restore point was made. Resetting reinstalls Windows 10, but lets you choose whether to keep your files or remove them, and then reinstalls Windows. You can reset your PC from Settings, the sign-in screen, or by using a recovery drive or installation media. If youâre not seeing any restore points, it might be because system protection isnât turned on. Keep an eye on your inbox! Uh, oh. The final step is to click Recover. Use installation media to reinstall Windows 10, Creating and using a USB recovery drive for Surface. Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows 10 joins the rest of the EasyRE product family providing the following features: EasyRE is a Windows 10 repair disc that repairs all bootmgr, bcd, and winload.exe errors. Select the restore point that you want to use in the list of results, and then select Scan for affected programs. Connect the installation media you created to your nonfunctional PC, and then turn it on. After the drive has been created, click Finish. At the keyboard layout screen, select the keyboard for your language or country. If your computer does not have Recovery Manager, go to HP PCs - Resetting Your Computer (Windows 10) for more information. Then, if Windows 10 goes kerflooey, you can restore it from that drive. Use installation media to restore your PC. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot, and then select one of the following two options. (If you donât see the Choose your option screen, your PC might not be set up to boot from a drive. Even in Windows 10, you can still create a Repair Disc on DVD, if you have the means â that is, a DVD burner and blank media. By night, he's asleep. Click 'System Image Backup' at the lower left. Under Reset this PC, select Get started and then choose from the options and/or settings in the table below. Booting from recovery drive and then letting Win10 configure itself only took 1 hour - and the result was a perfect machine! Alternatively, open the Control Panel in icon view, click the icon for Recovery, and click the Create a recovery drive link. Restoring from a restore point wonât affect your personal files. Type Recovery Drive in the search field and click Create a recovery drive. The menu lists th⦠Wait for Windows to pick up the USB drive or DVD. Data erasure On removes files and cleans the drive. Hereâs how: Press Windows logo key + L to get to the sign-in screen, and then restart your PC by pressing the Shift key while you select the Power  button > Restart in the lower-right corner of the screen. Knowing how to boot into a Recovery Partition will help you to rebuild, restore, re-create, or just troubleshoot Windows problems. Wait for Windows to pick up the USB drive or DVD. If multiple ⦠Under Go back to the previous version of Windows 10, select Get Started. This might take an hour or two, but it makes it harder for other people to recover files you've removed. This won't affect your personal files, but it will remove recently installed apps, drivers, and updates that might be causing your PC problems. Furthermore, if you partitioned your hard drive, this will restore it to its original state, which means you’ll have to set up the partition again. To restore from a system restore point, select Advanced Options > System Restore. By creating a Windows 10 repair disk, recovery (USB) drive, system backup image, you can easily repair and recover Windows 10 system when computer becomes inaccessible. Start Windows 10 Recovery Mode when computer starts From the root directory of the drive, double-click setup.exe, and then select Yes when asked if youâd like to allow the app to make changes to your device. The computer will warn you one more time that all personal files will be deleted and any apps that did not come with the OS will be removed. To finish, select Install to start reinstalling Windows 10 on your PC. The next screen tells you that everything on the recovery drive will be deleted, so make sure no needed files are on the USB drive or DVD. Warning: You cannot undo a reinstallation of Windows 10. Note: The option in Settings to go back to your previous version of Windows is only available for a limited time after upgrading. If you have Office 2010 or earlier and choose to perform a clean install of Windows 10, you will need to locate your Office product key. The Windows 10 recovery drive is an essential tool for the troubleshooting of a system with crashes and problems. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. PCMag Digital Group. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. A recovery drive stores a copy of your Windows 10 environment on another source, such as a DVD or USB drive. To restore or recover using the recovery drive:Â. Connect the recovery drive and turn on your PC. Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning. This will remove recently installed apps, drivers, and updates that might be causing your PC problems. Check your PC manufacturer's website for info on how to change your PC's boot order, and then try again. 1. https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-revive-windows-10-with-a-recovery-drive. Here's how: 1. Select the Drive. 5 Ways to Access Windows 10 Boot Options Menu. ... To open a boot menu or change the boot order, you'll typically need to press a key (such as F2, F12, Delete, or Esc) immediately after you turn on your PC. Select Recovery > Configure System Restore > Configure and see if the Turn on system protection option is selected. This can be used to create a bootable media and fix Windows 10 wonât boot. Reinstalls Windows 10 and keeps your personal files. Click Next. MediCat USB is a complete Hirenâs Boot Disk replacement for modern computers. This method allows you to create an image of your entire Windows environment, including your personal files and applications. In the Restore system files and setting box, select Next. Choose a language, edition, and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit). You can also create a System Repair Disc to boot up your PC if Windows won't boot. In this scenario, you won't be able to recovery your PC using a system restore point and will need to use one of the other recovery options listed on this page. (If your PC came with Windows 10, apps from your PC manufacturer will be reinstalled.).