Windows 10/11 is a great operating system, but like all software, it can occasionally have problems. One common problem that users have reported is the “Could not find the recovery environment.” error. This can be annoying and frustrating, but fortunately, there is a way to fix it!
In this blog post, we will walk you through the steps to take to fix this error.
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Could Not Find the Recovery Environment
When you attempt to reset or refresh your PC, there’s a chance you’ll run into trouble if the recovery environment cannot be found. It displays the following message: “Could not find the recovery environment. Insert your Windows installation or recovery media, and restart your PC with this media.”
If you see this error, it means that your computer is having trouble accessing the recovery options that are stored on your hard drive. This can be caused by a number of things, but the most common cause is a corrupt or damaged boot sector.
The boot sector is a small section of your hard drive that contains important information about how your computer starts up. If this sector is damaged or corrupt, it can cause problems like the “Could not find the recovery environment” error.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to fix this problem. We’ll go over those now.
How to Fix “Could Not Find the Recovery Environment” in Windows 10/11?
There are a few different ways that you can fix the “Could not find the recovery environment” error in Windows. We’ll go over a few of them now:
Enable Windows Recovery Environment
One potential fix for the “Could not find the recovery environment” error is to enable Windows Recovery Environment on your computer using Command Prompt.
Here are the steps to do that:
- On your Windows search box, type Command Prompt, right-click on its icon, and select Run as Administrator.
- Type the reagentc /info command on the Command Prompt window and hit the enter key.
- If it is disabled, use the reagentc /enable command to enable it.
- Close the Command Prompt window and restart the system.
Perform a System Restore
Another potential fix is to perform a System Restore on your computer. This will restore your system to an earlier point in time, which can often fix problems like the “Could not find the recovery environment” error.
Here are the steps to do that:
- Open Control Panel (small icons view), and click on the Recovery option.
- Click on the Open System Restore link.
- If prompted by UAC, click on Yes to continue.
- Select the restore point that you would like to restore Windows back to.
- To check which programs and drivers will be affected by system restore, click on the Scan for affected programs button.
- To continue with system restore, click on the Next button.
- Click on the Finish button to start the restore process.
- Click Yes to confirm in the next Window.
- Your system will restart now and perform the restore.
Use Windows Installation Recovery Media
If neither of the above methods works, you can try using Windows Installation Recovery Media. This is a special disc or USB drive that contains all the files and data needed to reinstall Windows.
You can create this media yourself or order it from Microsoft. If you order it from Microsoft, they will send you a bootable USB drive or DVD.
Once you have the media, insert it into your computer and restart. If your computer doesn’t boot from the media automatically, you may need to change your boot order in BIOS.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall Windows. Be sure to select the same version of Windows that is currently installed on your computer.
If you don’t have a Windows installation disc or USB drive, you can borrow one from a friend or create one using another computer.
Summing Up
Those are a few potential fixes for the “Could not find the recovery environment” error in Windows. If you’re still having trouble, you can contact Microsoft support for more help.
We hope this blog post was helpful! If it was, please share it with your friends and family to help them too.
It means that your computer is having trouble accessing the recovery options that are stored on your hard drive. This can be caused by a number of things, but the most common cause is a corrupt or damaged boot sector.
From the login screen, click Shutdown, then hold down the Shift key while selecting Restart. Click Start > Settings > Update & security > Recovery > under Advanced Startup, click Restart now.
Peter is an Electrical Engineer whose primary interest is tinkering with his computer. He is passionate about Windows 10 Platform and enjoys writing tips and tutorials about it.
