Windows 10: REAgentC does not let me enable Windows RE

I have been attempting to factory reset my computer and thus have attempted to enable the Windows RE using REAgentC, more specifically running reagentc /enable. Whenever I do so, I get the following error message:REAGENTC.EXE: Operation failed: b7 REAGENTC.EXE: An error has occurred.This is the output of reagentc /info: Windows Recovery Environment Windows RE and system reset configurationInformation: Windows RE status: Disabled Windows RE location: Boot Configuration Data BCD identifier: 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 Recovery image location: Recovery i

:)

 

ReAgentC will not enable

Oh derp!

Copying the Recovery folder from a known-good-working computer and pasting it to the not-working computer does not work. C:\Windows\System32\Recovery\ReAgent_Merged.xml1 file is custom created on-the-fly for each machine.

1. Check to see if Windows\System32\Recovery\ folder exists;
   • if N skip to next step;
   • if Y rename it RecoveryBUP or something similar, then continue;
2. using 7-Zip or similar navigate the installation media to ...\Sources\ install.wim or install.esd
3. double-click either and go to ...\1\Windows\System32\
4. click the Recovery folder and tell 7-Zip to extract it to the target machine at C:\Windows\System32\;
5. reboot
6. Go to Settings > Update & Security > click Recovery in the left menu list;
7. under Advanced startup click Restart now
8. You should now see the full Recovery console like this:

MBR2GPT.EXE is a Microsoft program included free in Windows. If running Windows 10 v 1803 or later and the objective is to convert MBR to GPT with NO data loss, MBR2GPT.exe will do that. It is fast and works well. MS posted a video of it in use at their site. There is also an updated step-by-step tutorial at WindowsCentral with pictures. The steps follow:

In order to enable UEFI on a UEFI-able system that has been using BIOS because it was running Windows 7 or some such, the MBR (master boot record) first must be converted to GPT (GUID partition table):

• click Command Prompt in the Recovery Console to open an elevated command prompt without the Windows GUI;
• that should bring you to C:\Windows\System32;
• type MBR2GPT.exe /validate;
• type MBR2GPT.exe /convert and await the successful conversion;
  • there may be an error message about reagentc.exe, you can ignore that until after you change the CMOS/BIOS settings

now change BIOS to UEFI:

• reboot and tap F12 continuously before the Windows logo appears (or whatever key your device requires to enter the BIOS settings)
• change boot to UEFI from BIOS & reboot
• DONE

Now, ensure the Recovery console is as you want it...

1. In Windows launch an elevated command prompt and navigate to C:\Windows\System32
2. type reagentc /info and tap [enter], if disabled
3. type reagentc /enable and tap [enter]

RESOLVED & DONE with much thanks to SIW2 and NavyLCDR!

 

ReAgentC will not enable

ISSUE:
In Windows 10 Pro v1909 reagentc.exe cannot ENable from an elevated command prompt -- "The Windows RE image was not found."

QUESTIONS:

1. Does it even need to, per 18918 "Can't enable Windows Recovery Environment"?
   (or)
2. Should I just follow the steps in 90923 "Enable or Disable Windows Recovery Environment in Windows 10"?

BACKGROUND:
I am completing an upgrade-refresh-update cycle with a few identical systems. Right now there's trouble with the next-to-the-last step: updating MBR & BIOS to GPT & UEFI.

All systems were delivered using BIOS (TPM & Secure Boot disabled) with Windows 7 Pro x64 on MBR in Jan-2015 with 8GB RAM, 128GB SSDs, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Gigabit LAN NICS, USB 3 ports, and Win 8.1Pro licenses. All have functioned flawlessly. In 2018 I maximized their RAM to 16GB.

In mid-November 2019 I started doing in-place non-destructive refreshes with machine T-14: Win-7 > 10 v1803* > v190x. The MBR & BIOS were not updated, oops. B-12 (the problem device) was refreshed around December 10 the same way. In early Jan 2020 T-14 got an SSD upgrade to 1TB and the v1909 update, then in mid-January B-12 got the same.

Lastly my rig, G-13 got its new SSD before refreshing the OS to Win-10 and updating to v1909. Next, after many days and rabbit holes researching BIOS-to-UEFI updates, I both discovered my mistake *Banghead and was able to painlessly update the BIOS on my rig using the Recovery|Advanced startup|Troubleshoot|Advanced options|Command prompt|MBR2GPT /convert** to convert the MBR > GPT (thus avoiding the whole copy everything to B restore back to A nightmare), then shut off Legacy ROM & turn on full UEFI. It went very smoothly. *Party (Note: This was done within 2-weeks of refreshing the OS to Win-10 from Win-7***. )

Then I tried the same thing on B-12 and fell flat on my face, unable to get a command line option. B-12 had been refreshed to Win-10 from Win-7 over 7-weeks before and could no longer be rolled-back to Win-7. I suspect that is what caused this problem, notwithstanding my initial foul-up.

STEPS TAKEN:

1. "Enable or Disable Windows Recovery Environment in Windows 10" seems to be a possibility but will it mess up some of the customizations already in place? Will it have issues using 32-b software? I have not tried that yet.
2. "Can't enable Windows Recovery Environment" looked promising, but reagentc.exe presents the basic problem noted above.

ALL DEVICE SPECS:

• Dell Optiplex 9020 M built 01/2015
• i7-4785T CPU @ 2.20GHz
• 16GB RAM
• Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB drive
• Windows 10 Pro x64 v1909 build 18363.592
  • Successful in-place non-destructive refresh from Windows 7.1 Pro x64
• B-12 device with issue:
  • OS refreshed mid-December, updated to v1909 on 1-19-2020
  • has Bluetooth peripherals
    • Logitech wireless keyboard & mouse
    • Logitech unifying Bluetooth receiver
    • (I don't know that this device needs this receiver as B-12 has built-in Bluetooth?)

* It may have been v1803, it was definitely 18-something
** Source: How to convert MBR to GPT drive to switch BIOS to UEFI on Windows 10 | Windows Central
*** I did enable TPM but left it deactivated immediately discovering I was in over my head

 

Reagentc failed

I was in the same situation but I had a hard time to set the path; eg: reagentc /setreimage /path D:\Recovery\WindowsRE

It wouldn't let me. I had to do the following inside DISKPART (Using your snapshot for the syntax):
- "select disk 0"
- "select volume 0" (your partition listed #1 as the Recovery)
- "assign letter = D"
Note: commands without double quote

After above steps, "reagentc /setreimage /path D:\Recovery\WindowsRE" will work.

The file ReAgent.xml under C:\Windows\System32\Recovery will be updated (if you made a backup prior, you will notice the updated timestamp)

Another way instead of using Drive letter, syntax is as follow:

"reagentc /setreimage /path \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition1\Recovery\WindowsRE"
(note the bolded variable that matches the information from DISKPART)

When REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful. Windows RE status will always be disabled still.

In order to enable Windows RE status, you need to reboot into the Bios then turn off Legacy Bios in CSM and Secure Boot will automatically pickup the Windows EFI System Partition. Save the Bios and boot into Windows.

Once started, Windows RE status will be Enabled automatically. No need to enable it.

In System Information Bios Mode will be UEFI.

Hope this explain a bit more of the final step as I was struggling why I couldn't enable the RE status when "reagentc /setreimage /path D:\Recovery\WindowsRE" was successfully completed.

Good luck!