Solution: Windows Could Not Locate the Recovery Environment

Translation: Please provide the text you want to be translated into English.

What Causes the "Could Not Find the Recovery Environment" Error?

If the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) is deactivated for any reason, or if the WinRE image is missing or corrupted, this error is likely to occur. Since the WinRE files are stored on the recovery drive, this issue can also arise if the drive has become damaged or corrupted in any manner.

"Solutions for 'Windows Could Not Find the Recovery Environment'"

If you're planning to reset or refresh your computer due to slowness or while attempting to troubleshoot another error, you'll be able to work through the solutions below in the order they appear.

Create Windows 10 installation media

If you're unable to reset your PC using the Reset this PC option in the Settings app, you might be able to do so from the Windows 10 Recovery Environment. For this, you'll need a DVD or USB drive with the Windows 10 installation software on it. This can be the same DVD or USB you used for the initial Windows installation, or you can easily create one.

Step 1. Visit Microsoft's website and download the Media Creation Tool application. Accept the terms and conditions presented when you open the executable file you've just downloaded.

Step 2. In the second window, select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC.

Step 3. The bootable drive's language, architecture, and other parameters will automatically match your computer. However, since you'll be using it on a different computer, uncheck the box for "Use the recommended options for this PC" and select the appropriate settings for the PC you're trying to fix.

Step 4. When prompted to choose between a USB drive or a DVD, select the USB drive or DVD, depending on the device you want to use to store the ISO file.

Step 5. Click "Next" to select the USB or DVD drive from the list of storage devices connected to your computer.

Step 6. When you click Next, the Media Creation Tool will start downloading the necessary files to create the installation media.

We can begin to genuinely address the reset issue by inserting this installation disc you should now boot from, assuming you've got your recovery media at hand.

Step 1. Boot your computer and insert the installation drive you have, whether you created it or already owned it. The following methods are specific to Windows 10, so make sure to follow them carefully.

Step 2. A "Choose your keyboard layout" window will appear; select the layout you wish to use. Proceed to navigate to "Troubleshoot" and then "Reset this PC" on the "Choose an option" screen.

Step 3. Choose either "Keep my files" or "Remove everything" from the "Reset this PC" window, depending on your goals and how you wish to reset your PC.

Step 4. Choosing Keep My Data will uninstall all installed apps and reset all settings, but it will preserve your personal files. The Remove Everything option does just that: it completely resets your computer.

Step 5. Wait for the process to finish before restarting your computer, and you can now use your freshly reset machine.

Note: If your computer does not immediately boot from the installation DVD, you may need to modify some BIOS settings first. This is because the default boot order often favors your hard drive over the installation media, causing the system to boot from the HDD instead.

Restore System Files and Settings with Windows Recovery Environment

Hopefully, you won't need to restore your system too often, but if it becomes necessary – for instance, if your computer keeps crashing or certain functions cease working – here's how to undo the changes by restoring Windows to a previous state.

Step 1. Open the System Properties dialog box as we did before, and on the System Protection tab, click the "System Restore" button.

If the option is greyed out, it means you don't have any restore points available to choose from.

Step 2. Initially, click on 'Next' when the System Restore window appears. Select the restore point you wish to revert your system to.

It's also worth checking which apps and drivers will be removed since they were installed after the restore point was created by clicking "Scan for affected programs." Click Next to proceed.

Step 3. Review and confirm the restore point's details, then click the Finish button. This will revert your system to the state it was in when the restore point was created.

Remember, System Restore will need your PC to restart to finish up, so save any open files before you click 'Finish'.

In addition, System Restore cannot be interrupted while it's running. Since it can take a long time, use the time to catch up on other tasks!

How to Use System Restore when your Windows 10 PC won't boot

If your computer fails to start up correctly or crashes right away, you can use Windows 10's "Advanced startup settings" to initiate System Restore. Here's how to access System Restore using this method.

Step 1. Turn on or restart your computer, and press the F11 key while it's starting up. Alternatively, when restarting, hold down the Shift key.

A blue screen with the text "Choose an option" will appear. From the dropdown menu, select "Troubleshoot."

Step 2. You'll now be taken to the "Advanced options" screen. If you don't see a button with this label, search for it and click it.

In either case, select the System Restore option.

Prepare a Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) Bootable Disk

WinPE (also known as Windows Preinstallation Environment or Windows PE) is a lightweight version of Windows designed for deploying PCs, workstations, and servers, as well as for troubleshooting operating systems when they are not connected to the network.

It can be booted from a USB flash drive, a hard disk, or other media. WinPE is utilized by major organizations and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) like Dell, HP, Asus, Acer, and Lenovo to pre-install the operating system on computers during the manufacturing process. Consequently, when you purchase a new machine, it typically comes with Windows 11/10/8/7 already installed. WinPE offers the following attributes:

1. Download the Windows operating system and proceed with the installation once completed. 2. Ensure your hard drive is prepared before installing Windows 11/10/8/7. 3. Create Windows images and apply them as needed. 4. Utilize recovery tools, such as Windows RE (Windows Recovery Environment), to restore system files. 5. Address issues with system boot failures. 6. Manage disk partitions that cannot be done within Windows, e.g., formatting the C drive. 7. Facilitate the operation of third-party disk cloning software.

We might need a WinPE bootable disc when the operating system fails to boot or if we need to transfer the system from a backup image to another HDD/SSD. In such cases, we can run tools like Todo Backup in the Pre-Installation Environment without relying on system boot partitions to recover the system or data from backups. Todo Backup provides two options for creating a bootable CD or DVD: Linux-based bootable discs and WinPE-based bootable discs.

Step 1. Prepare a USB drive that can be written to and read from.

Step 2. Launch and install Todo Backup on Computer B.

Step 3. Locate and click on "Tools" and then select "Create Emergency Disk".

Step 4. Select the Boot Disk location. You can choose to create an ISO file, a bootable USB, or a CD/DVD disc.

Step 5. Click "Create" to begin.

Conclusion

Lastly, when trying to reset your computer, Windows might fail to locate the recovery environment. In this article, we have explored potential solutions for the issue "Windows Could Not Find the Recovery Environment."

Now it's your turn. You can attempt to solve the issue using one of these methods. In our opinion, other backup options are less reliable and efficient than Ease US Todo Backup.