0

I have a laptop that seems to have crashed into Window PE recovery tools.

However every option regarding images, windows repair, system restore and rollback errors.

But I do have command line and thus I have tried:

x:\windows\system32> sfc /scannow

This results in usual "beginning system scan" and some time later gives:

Verification 100% complete

Windows Resource Protection could not perfrom the requested

It seems DISM /online is no go since /online refers to running Windows... And I get error that DISM /online is not available for Windows PE (which means I am indeed already using a kind of Windows pre installation recovery tool)

(I do not at hand have any Windows 10 media on USB at present)

My question is:

I am left in doubt if it is possible to still use DISM to maybe repair my Windows installation by downloading files online?

Or do I need to create a Windows 10 USB boot disk (no DVD drive in laptop) and start over? Will it recognize the Windows 10 key used in laptop it was born with when purchased?

Improve this question
2
  • I have after 20 years working with Windows, never have been able to run, SFC from within WinPE. Even if you had installation media it wouldn’t make a difference as your in the exact environment you need to be in, of course without being able to run, SFC or DISM you can’t repair the damaged system files. Windows 10 activation is linked to your hardware, until the end of time, nothing you do can change that.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Nov 1, 2023 at 9:41
  • As you suggest, download and create the USB at microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 with the media creation tool and perform an install, saving files (not wiping disk). However, make a full disk image first, using tools such as Macrium Reflect Rescue USB, so you can recover data if something goes wrong.
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Commented Nov 1, 2023 at 13:51

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

It seems DISM /online is no go since /online refers to running Windows... And I get error that DISM /online is not available for Windows PE

That's correct; if you want to point DISM at another Windows installation you'd use /image instead:

dism /image:C:\Windows /whatever

Or do I need to create a Windows 10 USB boot disk (no DVD drive in laptop) and start over?

That might be the best option; just try to use DISM to export your current drivers first, but then start fresh with a new installation.

(As I understand it, the issue with OEM recovery images is that they tend to be several years out of date by the time you need them, so any time saved would just be spent again in upgrading Windows all the way to 'current'...)

Will it recognize the Windows 10 key used in laptop it was born with when purchased?

It should – with Windows 10 it doesn't even have to be a baked-in key anymore; if the previous system said "Activated with a digital license", it will automatically re-activate.

(This slightly depends on what Windows ISO you use for the installation; when I use the "enterprise" ISO obtained from VLSC, it defaults to looking for a KMS activation server, so if I know that the system was previously activated, I manually paste in the "generic" Windows 10 Pro key to make it find an existing digital license instead. The generic keys for all editions are listed in Microsoft's public docs.)

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .