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Windows Installation or Recovery Media.

Anonymous
2021-12-29T09:06:39+00:00

We have been struggling to reset one of our devices that is currently running on WINDOWS 10.

What have we done:

  • We have went to our settings, RECOVERY > RESET THIS PC

However there is a ERROR that pops up for us saying "Insert your Windows Installer or Recovery Media. And try again using your media.

We want to know How do we insert a Windows Installer or Recovery Media.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows update

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  1. DaveM121 869K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2021-12-29T09:40:29+00:00

    Hi British.Army

    I am Dave, I will help you with this.

    If that reset operation is constantly failing, then, your recovery image may be corrupt, the best option is to backup your personal files, then clean install Windows 10 from a bootable USB, that will also create a new recovery image.

    You can reinstall Windows 10 at any time and it will not cost you anything !

    Click this link:

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-downlo...

    to download the Media Creation Tool (Click on Download Tool Now), with that you can download the latest Windows 10 ISO (Select Create Installation Media for Another PC), you can create a bootable USB flash drive (min 8GB) using that tool

    Then, Boot your PC from the Installation Media you just created (change Boot Order in your BIOS) to begin installing Windows 10

    Since you previously had Windows 10 installed and activated on that PC during the installation process skip the steps which ask for a product key and select the option 'I am Reinstalling Windows 10 on this PC', and activation will not be an issue, your PC will have a digital entitlement stored on the Microsoft Activation Servers

    10 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2021-12-30T17:12:57+00:00

    Hi British.Army

    I am Dave, I will help you with this.

    If that reset operation is constantly failing, then, your recovery image may be corrupt, the best option is to backup your personal files, then clean install Windows 10 from a bootable USB, that will also create a new recovery image.

    You can reinstall Windows 10 at any time and it will not cost you anything !

    Click this link:
    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-downlo...
    to download the Media Creation Tool (Click on Download Tool Now), with that you can download the latest Windows 10 ISO (Select Create Installation Media for Another PC), you can create a bootable USB flash drive (min 8GB) using that tool

    Then, Boot your PC from the Installation Media you just created (change Boot Order in your BIOS) to begin installing Windows 10

    Since you previously had Windows 10 installed and activated on that PC during the installation process skip the steps which ask for a product key and select the option 'I am Reinstalling Windows 10 on this PC', and activation will not be an issue, your PC will have a digital entitlement stored on the Microsoft Activation Servers

    I have a startup issue and it says it cannot repair the problem. So I followed your instructions exactly as you stated it, downloaded the Media Creation Tool on another pc. Then created a bootable flash drive. Started it up from the problem pc. Got an "Install Now" prompt. Eventually on the "Activate Windows" screen, selected "I don't have a product key". The next screen I selected the "Windows 10 Home". Then accepted the terms. On the next screen I selected "Upgrade..." because I didn't want to lose my files, etc.

    It comes back and says that "that option isn't available..."

    So I'm back to where I started. Any suggestions?

    9 people found this answer helpful.
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