Windows 10: winre.wim file keeps disappearing even after copying it to Recovery partition or to...

Hi,


My PC is Windows 10 Pro 64bit with the upgrade to version 1909 recently.

To cut a long story short - refer https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...efi-boot/0f4eb9f4-0245-4553-85f1-e4da79e1c184


After a struggle - refer https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...81-a8d6-595e6163a537?tm=1582661369926&lc=1033

I have a working WindowsRE set to C: \System32\Recovery and Enabled. Not sure how it works as I could not
find the winre.wim anywhere in my system even after looking inside hidden system files. I have all the Advanced recovery options listed under Troubleshoot, but have not tried to actually use the options except for Startup repair. So I can't really say if all the options work as designed, what with seemingly no winre.wim file present.



I had deleted the Recovery Partition earlier and due to other problems mentioned in the link above, I now created a 450 MB "Recovery Tools" partition but could not find the Winre.wim file in C: \System32\Recovery - for copying into the newly created recovery partition. So I read thru' many forums and found out how to copy it from the ISO file/Media creation tool and managed to extract it from install.esd => install.wim => winre.wim and copied the 402 MB file to the Recovery\WindowsRE folder created in the Recovery Tools partition. I set the reagentc path to this new partition and to the Winre.wim and it accepted the entry. But when I did reagentc /enable it gets enabled to the old C:\System32\Recovery\WindowsRE eventhough there was no winre.wim file in that location. Then the Winre.wim file disappears / Auto deletes or whatever, magically. I repeated the process painstakingly twice and both times the WindowsRE gets reset to C:\system32\Recovery upon enabling and the best part is the Winre.wim file vanishes.


Giving below the sequence of this dilema:


C:\Windows\system32>diskpart



Microsoft DiskPart version 10.0.18362.1



Copyright C Microsoft Corporation.

On computer: PRATEEK-PC



DISKPART> sel dis 0



Disk 0 is now the selected disk.



DISKPART> lis par



Partition ### Type Size Offset

------------- ---------------- ------- -------

Partition 1 Primary 124 GB 101 MB

Partition 2 System 100 MB 125 GB

Partition 3 Reserved 16 MB 125 GB

Partition 4 Recovery 450 MB 125 GB



DISKPART> sel par 4



Partition 4 is now the selected partition.



DISKPART> det par



Partition 4

Type : de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac

Hidden : No

Required: Yes

Attrib : 0X8000000000000001

Offset in Bytes: 134445268992



Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info

---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------

* Volume 8 R Recovery to NTFS Partition 450 MB Healthy Hidden

DISKPART> exit



Leaving DiskPart...



C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /disable

REAGENTC.EXE: Windows RE is already disabled.





C:\Windows\system32>Reagentc /setreimage /path R:\Recovery\WindowsRE /target C:\Windows

Directory set to: \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Recovery\WindowsRE



REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.





C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /info

Windows Recovery Environment Windows RE and system reset configuration

Information:



Windows RE status: Disabled

Windows RE location:

Boot Configuration Data BCD identifier: 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000

Recovery image location:

Recovery image index: 0

Custom image location:

Custom image index: 0



REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.





C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /enable

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.





C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /info

Windows Recovery Environment Windows RE and system reset configuration

Information:

Windows RE status: Enabled

Windows RE location: \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition1\Recovery\WindowsRE

Boot Configuration Data BCD identifier: 07a55316-6270-11ea-82b0-00e04c20532f

Recovery image location:

Recovery image index: 0

Custom image location:

Custom image index: 0



REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.









C:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /enum all



Firmware Boot Manager

---------------------

identifier {fwbootmgr}

displayorder {bootmgr}

{890f9898-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa}

timeout 2



Windows Boot Manager

--------------------

identifier {bootmgr}

device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2

path \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi

description Windows Boot Manager

locale en-US

inherit {globalsettings}

default {current}

resumeobject {890f9899-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa}

displayorder {current}

toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}

timeout 0



Firmware Application 101fffff

-------------------------------

identifier {890f9898-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa}

description Windows Boot Manager



Windows Boot Loader

-------------------

identifier {07a55316-6270-11ea-82b0-00e04c20532f}

device ramdisk=[C:]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Winre.wim,{07a55317-6270-11ea-82b0-00e04c20532f}

path \windows\system32\winload.efi

description Windows Recovery Environment

locale en-US

inherit {bootloadersettings}

displaymessage Recovery

osdevice ramdisk=[C:]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Winre.wim,{07a55317-6270-11ea-82b0-00e04c20532f}

systemroot \windows

nx OptIn

bootmenupolicy Standard

winpe Yes



Windows Boot Loader

-------------------

identifier {current}

device partition=C:

path \Windows\system32\winload.efi

description Windows

locale en-US

inherit {bootloadersettings}

recoverysequence {07a55316-6270-11ea-82b0-00e04c20532f}

displaymessageoverride Recovery

recoveryenabled Yes

osdevice partition=C:

systemroot \Windows

resumeobject {890f9899-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa}

nx OptIn



Windows Boot Loader

-------------------

identifier {890f989b-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa}

device ramdisk=[unknown]\Recovery\890f989b-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa\Winre.wim,{890f989c-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa}

path \windows\system32\winload.efi

description Windows Recovery Environment

inherit {bootloadersettings}

osdevice ramdisk=[unknown]\Recovery\890f989b-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa\Winre.wim,{890f989c-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa}

systemroot \windows

nx OptIn

winpe Yes



Resume from Hibernate

---------------------

identifier {890f9899-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa}

device partition=C:

path \Windows\system32\winresume.efi

description Windows Resume Application

locale en-US

inherit {resumeloadersettings}

recoverysequence {07a55316-6270-11ea-82b0-00e04c20532f}

recoveryenabled Yes

filedevice partition=C:

filepath \hiberfil.sys

debugoptionenabled No



Windows Memory Tester

---------------------

identifier {memdiag}

device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2

path \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\memtest.efi

description Windows Memory Diagnostic

locale en-US

inherit {globalsettings}

badmemoryaccess Yes



EMS Settings

------------

identifier {emssettings}

bootems Yes



Debugger Settings

-----------------

identifier {dbgsettings}

debugtype Serial

debugport 1

baudrate 115200



RAM Defects

-----------

identifier {badmemory}



Global Settings

---------------

identifier {globalsettings}

inherit {dbgsettings}

{emssettings}

{badmemory}



Boot Loader Settings

--------------------

identifier {bootloadersettings}

inherit {globalsettings}

{hypervisorsettings}



Hypervisor Settings

-------------------

identifier {hypervisorsettings}

hypervisordebugtype Serial

hypervisordebugport 1

hypervisorbaudrate 115200



Resume Loader Settings

----------------------

identifier {resumeloadersettings}

inherit {globalsettings}



Device options

--------------

identifier {07a55317-6270-11ea-82b0-00e04c20532f}

description Windows Recovery

ramdisksdidevice partition=C:

ramdisksdipath \Recovery\WindowsRE\boot.sdi



Device options

--------------

identifier {890f989c-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa}

description Ramdisk Options

ramdisksdidevice partition=C:

ramdisksdipath \Recovery\890f989b-7d40-11e2-8053-9b1bda41daaa\boot.sdi



C:\Windows\system32>




Can someone please explain - I never heard of Auto deleting files before ! No they are not hidden - they disappear or effectively hide even from windows search.


If it seems to you that I am well versed with computers, I assure you that I am NOT - This is all just the result of plenty of searching & reading that I did because of the Slow booting time that I am stuck with due to Update KB4535996 and even KB4532693 thanks to Winver 1909 - As I did NOT get proper responses to my various different threads in this forum, I am trying my own troubleshooting the trial and error way - So all help is welcome. Uninstalling the Update somehow slows down the system - can you believe that - so I was forced to reinstall them and put up with it


Thanks !

The Explorer Guy

:)

 

How To: Create recovery partition.

it worked when i copied all the files of the disk to the recovery partition i created, but i had to use WinPE tab to add the entry.

Type: WIM Image (Ramdisk)
Name: Recovery
Path: Z:\Sources\boot.wim
and hit Add Entry
I tried it in VirtualBox and it worked.
At first, it would add a second "Windows 7" entry to the list, but when the installation is finished, the old one is deleted. (I formatted only C: partition)

 

How do I (mount and) copy the contents of (hidden) WinRE?

I have a WinRE partition at the end of my SSD and I want to move it down following the Win NTFS system partition so I can install Linux in the fourth position.

This SuperUser suggests copying the contents of WinRE.
https://superuser.com/a/1233758

I would recommend assigning a drive letter to it and obtaining a copy of the WinRE.wim file. You'll need it to move the recovery environment somewhere later. You can obtain a copy of this file in other ways, but it will be easier just to get it ahead of time.

How to make a hidden partition visible says how to launch Disk Management to access Admin Privileges. But the steps say to right click on the hidden partition, but Disk Management never give me anything more than “help” popup.

How do I copy the contents of WinRE?

 

Add WINRE to partition, Win10

Thank you for posting back.

Apologies for the confusion. I was actually referring the the reserved partition not recovery or WinRE partition. WinRE or Windows Recovery Environment is automatically installed on your system partition. This doesn't create a separate partition for just
WinRE.

You can check it yourself by going to Settings > Update & Security >
Recovery, then click on Restart now. Your computer should boot into Windows Recovery Environment. In most cases, you computer will automatically enter the Windows Recovery Environment if it fails to load the operating system.

Let us know if you have other concerns.