When trying to reset or refresh Windows 10/11, you might encounter an error: ‘could not find recovery environment.’ You have an advantage here of many recovery options saving you from a complete reinstallation. But what if you get ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media’ error. What to do than?
With your system having a preinstalled operating system, in case of this issue your Windows become unbootable. However, you can still fix this problem. In this article, we’ve discussed five ways to resolve ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media Windows 11/10’ error and recover data from an unbootable Windows. So, let’s begin!
Part 1: What Does ‘Insert Your Windows Installation or Recovery Media to Continue’ Mean?
The ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media to continue’ problem means your computer has hit a major snag that’s preventing it from booting normally. This message signals a pause in boot process, demanding external media (USB or DVD) with Windows installation files or a recovery image to continue. Here are a few common causes for appearance of ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media Windows 10/11’ error:
- Missing or damaged “Winre.wim” file.
- Windows Recovery Environment is disabled.
- Corrupted WinRE Reference in Windows Boot Loader.
- If you frequently install and uninstall apps this might bring in malicious scripts or viruses causing system file corruption.
- Using a hard disk drive can lead to bad clusters if computer is abruptly turned off, causing Windows to fail to access necessary bootable files.
- If recent Windows updates make device drivers obsolete, your PC might fail to start, prompting need for recovery or installation media.
- This issue may arise from corrupted boot records, accidental deletions, or conflicts with third-party software.
- Altered or replaced files with their incompatible versions can prompt for installation or recovery media.
Bonus Tip: Easily Recover Data From Unbootable Windows
A wise decision would be to recover your data first. To fix ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media Windows 10/11’ error below mentioned solutions might erase files or cause permanent data loss. In that case, you’ll urgently need a data recovery tool to retrieve data from unbootable systems. A software like 4DDiG Data Recovery ticks all boxes for recovering files from unbootable, inaccessible, corrupted, and formatted Windows. It offers more features such as:
- Recover data from crashed systems, virus attacks, lost partitions, etc.
- Restore 2000+ file types including photos, videos, documents, audio, etc.
- Offers a WinPE Bootable Disk Creator to recover your system.
- Restore files from various data loss situations such as permanent and accidental deletion, formatting, corruption, etc.
- Clean and intuitive interface, making it suitable for those with limitied computer experience.
- Recover data up to 100MB for free.
Follow instructions below to recover data with this tool from drive with ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media Windows 10/11 error:
Step 1: Install and open recovery tool, choose local disk with unbootable Window, and click “Start.”
Step 2: Select target file types before scanning, and recovery tool will thoroughly scan chosen drive for inaccessible data to recover. You can pause or stop search anytime.
Step 3: You can check categories like “Deleted Files,” “Existing Files,” “Lost Location,” etc in “Tree View.” Or switch to “File View” to check file types like Video, Audio, Email, Photo, etc. Use search or Filter for specific files.
Step 4: Once your required data is found, preview and recover to a secure location. Avoid saving to drive to prevent overwriting and permanent data loss.
Part 2: 5 Ways to Fix ‘Insert Your Windows Installation or Recovery Media’ Issue
Depending on why ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media’ cropped up, various solutions are available. Here are six effective ones:
Solution 1: Check the Windows RE Status
Your Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) might be disabled. This can lead to ‘could not find the recovery environment’ error. If WinRE is disabled it can’t use its built-in tools to self-repair Windows, resulting in an unbootable system. To fix this issue, simply follow instructions below to enable WinRE:
Step 1: Write “CMD” in “Windows search bar,” right-click “Command Prompt” and open it with admin rights.
Step 2: Write “reagentc /info” and hit Enter. If WinRE is disabled, simply write “reagentc /enable” to enable it.
Solution 2: Run the SFC (System File Checker) Command
When your Windows RE is enabled but you still could not find the recovery environment, it suggests possible system file corruption. To address this, you can rely on SFC command, a built-in Windows tool for getting rid of Windows and system file issues.
When you run SFC, it scans and automatically repairs critical files, and inconsistencies. Here’s how to fix ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media’ with SFC command:
Step 1: Write “CMD” in “Windows search bar,” right-click “Command Prompt” and open it with admin rights.
Step 2: Write “sfc /scannow,” and press Enter. System File Checker will scan and fix your system files.
Solution 3: Use the DISM Tool
If SFC scan is unable to resolve ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media to continue’ problem you can use DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) tool. It’s another built-in Windows tool with broader functions than SFC command.
It not only repairs compressed Windows system image containing core files but can also download and replace corrupted system files from Windows Update if needed. Here’s how to fix ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media’ with DISM tool:
Step 1: Right-click on the Windows Start button and select “Command Prompt(Admin)” from the menu.
Step 2: Write “DISM /online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth,” and press “Enter.”
Step 3: After that, Write “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth,” and press “Enter.”
Step 4: Finally, restart Windows to check whether ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media Windows 11/10’ error is gone.
Solution 4: Reset This PC
To address ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media Windows 11’ you also have option to reset this PC to its factory settings. This process restores default preferences, removes third-party apps, and gives your system a fresh start with choice to keep or remove personal files. Follow steps below to reset this PC:
Step 1: Turn on your PC and hit reset button during Windows boot-up. Do this three times until you see a message saying Windows is getting ready for automatic repair.
Step 2: Access “Advanced options” from “Automatic Repair” screen and select “Troubleshoot.”
Step 3: Choose “Reset this PC” on “Troubleshoot screen,” and pick “Keep my files” or “Remove everything” based on whether you want to keep personal data.
Step 4: Choose “Cloud download” or “Local install” to reinstall Windows, either from Microsoft’s official website or locally (local install may keep old files).
Step 5: Just do what screen tells you to completely reset your PC.
Solution 5: Reinstall Windows Manually
The above solutions might not be able to get rid of ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media Windows 10/11’ error. So, as a last resort, you can reinstall Windows for a clean slate. Here’s how to fix ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media’ by reinstalling Windows manually:
Step 1: On a working PC, visit Microsoft’s official site and download Windows 10/11 installer tool.
Step 2: Launch tool, press “Yes” in “User Account Control” window, and click “Accept.”
Step 3: Choose language and connect a USB to your PC to create installation media. After creating media, plug it into computer with ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media’ error.
Step 4: Start your computer. Choose USB as boot option, and select language, time and currency format, and keyboard or input method. Hit “Next” and “Install now.”
Step 5: Enter product key or click “I don’t have a product key” if Windows came built-in with your computer. Choose Windows version that you previously had on your PC. Hit “Next.”
Step 6: Check “I accept the license terms” box and hit “Next.” Choose “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).”
Step 7: Delete all partitions of drive where you want to install Windows and it will be left with unallocated space. Next, choose that drive to reinstall Windows.
Conclusion
Facing ‘insert your Windows installation or recovery media’ issue on Windows 10/11 can leave you scratching your head with frustration. But, before you try five solutions we’ve mentioned above to fix this problem, don’t forget to recover your data, especially from your unbootable Windows.
The 4DDiG Data Recovery is the best tool you can get your hands on in this situation. Recovering files from unbootable, inacessible, and corrupted systems is a piece of cake for this tool. Besides, it offers fast scanning, search filters, free preview and a high success rate.
