Unable to access the Advanced Startup Options (WinRE)

Anonymous

Since I upgraded to version 24H2 of Windows 11 Pro, when I try to access the Advanced Startup Options menu (Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup), after rebooting the system crashes with a BSOD :(

The only information provided is:

Stop Code: ATTEMPTED WRITE TO READONLY MEMORY

Does this mean that the recovery partition is corrupt? How can I fix it? Please note that this is not a clean install of Windows 11, but a previous version of Windows 10 that I upgraded to Windows 11.

Thanks!

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Answer accepted by question author

Ramesh 182K Volunteer Moderator

Perfect: is there any specific instruction I can follow to do that?

Here are the instructions. There was also a PowerShell script to automate the task. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/add-update-to-winre?view=windows-11

Example (the OP was using Windows 10 PC, though) https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/windows-10-update-kb5057589-error-0x80070643-april/0f192298-7939-4b58-86a6-a860d0f90f6b?messageId=d5203f12-9904-4d9a-aab6-9637759a9e0a

Anyway, Windows Update will do that automatically. You may wait for the May 2025 Safe OS dynamic update.

Actually, now I'm okay with WinRE in the separate recovery partition and I've no reason to do that. I was just curious to understand how Windows decides whether to look for the WinRE files in the Windows\System32\Recovery directory of the C drive or in the Recovery partition created specifically for this purpose.

When you enable or disable WinRE, the BCD changes. You can see that by running bcdedit /enum all. The winre.wim path will be referenced in the BCD when WinRE is enabled.

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Answer accepted by question author

Ramesh 182K Volunteer Moderator

Hi Moris,

We're not done yet. Wanted to go step by step. I'll let you know once it's done.

Boot into Windows.

From admin Command Prompt, run:

diskpart
select vol S
remove
set id=de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac
gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001
exit
reagentc /enable
reagentc /info

Post the output.

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Answer accepted by question author

Ramesh 182K Volunteer Moderator

The existing Winre image is good. It's fully updated.

There is no recovery partition. Although Winre.wim can exist in the C drive, creating a separate recovery partition is suggested. However, the C drive might run out of disk space in the future; currently, it has 11 GB of free space. You can use AOMEI or a similar tool to shrink the D drive and create unallocated space before it. Then, extend the C drive as needed.

(or)

Now that you've replaced the wim file, re-enable Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). It will be placed on the C drive as before.

Run:

reagentc /enable

reagentc /info

If you still get the ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORY BSOD error, please share the contents of the C:\Windows\Minidump folder if there are any dump files there.

Enable Memory Integrity. To enable memory integrity in Windows, go to Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details > Memory integrity. If it shows any incompatible drivers, post the screenshot here.

Run Memory Diagnostics. Diagnose memory problems on your PC: http://hs.windows.microsoft.com/hhweb/content/m-en-us/p-6.2/id-4edd5f80-def2-4d32-965c-116d49fb9872/

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38 additional answers

Anonymous

2025-05-02T06:01:46+00:00
Hi Ramesh,

here it is:

C:>diskpart

Microsoft DiskPart version 10.0.26100.1150

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.

On computer: GRUMPY-THINKPAD

DISKPART> select vol S

Volume 2 is the selected volume.

DISKPART> remove

DiskPart successfully removed the drive letter or mount point.

DISKPART> set id=de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac

DiskPart successfully set the partition ID.

DISKPART> gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001

DiskPart successfully assigned the attributes to the selected GPT partition.

DISKPART> exit

Leaving DiskPart...

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\partition6\Recovery\WindowsRE 

Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: 56a9b888-271a-11f0-bce0-d46d6d85bf0f 

Recovery image location: 

Recovery image index:      0 

Custom image location: 

Custom image index:        0 
```
REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

Thanks, regards.
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Anonymous

2025-05-01T17:33:39+00:00

Here it is:

C:>del c:\windows\system32\recovery\reagent.xml /a

C:>xcopy /h C:\Windows\System32\Recovery\winre.wim S:\Recovery\WindowsRE\

C:\Windows\System32\Recovery\Winre.wim

1 File(s) copied

C:>reagentc /setreimage /path S:\Recovery\WindowsRE /target C:\Windows

Directory set to: \?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition6\Recovery\WindowsRE

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

I also tried accessing the Advanced Boot Options menu and it seems to work, but if I go to the Troubleshoot / Advanced Options menu some options are missing, such as System Image Recovery (from ISO file), while they were there when I accessed WinRE from the C drive.

Here a pic of the menu as I see it now:

Thanks, regards.
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