If your Windows 10 PC is experiencing issues and you don’t have installation media handy, there are several methods you can try to repair Windows without needing a CD, DVD or USB drive. From launching Startup Repair to running system restore, resetting your PC or even reinstalling Windows, we’ll walk through the steps to get your computer back up and running.
Method 1: Launch Startup Repair
If your computer is failing to boot due to issues like Blue Screen of Death, damaged Boot Configuration Data settings or other problems, you can try launching Windows’ built-in Startup Repair tool to fix the issues. Here’s how:
If your PC won’t boot normally, you’ll need to create a Windows recovery drive on a USB flash drive using a working computer. Download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft and run it to create the recovery drive.
Boot your problem PC from the recovery drive. Select your language, time and keyboard input, then click “Repair your computer”.
Choose “Troubleshoot” > “Startup Repair” to begin the repair process. This will scan your system files and settings and attempt to resolve any issues preventing Windows from booting properly.
After Startup Repair completes, restart your PC and see if the problems have been resolved. If not, there are several other methods to try.
Method 2: Scan Windows for Errors
Another option is to boot into the Windows Recovery Environment and run a scan to check for and attempt to fix corrupted system files:
Boot from the recovery drive as described in Method 1.
Choose “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Command Prompt”.
In the Command Prompt, type the following commands, pressing Enter after each one:
sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Once the scans complete, restart your PC and see if the issues have been resolved.
The sfc command will scan for and attempt to fix corrupted system files, while DISM will download a fresh copy of the Windows image and repair any issues with it.
Method 3: Run BootRec Commands
If your PC is failing to boot due to issues with the Master Boot Record or Boot Configuration Data, you can try running the BootRec utility from the recovery drive:
Boot from the recovery drive and open Command Prompt as in Method 2.
Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each one:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Restart your PC and see if it boots normally.
These commands will rebuild the Master Boot Record, Boot Sector, and Boot Configuration Data to resolve any issues preventing your PC from booting properly.
Method 4: Run System Restore
If you’ve previously created a system restore point, you can boot into the recovery environment and use it to roll back your system to a previous working state:
Boot from the recovery drive and choose “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “System Restore”.
Select your Microsoft account and enter the password.
Choose a restore point from before the issues started and click “Next” to begin the restore process.
Keep in mind that system restore will revert your system files, settings and drivers to the state they were in at the time of the restore point. Any programs or files installed after that point will be removed.
Method 5: Reset This PC
If your Windows 10 PC is running slowly or having other issues, you can try resetting it to its default settings to resolve problems:
Boot from the recovery drive and choose “Troubleshoot” > “Reset this PC”.
Choose whether to keep your personal files or remove everything. The “Keep my files” option will remove apps and settings but keep your personal data, while “Remove everything” will wipe your entire drive.
Follow the prompts to reset your PC. Once complete, your computer will be restored to a fresh state, with Windows reinstalled and most issues resolved.
Be aware that resetting your PC will remove all your installed programs, so make sure to back up any important data first. You’ll need to reinstall your apps and restore your files after the reset is complete.
Method 6: Run System Image Recovery
If you’ve previously created a full system image backup, you can use the recovery drive to restore your entire system from that backup:
Boot from the recovery drive and choose “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “System Image Recovery”.
Select the system image you want to restore from and follow the prompts to complete the recovery process.
Restoring from a system image will overwrite your entire drive with the backed up data, so make sure you’re restoring from a known good backup. This is the quickest way to get your system back to a working state, but you’ll lose any data that was created or changed since the backup was made.
Method 7: Reinstall Windows 10
As a last resort, you can use the recovery drive to perform a clean installation of Windows 10, wiping your entire drive in the process:
Boot from the recovery drive and choose “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Command Prompt”.
In Command Prompt, type the following commands to prepare your drive for a clean install:
diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
clean
create partition primary
active
format quick fs=ntfs
assign
exit
Close Command Prompt and choose “Troubleshoot” > “Reinstall Windows”.
Follow the prompts to install a fresh copy of Windows 10. You’ll need to reinstall all your programs and restore your files from backup afterwards.
Performing a clean install is the most drastic option, as it will completely erase your drive and reinstall Windows from scratch. However, it’s also the most reliable way to resolve deep-seated issues and start fresh with a clean system.