[SOLVED] Repair Windows 10 with an ISO image

[Ben_MacTavish]

Hello, My Windows 10 PC was working fine until yesterday, it showed me a BSOD immediately after the windows splash screen during booting. It read "Process1 Initialization Failed". Now, it shows the same BSOD everytime I try to boot, even safe mode. I tried every recovery method in Recovery Environment including Restore and Reset., but all failed. Then, I contacted Microsoft and they guided me to try deleting a file called bootcat.cache and it didn't work. So, they told me Reinstalling windows is the last option.

But, I don't have a Windows DVD, so they told me to create a bootable usb with an ISO file. I don't have another PC to make a bootable USB. I can't find another PC these days because of the curfew. So, I am trying to repair Windows without another PC.

Here's what I have now,

1. Broken Windows PC
2. Rooted Android Phone
3. USB drive with Windows 10 ISO (Not bootable)

What I am trying to do is,

To use DISM or SFC in Recovery Environment to repair current windows installation using the ISO image.

I want to know if this is possible. Or what else I can try? Please help me, I really need this PC for Online classes.

 

[Darkbreeze]

There is no way to do a clean install of Windows without a bootable USB drive or optical disk that has the Windows 10 installer files on it. And in order to create that, you are going to have to have access to a Windows PC. So far as I know, and I've looked for VIABLE options previously for people that didn't have access to another computer, there is no other way.

When you GET proper installation media, you would be wise to follow the exact steps in my tutorial on doing a clean install.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Ben_MacTavish]

There is no way to do a clean install of Windows without a bootable USB drive or optical disk that has the Windows 10 installer files on it. And in order to create that, you are going to have to have access to a Windows PC. So far as I know, and I've looked for VIABLE options previously for people that didn't have access to another computer, there is no other way.

When you GET proper installation media, you would be wise to follow the exact steps in my tutorial on doing a clean install.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

Hello, thanks for the fast reply. Is there any way I can create a bootable USB with my Android phone? Or, do I need a clean reinstall? If I could at least boot temporarily, I can make a bootable usb and reinstall windows.

 

[Darkbreeze]

If you can't get in via safe boot, then I don't know of any other way you could GET into windows. That is really the only way when all else fails. Does it not even allow you to access the safe boot menus, or does it just fail to complete a boot into windows when you try with safe mode?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Did you try this? This seems to be a new option since the last time I looked around for something similar. I can't say whether it's helpful or not because I haven't tried it. Your situation is why it is a good idea to ALWAYS have a spare thumb drive with the Windows installer media tucked away, and it's a good idea to create a new one every time a new spring or fall major update gets released so that you will not have to then ALSO update to the newer version after the installation. But even if you did, you would at least be IN Windows, and could create NEW installation media once you were in there.

How to Install Windows 10 From an Android Device

A backup copy of Windows 10 is always handy to have around. So it's helpful to know that you can also install Windows from your Android smartphone.

www.makeuseof.com

 

[Ben_MacTavish]

If you can't get in via safe boot, then I don't know of any other way you could GET into windows. That is really the only way when all else fails. Does it not even allow you to access the safe boot menus, or does it just fail to complete a boot into windows when you try with safe mode?

It allows me to access the menus. I can select safe mode with no. 4 on keyboard. But, as soon as the windows loading screen appears, the BSOD pops up.

I even have access to Command Prompt and Notepad in Recovery Environment.

Did you try this? This seems to be a new option since the last time I looked around for something similar. I can't say whether it's helpful or not because I haven't tried it. Your situation is why it is a good idea to ALWAYS have a spare thumb drive with the Windows installer media tucked away, and it's a good idea to create a new one every time a new spring or fall major update gets released so that you will not have to then ALSO update to the newer version after the installation. But even if you did, you would at least be IN Windows, and could create NEW installation media once you were in there.

How to Install Windows 10 From an Android Device

A backup copy of Windows 10 is always handy to have around. So it's helpful to know that you can also install Windows from your Android smartphone.

www.makeuseof.com

Unfortunately, it doesn't work for me. When I connect my phone to PC, it stucks at boot screen forever.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Well then, I think you are stuck with having to find somebody with a PC that will allow you to create the installation media. I don't see any other way around that.

 

[Colif]

best bet is to use notepad/file/open to access file explorer so you can copy any info off C onto a USB drive or another HDD.

did they run chkdsk at startup? it seems 1 fix for that error is to do that?

did you try system restore?

 

[Ben_MacTavish]

best bet is to use notepad/file/open to access file explorer so you can copy any info off C onto a USB drive or another HDD.

did they run chkdsk at startup? it seems 1 fix for that error is to do that?

did you try system restore?

They didn't but I tried chkdsk before contacting them. I think it found something wrong, but said couldn't repair or similar thing... But, don't worry, thanks for trying to help me, I figured out a way to do it.

As I am back on my PC, I am happy to type down what I did. (It's a relief to put that crappy phone away)

Here's what I did in steps, briefly.

* I had two pen drives, one empty and other with a Windows 10 ISO.

* I inserted the empty drive and followed the instructions on this website to convert it to MBR and, Format to NTFS using DiskPart.

* Then, I used the Zarchiver app in my Android device to extract all files from the ISO in to a separate folder.

* After that, I inserted the pen drive containing extracted windows ISO to the PC and rebooted to Recovery mode.

* Then, I copied content of extracted folder into my formatted, empty pen drive using CMD.

* I turned off the PC and turned on again, went to BIOS settings and make it boot via my USB drive.

And, It worked! I installed Windows to C disk, and most of my files were saved into Windows.old folder, and other disks were intact.

As Darkbreeze said, I am going to make few boot-able pen drives, in case of emergency.

Thanks again.