Rebuilding the Recovery Partition on Windows 11
Windows 11
Windows Server 2022,2025
Method 1: Recreate from Existing WinRE Files
- Disable WinRE.
C:\> reagentc /info
Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration
Information:
Windows RE status: Enabled
Windows RE location: \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Recovery\WindowsRE
Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: f958c1ad-98a8-11f0-a658-c3054a2a70e2
Recovery image location:
Recovery image index: 0
Custom image location:
Custom image index: 0
REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.
C:\> 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.
|
- Delete the recovery partition.
DISKPART> list disk
Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0 Online 90 GB 1024 KB *
Disk 1 Online 10 GB 0 B *
DISKPART> sel disk 0
Disk 0 is now the selected disk.
DISKPART> list part
Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 System 100 MB 1024 KB
Partition 2 Reserved 16 MB 101 MB
Partition 3 Primary 89 GB 117 MB
Partition 4 Recovery 762 MB 89 GB
DISKPART> sel part 4
Partition 4 is now the selected partition.
DISKPART> delete partition override
DiskPart successfully deleted the selected partition.
|
- Create the recovery partition.
DISKPART> create partition primary
DiskPart succeeded in creating the specified partition.
DISKPART> format fs=ntfs quick
100 percent completed
DiskPart successfully formatted the volume.
DISKPART> set id=de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac override
DiskPart successfully set the partition ID.
DISKPART> gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001
DiskPart successfully assigned the attributes to the selected GPT partition.
DISKPART> list part
Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 System 100 MB 1024 KB
Partition 2 Reserved 16 MB 101 MB
Partition 3 Primary 89 GB 117 MB
* Partition 4 Recovery 763 MB 89 GB
|
- Enable WinRE.
C:\> dir /a c:\Windows\System32\Recovery
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 06F4-DE8D
Directory of c:\Windows\System32\Recovery
07/03/2026 01:42 PM <DIR> .
06/29/2026 03:10 PM <DIR> ..
07/03/2026 01:42 PM 1,079 ReAgent.xml
09/27/2025 12:39 AM 0 SrSettings.ini
09/27/2025 12:39 AM 0 WifiSettings.ini
05/04/2026 04:36 AM 686,368,949 Winre.wim
4 File(s) 686,370,028 bytes
2 Dir(s) 42,109,214,720 bytes free
C:\> reagentc /enable
REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.
C:\> reagentc /info
Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration
Information:
Windows RE status: Enabled
Windows RE location: \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Recovery\WindowsRE
Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: f958c1b0-98a8-11f0-a658-c3054a2a70e2
Recovery image location:
Recovery image index: 0
Custom image location:
Custom image index: 0
REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.
|
Method 2: Recreate from Scratch Using Install.wim
- Disable WinRE.
C:\> reagentc /info
Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration
Information:
Windows RE status: Enabled
Windows RE location: \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Recovery\WindowsRE
Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: f958c1ad-98a8-11f0-a658-c3054a2a70e2
Recovery image location:
Recovery image index: 0
Custom image location:
Custom image index: 0
REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.
C:\> 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.
|
- Delete the recovery partition.
DISKPART> list disk
Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0 Online 90 GB 1024 KB *
Disk 1 Online 10 GB 0 B *
DISKPART> sel disk 0
Disk 0 is now the selected disk.
DISKPART> list part
Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 System 100 MB 1024 KB
Partition 2 Reserved 16 MB 101 MB
Partition 3 Primary 89 GB 117 MB
Partition 4 Recovery 762 MB 89 GB
DISKPART> sel part 4
Partition 4 is now the selected partition.
DISKPART> delete partition override
DiskPart successfully deleted the selected partition.
|
- Create the recovery partition.
DISKPART> create partition primary
DiskPart succeeded in creating the specified partition.
DISKPART> format fs=ntfs quick
100 percent completed
DiskPart successfully formatted the volume.
DISKPART> set id=de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac override
DiskPart successfully set the partition ID.
DISKPART> gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001
DiskPart successfully assigned the attributes to the selected GPT partition.
DISKPART> list part
Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 System 100 MB 1024 KB
Partition 2 Reserved 16 MB 101 MB
Partition 3 Primary 89 GB 117 MB
* Partition 4 Recovery 763 MB 89 GB
|
-
Mount the installation ISO, such as mount to Z.
-
Copy install.wim to temporary directory.
C:\> mkdir "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Images" "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Mount"
C:\> xcopy "Z:\Sources\install.wim" "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Images\" /H /E /C /I /Y
|
- Mount the install.wim
C:\> dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:"%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Images\install.wim"
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.26100.5074
Details for image : C:\Users\hypervadmin\Downloads\Images\install.wim
Index : 1
Name : Windows Server 2025 Standard Evaluation
Description : (Recommended) This option omits most of the Windows graphical environment. Manage with a command prompt and PowerShell, or remotely with Windows Admin Center or other tools.
Size : 9,582,168,611 bytes
Index : 2
Name : Windows Server 2025 Standard Evaluation (Desktop Experience)
Description : This option installs the full Windows graphical environment, consuming extra drive space. It can be useful if you want to use the Windows desktop or have an app that requires it.
Size : 19,979,273,007 bytes
Index : 3
Name : Windows Server 2025 Datacenter Evaluation
Description : (Recommended) This option omits most of the Windows graphical environment. Manage with a command prompt and PowerShell, or remotely with Windows Admin Center or other tools.
Size : 9,581,614,838 bytes
Index : 4
Name : Windows Server 2025 Datacenter Evaluation (Desktop Experience)
Description : This option installs the full Windows graphical environment, consuming extra drive space. It can be useful if you want to use the Windows desktop or have an app that requires it.
Size : 19,979,431,999 bytes
The operation completed successfully.
C:\> dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:"%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Images\install.wim" /Index:2 /MountDir:"%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Mount"
C:\> xcopy "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Mount\Windows\System32\Recovery\winre.wim" "C:\Windows\System32\Recovery\" /H /E /C /I /Y
C:\> xcopy "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Mount\Windows\System32\Recovery\reagent.xml" "C:\Windows\System32\Recovery\" /H /E /C /I /Y
|
- Enable WinRE.
C:\> reagentc /enable
REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.
C:\> reagentc /info
Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration
Information:
Windows RE status: Enabled
Windows RE location: \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Recovery\WindowsRE
Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: f958c1b4-98a8-11f0-a658-c3054a2a70e2
Recovery image location:
Recovery image index: 0
Custom image location:
Custom image index: 0
REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.
|
- Umount image and cleanup temporary directory.
C:\> dism /Unmount-Image /MountDir:"%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Mount" /discard
C:\> dism /Cleanup-Wim
C:\> rmdir /S /Q "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Images"
C:\> rmdir /S /Q "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Mount"
|
Verify the WinRE
Restart to enter WinRE.
