Windows 11 Home Not Working After Windows Tweaking

Using Notepad attempt to navigate and save the X:\windows\logs\dism\dism.log to the USB. Attach it to your reply.

 

Your computer is not cooperating so we are going to pivot a bit. Let's see if we can access the hard drive a different way, though I am not confident this will work. This method is more complicated so stop if you have any questions or concerns.

If you do not have a spare USB drive for the below instructions make a copy of the install.wim file on the working computer Desktop in case we need it later.

Please do this.

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Copying Files Using Ubuntu USB

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Warning: You will need a USB device with at least 4 GB of space - Caution this process will remove all your information from your USB drive. Please note we are using an older/smaller version of Ubuntu. Please be sure to use Version 16.04.

• Download Ubuntu Desktop and save it to your Desktop (very large file)
• Download Pen Drive Linux's USB Installer (scroll down to Download Universal USB Installer - click on Download UUI) and save it to your desktop
• Right click Universal-USB-Installer and select Run as administrator
• Click I Agree
• On the drop down list under Step 1 select your USB drive
• Place a check mark in the Prepare this Device? box
• Review the warning screen then click Yes
• Confirm the Windows Explorer screen that pops up shows This folder is empty then close the window
• Click OK on the Success! pop up window
• Under Step 2: Select a Distribution to put on... select Ubuntu
• Under Step 3 PENDING: Browse to your ubuntu*desktop*iso click Browse
• Navigate to the Desktop then locate and double click on ubuntu-16.04.7-desktop-amd64
• Click Create
• On the Process Complete window click Next
• On the Would you like to add more ISO/Distros Now on... click No
• Click Finish
• Insert the USB drive into the target computer
• Boot to the Recovery Environment either from you computer (boot interrupt) or your Windows 11 Media Creation Tool (select Repair your computer)
• Click on Use a device
• Select USB HDD:
• Hit Enter on the Dir [Linux-ISOs] screen
• Using the down arrow on the keyboard scroll down to ubuntu-16.04.7-desktop-amd64.iso then hit Enter
• Select Boot in normal mode then hit Enter
• Select Try Ubuntu without installing then hit Enter
• Click on the File cabinet (Files) icon on the left hand side
• Left click on the hard drive icon and verify the existence of a Windows folder
• On the left hand side of this window verify you see your USB listed which should include Ubuntu in the drive name
• On the right side of the open window double click on Users
• Double click on your User Name folder
• From this screen you can examine the folders and contents to look for files you want to back up
• For any file or folder you want to back up right click on the entry then select Copy To...
• Select your external drive or USB device
• Click Select and your information will be backed up
• Repeat the process as necessary to copy your files
• Review the contents of the external drive or USB device to ensure the items are present
• When completed click on the X in the upper left corner of each window to close them
• Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the Desktop, click Shut Down..., then Shut Down again
• Following shut down remove the Ubuntu USB drive

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Things I would like to see in your next reply. Please be sure to copy and paste any requested log information unless you are asked to attach it.

• Results?

 

Sorry to hear about your traveling troubles.

I am not very optimistic about our chances but as long as you are willing let's keep trying for bit. I want to consider trying to run FRST64 again.

• Download FRST64 onto the E: USB containing the install.wim file.
• Boot to the computer Recovery Environment (boot interrupt method to the X:\Windows\System32 prompt)
• Attach the E: drive USB and verify it is recognized as the E: drive
• Try to run the dism /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /restorehealth /source:E:\install.wim:1 /limitaccess command
• If it doesn't complete type dism.exe /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /revertpendingactions then hit Enter
• If that does not work type in Notepad and press Enter
• Select File then Open
• In the lower right hand corner change Text Documents (*.txt) to All Files (*.*)
• On the left side locate and double click on the USB device containing FRST64
• Right click on the FRST64 icon and select Run as administrator
• Click Yes on the Disclaimer
• Click Scan
• If it completes post the report
• If none of this works, using the Notepad method see if there is a C:\Window\System32\Logfiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt file with a relatively current date

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Are you able to successfully copy the install.wim file into the Windows 11 Installation USB sources folder?

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You can still try the Ubuntu instructions to see if you can access the documents that way.