Repair Windows without losing data with just one USB

If your computer is having problems that prevent it from booting, such as a constant blue screen of death (BSoD) , there is still hope. Grab a USB and this article will show you how to fix it.

Before repairing Windows

You'll need a working Windows computer, a USB drive, and a stable internet connection . The flash drive must be at least 8GB in size; this process will erase all data on it, so make sure you've backed up any existing files. You'll need an internet connection to download the media creation tool and OS image, which will create the bootable USB drive.

Create Windows bootable USB

The Media Creation Tool is a wizard that will guide you through the process of creating a bootable USB. You can download it from the Windows 11 download page on a working computer: Go to Create Windows 11 Installation Media and click Download Now .

Now, plug the USB into a working computer. Run the media creation tool you just downloaded, accept the terms and conditions. On the Select language and edition screen , make sure everything is in order (like English and Windows 11 ) and click Next .

Repair Windows without losing data with just one USB
Windows 11 Media Creation Tool

Select USB flash drive and click Next .

Repair Windows without losing data with just one USB
Download Windows 11 Media Creation Tool (USB or ISO)

Then, select the USB drive you want to use (note that this process will erase the USB drive) and click Next again. Wait for the Media Creation Tool to finish setting up.

Boot Windows from USB

Plug the USB into the computer that is having problems, boot it up, and press the key that opens the BIOS/UEFI settings. For many computers, this key is F10 , but you can press Esc, Del, F1 , or F2 . From there, select the USB as a temporary boot device.

On HP computers, you must press the ESC key when you see the HP logo to enter Startup Settings. Then, press F9 to open the Boot Menu screen and select USB from the list of boot options.

On the first two screens asking you to select your language, currency, and keyboard, click Next until you reach the Select setup option screen . Select Repair my PC and click Next . Then, click Troubleshoot > Advanced options to access the Advanced Boot Options screen.

Using repair tools

You only need the following tools to repair your computer: Startup Repair , System Restore , Command Prompt and Uninstall Updates . Don't worry, they're pretty easy to use.

Startup Repair

Startup Repair is the most likely option to fix startup-related problems. This tool scans your system for problems that are preventing it from booting properly. It then attempts to repair corrupted system files, boot records, and other important components to get your computer up and running again.

Repair Windows without losing data with just one USB
Windows Recovery Environment page with Startup Repair option selected

To use it, click Startup Repair and select the operating system you want to repair - you'll see more than one if you set up multiple operating systems to boot at once.

The tool will start diagnosing the problem on your PC. If it finds any restore points, you will see a screen saying that the problem has been fixed and all you have to do is restart your computer to see if the error has been fixed. If Startup Repair fails, you can try other options.

System Restore

System Restore allows you to use system restore points, which are snapshots of your Windows computer that allow you to restore your computer to its original working state. Windows automatically creates these restore points before major system changes, such as when applying a Windows Update or installing certain types of software or drivers. You can even create a system restore point manually.

Repair Windows without losing data with just one USB
System Restore dialog in Windows 11 with available restore points

To use a system restore point, click System Restore and follow the wizard's instructions to find and apply a restore point. Hopefully, this will get your computer working again, especially if the problem occurred recently after a particular change.

Command Prompt

The Command Prompt option , as its name suggests, opens Windows' built-in command interface. The most useful actions to take when your computer won't boot are running the SFC and DISM commands . The former will scan for corrupted system files and replace any that it finds, while the latter will repair the Windows system image.

Repair Windows without losing data with just one USB
SFC scan running in Command Prompt

Uninstall Updates

If the problem started after you installed a Windows update, click Uninstall Update . Select Uninstall latest quality update or Uninstall latest feature update . Quality updates are smaller, more frequent updates that address security issues and bugs, while feature updates are major releases (now released once a year for Windows 11 ) that introduce new features and changes.

Next, click Uninstall for Windows to remove the update. After that, restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.

If you've tried everything else and the problem persists, you can fix it by resetting your Windows computer . Fortunately, you can also do this without losing any data. However, if that doesn't work, you may need to reinstall Windows, which will wipe all of your data and applications. A fresh reinstall of Windows may fix the problem, but you'll need to back up your data to restore it.

Tags: #System
Sign up and earn $1000 a day ⋙

Leave a Comment

Extremely simple tips to change IP without VPN

Extremely simple tips to change IP without VPN

Being blocked online can be frustrating, whether it's a forum lockout, a game ban, or a temporary IP restriction. The good news is that you don't always need a VPN to get around these restrictions.

How to Take Advantage of the Performance Tab in Task Manager

How to Take Advantage of the Performance Tab in Task Manager

When your computer crashes, seeing how everything is running can help you troubleshoot. And when everything is working, this information can also help you optimize your system.

5 tips to help your Windows 11 laptop battery last all day

5 tips to help your Windows 11 laptop battery last all day

Windows laptops aren't known for their battery life, at least not without some tweaking. But these tips will help your laptop last all day without having to find a power outlet.

Enable or disable the built-in Administrator account on Windows

Enable or disable the built-in Administrator account on Windows

Windows 10/11 includes a hidden Administrator account that you can use to manage all the important data on your computer. Let's see how to enable or disable the built-in Administrator account on Windows 10/11!

Instructions to fix System Service Exception error on Windows

Instructions to fix System Service Exception error on Windows

System Service Exception or SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION is one of the BSOD errors (blue screen of death errors). System Service Exceptions errors occur quite commonly and continuously.

Recover Deleted Data with Recuva Portable in Windows 7

Recover Deleted Data with Recuva Portable in Windows 7

In the following article, we will present the basic operations to recover deleted data in Windows 7 with the support tool Recuva Portable. With Recuva Portable, you can store it in any convenient USB, and use it whenever needed. The tool is compact, simple, easy to use with some of the following features:

How to delete duplicate files to save computer memory using CCleaner

How to delete duplicate files to save computer memory using CCleaner

CCleaner scans for duplicate files in just a few minutes, then lets you decide which ones are safe to delete.

10 Windows Settings You Should Never Leave as Default

10 Windows Settings You Should Never Leave as Default

Windows doesn't come with security set up by default, which means there are some default settings you need to change.

How to Download, Update, and Troubleshoot USB Drivers on Windows 10

How to Download, Update, and Troubleshoot USB Drivers on Windows 10

USB devices have become indispensable in everyday life, allowing us to connect a wide variety of essential hardware to our PCs.

How to Lock Guest Wi-Fi Network So No One Can Spy

How to Lock Guest Wi-Fi Network So No One Can Spy

If you properly lock down your guest Wi-Fi network, you can share your Internet connection with any visitors without sharing any other information.

Lost Admin rights on Windows 10, heres how to fix it

Lost Admin rights on Windows 10, heres how to fix it

For some reason, your Windows 10 computer lost Admin rights, every time you open an application on the screen you receive an error message. So how to restore lost Admin rights, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.

3 ways to turn off Windows 11 firewall

3 ways to turn off Windows 11 firewall

In this article, WebTech360 will guide you how to turn off the firewall on Windows 11.

Windows 11 22H2: Moment 1 update with many notable features

Windows 11 22H2: Moment 1 update with many notable features

After a long wait, the first major update of Windows 11 has officially been released.

How to fix Unhandled Exception Has Occurred error on Windows 10

How to fix Unhandled Exception Has Occurred error on Windows 10

The Unhandled exception has occurred error is not related to a specific application, making it more difficult to resolve. This article will guide you through some ways to fix the Unhandled exception has occurred error on Windows 10.

9 Ways to Convert MOV Files to MP4

9 Ways to Convert MOV Files to MP4

These days, most PCs and Apple devices can handle both MOV and MP4 files, at least to some extent. However, the need to convert MOV video files to MP4 files has not diminished.

Extremely simple tips to change IP without VPN

Extremely simple tips to change IP without VPN

Being blocked online can be frustrating, whether it's a forum lockout, a game ban, or a temporary IP restriction. The good news is that you don't always need a VPN to get around these restrictions.

How to Take Advantage of the Performance Tab in Task Manager

How to Take Advantage of the Performance Tab in Task Manager

When your computer crashes, seeing how everything is running can help you troubleshoot. And when everything is working, this information can also help you optimize your system.

5 tips to help your Windows 11 laptop battery last all day

5 tips to help your Windows 11 laptop battery last all day

Windows laptops aren't known for their battery life, at least not without some tweaking. But these tips will help your laptop last all day without having to find a power outlet.

Enable or disable the built-in Administrator account on Windows

Enable or disable the built-in Administrator account on Windows

Windows 10/11 includes a hidden Administrator account that you can use to manage all the important data on your computer. Let's see how to enable or disable the built-in Administrator account on Windows 10/11!

Instructions to fix System Service Exception error on Windows

Instructions to fix System Service Exception error on Windows

System Service Exception or SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION is one of the BSOD errors (blue screen of death errors). System Service Exceptions errors occur quite commonly and continuously.

Recover Deleted Data with Recuva Portable in Windows 7

Recover Deleted Data with Recuva Portable in Windows 7

In the following article, we will present the basic operations to recover deleted data in Windows 7 with the support tool Recuva Portable. With Recuva Portable, you can store it in any convenient USB, and use it whenever needed. The tool is compact, simple, easy to use with some of the following features:

How to delete duplicate files to save computer memory using CCleaner

How to delete duplicate files to save computer memory using CCleaner

CCleaner scans for duplicate files in just a few minutes, then lets you decide which ones are safe to delete.

10 Windows Settings You Should Never Leave as Default

10 Windows Settings You Should Never Leave as Default

Windows doesn't come with security set up by default, which means there are some default settings you need to change.

How to Download, Update, and Troubleshoot USB Drivers on Windows 10

How to Download, Update, and Troubleshoot USB Drivers on Windows 10

USB devices have become indispensable in everyday life, allowing us to connect a wide variety of essential hardware to our PCs.

How to Lock Guest Wi-Fi Network So No One Can Spy

How to Lock Guest Wi-Fi Network So No One Can Spy

If you properly lock down your guest Wi-Fi network, you can share your Internet connection with any visitors without sharing any other information.

Lost Admin rights on Windows 10, heres how to fix it

Lost Admin rights on Windows 10, heres how to fix it

For some reason, your Windows 10 computer lost Admin rights, every time you open an application on the screen you receive an error message. So how to restore lost Admin rights, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.

3 ways to turn off Windows 11 firewall

3 ways to turn off Windows 11 firewall

In this article, WebTech360 will guide you how to turn off the firewall on Windows 11.

Windows 11 22H2: Moment 1 update with many notable features

Windows 11 22H2: Moment 1 update with many notable features

After a long wait, the first major update of Windows 11 has officially been released.

How to fix Unhandled Exception Has Occurred error on Windows 10

How to fix Unhandled Exception Has Occurred error on Windows 10

The Unhandled exception has occurred error is not related to a specific application, making it more difficult to resolve. This article will guide you through some ways to fix the Unhandled exception has occurred error on Windows 10.

9 Ways to Convert MOV Files to MP4

9 Ways to Convert MOV Files to MP4

These days, most PCs and Apple devices can handle both MOV and MP4 files, at least to some extent. However, the need to convert MOV video files to MP4 files has not diminished.