The Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) is a scaled down version of Windows that’s usually installed onto a different partition on your hard drive.
Windows RE provides a set of tools that you can use to repair your computer when it’s not working properly.
While there are many ways to access the Windows Recovery Environment, in this guide I’ll show you the 3 most common.
How To Access WinRE From The Windows Desktop.
Assuming you can actually get your computer to boot into the Windows desktop, then you can enter the Recovery Environment from there.
it’s very slightly different depending on which version of Windows you’re using, Windows 10 or Windows 11, so I’ll go through both.
Windows 10.
To start the Recovery Environment from the Windows 10 desktop –
- Click the Start button and then click the Setting icon (gear wheel).
- Click Update and Security.
- Click Recovery in the left hand panel.
- Then click the Restart Now button in the Advanced Start-up section.
Windows 11.
To start the Recovery Environment from the Windows 11 desktop –
- Click the Start button and then click the Settings icon (gear wheel).
- If you don’t see the Settings icon, you can search for it by typing “settings”
- Click System in the left hand panel.
- Scroll down the list and click on Recovery.
- Under Recovery options, click the Restart Now button.
- You’ll see a waring that you’re about to restart your PC, click Restart.
Windows Recovery Environment – Choose An Option.
In both versions of Windows, after the restart, you’ll be in the Windows Recovery Environment.
The “Choose an option” screen will appear.
From here you can click Use a Device to boot from a USB drive.
Or click Troubleshoot to load up recovery tools.
WinRE From The Windows Login Screen.
Maybe you can’t get your computer to boot up into the Windows desktop. In that case you can still access the Windows Recovery Environment.
At the Windows login screen, click the Power button in the lower right hand corner.
Then hold down the Shift key on your keyboard & click Restart.
Keep holding the Shift key down until your PC begins to boot up.
Then you’ll find that instead of trying to boot into the “normal” Windows desktop, you’ll be in the Windows RE.
Use Windows Recovery Environment From A Bootable USB Flash drive.
If your computer won’t boot up at all, then you can use a Windows installation USB flash drive to get into WinRE.
Restart your computer and boot from a Windows installation flash drive.
Follow the on screen prompts until you reach the Select an Option screen.
Select Repair My PC and click Next.
After choosing your keyboard layout you’ll be into the Windows Recovery Environment.
Summary.
WinRE will help you to repair your computer. It has tools such as Command Prompt, System Restore and System Image Recovery.
Unless the computer is too far gone, you can usually get it back up running using these tools.
