How To Repair Install Windows 10

How to Prepare Windows ten with a 30-Minute Repair Install

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Whether you're trying to gear up a BSOD such as a IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL or a CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED error, serious Windows 10 troubleshooting is like plunging downwardly the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. At some point you may feel like you've taken on more than than you tin handle, you're in a strange place, and the ultimate effect is far from certain. That's why I always go along rail of the time I spend on troubleshooting, with a definite go out strategy in heed. Should the weeds become too thick to hack through, or the circumstances become likewise vexing or dire, that exit strategy will work to solve almost issues that require troubleshooting in the first place.

For me – and I would suggest for virtually readers – the natural time limit on Windows troubleshooting is half an hour (30 minutes). Why? That'due south about how long it takes to perform a special-purpose operating system repair that shoots virtually forms of Windows trouble. Especially if your problem (or problems) are software-related, this repair is quite likely to ready them. Simply put, it replaces ALL of the Os files on a Windows 10 PC simply leaves other files, installed applications, and most (but non all) settings and preferences lonely.

The In-Place Upgrade Repair Install

It'southward little-known and underappreciated, merely i can install the same version of a Windows ten Bone onto an existing copy. This uses the Windows installation files in ISO format.

Creating a Windows Install ISO

There are several ways to get a Windows 10 install ISO, but the easiest comes directly from Microsoft's download page.

ane. Download the Media Creation Tool by navigating to Microsoft'southward Download Windows x (opens in new tab) page and clicking the button labeled "Download tool now" under the "Create Windows 10 installation media" heading.

In-Place Upgrade Repair Install — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The proper name of the software tool is MediaCreationTool.exe. I normally rename it to place the version of Windows 10 it downloads. At any given bespeak in time, the MCT grabs any version of Windows 10 is most electric current – correct now that's 21H1. So I renamed that file MediaCreationTool21H1.exe.

ii. Launch the Media Cosmos Tool. It shows up in a window labeled "Windows 10 Setup" and makes you await while it gets "a few things fix."

3. Corroborate the license terms when prompted.

iv. Select "Create installation media…"

five. Select the language, Edition and Architecture (ex: 64-bit) when prompted.

6. Select ISO file when asked to choose the media y'all want to output to.

By default this creates a file named Windows.iso; as earlier I name mine Windows21H1.iso so I tin can identify the version later on. This procedure takes a while. On my 2016 vintage i7 Skylake PC, it takes around 5 minutes to download and procedure the necessary information, and leave the ISO file behind in its designated storage location. After the download is consummate, the MCT verifies the file structure (this is included in the 5-infinitesimal timeframe). When it'south complete it will show you the full path where the new ISO file now resides, like this:

7. Click the "Finish" push and MCT volition tidy up after itself and and then close (this happens in less than 5 seconds on my PC: YMMV).

Performing the In-identify Repair Upgrade Install

Established best do dictates a bit of preparation before you kickoff this operation. You'll want to save any piece of work, and close all open applications. If you have external storage devices fastened to your PC, you'll want to "safely remove them" and then they can't impact or interfere with repairs.

If your issues are related to the kick/system drive, many experts think it's useful to disconnect or dismount all other internal storage devices as well. I've never bothered with this when performing this repair on nearly of my PCs, and it hasn't affected the consequence equally far every bit I can tell. Merely if you are dealing with kicking or start-up problems, this could be helpful. You'll need your mouse, monitor and keyboard, though, and then please leave all of them attached as usual.

One more thing: before making major system changes (and this maneuver DEFINITELY counts as such) it's always a good idea to make an image fill-in of your PC if you lot don't have a recent copy. I make one every morning at 9:00 AM as a scheduled task in Macrium Reverberate so I don't commonly do this (unless it's late in the 24-hour interval). Be certain to take a bootable recovery disk handy that tin can restore your PC in case the Os drive goes south, and know how to utilise it for that purpose

1. Navigate to your newly-created ISO file in Explorer.

2. Right-click the file and select "Mountain" from the resulting pop-upwardly menu (if Mount does not announced, click Open, and then open with File Explorer). Either style, a new virtual device labeled "DVD drive" volition appear in Explorer. Information technology should look something like the particular labeled DVD Drive (P:) ESD-ISO shown next.

After all this effort, starting the in-identify upgrade repair install is dead elementary.

3. Double-click the setup-exe file on the mounted ISO.

This starts an upgrade to its local version of Windows. It will systematically supercede every operating system file (and motion the previous version to a Windows.old folder to which you can roll back if you like (Start 🡪 Settings 🡪 Update & Security 🡪 Recovery 🡪 Go dorsum to the previous version of Windows x/click the "Become Started" push button).

Observe that my PC was concluding updated more than than 10 days ago, so it doesn't take that option (just then, I have this morning time'southward image fill-in and my Rescue Media handy).

Once you lot fire off setup.exe, it's only similar all other Windows upgrades. It starts off with downloading and manipulating a set of files for the new OS version, while the quondam Os keeps running. So you're asked to reboot your PC, after which a Windows Preinstallation Surroundings, aka WinPE, takes over to handle the rest of the install procedure, during which at least two more reboots will occur. Eventually, you lot'll take a repaired OS at your disposal. Hopefully, the problem you've been trying to shoot will also be cleared away, as if past magic.

What Tin't an In-Place Upgrade Repair Install Prepare?

This procedure takes such a short corporeality of fourth dimension to complete, I've made it a part of my standard troubleshooting sequence. Unless I'm troubleshooting hardware or device commuter issues – which this repair may non fix if it'southward driver related, and can't ready if information technology'southward hardware-acquired – I've found this repair to be every bit shut to a "silver bullet" for handling pesky or complex Windows problems as it always gets. And because it doesn't take also long to give information technology a try, you won't be that far behind the bend even if it doesn't piece of work. My ain experience is that this repair handles 90-plus per centum of the problems I run into and can't prepare in less than half an hour. Hopefully, your feel will be the same!

Ed Tittel is a long-time IT author, researcher and consultant, and occasional correspondent to Tom'south Hardware. A Windows Insider MVP since 2018, he likes to comprehend Os-related driver, troubleshooting, and security topics.