Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

How to start it

From Windows: Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now, or hold Shift while selecting Restart.

Windows also opens WinRE automatically after two failed starts in a row.

Where it lives

WinRE is a file named Winre.wim, normally on a separate recovery partition. 'reagentc /info' shows whether it is Enabled and where it is. 'reagentc /enable' and 'reagentc /disable' turn it on or off.

Tools inside

Startup Repair fixes common boot problems. System Restore returns system files and settings to a restore point. Uninstall Updates removes the latest quality or feature update. Command Prompt allows tools such as sfc with /offbootdir and /offwindir.

How to check that WinRE is ready

1. Open Terminal (Admin).
2. Run: reagentc /info
3. Check that 'Windows RE status' is Enabled.
4. If it is Disabled, run: reagentc /enable and check again.

Cautions

• Do not delete the recovery partition to gain space: you lose the recovery tools.
• If BitLocker is on, have your recovery key ready before using WinRE tools.

Sources

• Windows Recovery Environment technical reference (Microsoft Learn)
• REAgentC command-line options (Microsoft Learn)
• Recovery options in Windows (Microsoft Support)