If your Windows 10 system is experiencing stability issues, performance problems, or other issues that may be caused by corrupted system files, a repair install can often resolve these problems without losing your personal files, settings, and installed applications. In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of performing a repair install of Windows 10 using three different methods.
Method 1: Repair Install Windows 10 Using an ISO File
To begin, you’ll need to download a Windows 10 ISO file from Microsoft’s website. Once you have the ISO file, follow these steps:
Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder where you saved the ISO file.
Double-click the ISO file to mount it in File Explorer.
Open the mounted drive and double-click the setup.exe file to start the installation process.
Click “Yes” on the UAC warning message and click “Next” to install Windows 10.
Accept the license terms and wait while Windows checks for updates.
On the “Ready to Install” screen, ensure that the “Keep personal files and apps” option is selected and click “Install” to begin the repair install process.
Wait for the repair install to complete, and your system will be ready to use.
Method 2: Repair Install Windows 10 Using the Media Creation Tool
If you prefer to use the Media Creation Tool to create installation media, follow these steps:
Download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft’s website.
Run the Media Creation Tool and select “Create installation media for another PC”.
Select your language, edition, and architecture (32-bit or 64-bit) and click “Next”.
Choose “USB flash drive” as the media to use and click “Next”.
Select your USB drive and click “Next” to create the installation media.
Once the media is created, insert it into your PC and boot from it.
On the first installation screen, click “Repair your computer” to enter the recovery environment.
Select “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Startup Repair” to diagnose and fix any boot issues.
Method 3: Repair Install Windows 10 Using USB Installation Media
If you have a USB drive with a Windows 10 installation, you can use it to perform a repair install. Follow these steps:
Download a Windows 10 ISO file from Microsoft’s website.
Create a bootable USB drive using the ISO file and a tool like Rufus.
Boot your PC from the USB drive and select “Repair your computer” on the first installation screen.
In the recovery environment, select “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Startup Repair” to diagnose and fix any boot issues.
Before you begin any of these methods, make sure you have at least 9 GB of free space on your Windows drive and that your installation media is in the same language as your current Windows installation.
A repair install can often resolve many common Windows 10 issues without the need for a full reinstallation. By following these steps, you can get your system back up and running quickly and efficiently.