Repair Options Guide - VMTechs Boot Repair Toolkit (v2.5, build 03)

How to read this guide

This page is written on two levels at the same time, so beginners and advanced users can both use it:

Beginner level
Every option starts with a blue "In short" box and a plain list of what it does / when to use it, then a numbered How to use it walkthrough. You never need to read anything else.

Advanced level
Every option has a collapsible "Technical details — exact commands" block. Open it to see the real command lines, registry keys, dialogs and code paths the toolkit uses.

Badges
FREE runs without a key · PRO needs activation · Online runs in normal Windows · Offline needs WinRE/WinPE · Both works in either.

Risk flag
High impact marks options that change the disk, the boot records or encryption. They always show a confirmation dialog first.

Colour legend for the System Status bar / Suggested Actions: red = critical (act now), orange/yellow = warning, blue/white = informational.

5-minute quick start

1. Windows won't start

Copy the toolkit EXE to a USB stick.
Boot the PC into WinRE (F11 / automatic repair) or a WinPE USB.
Run the toolkit → let the environment scan finish.
Open Menu 2 and pick the error you see on screen.
Leave all steps ticked → Run Selected.
Reboot when the log says the repair finished.

2. Windows starts, but is broken

Run the toolkit from the normal desktop (Online mode).
Start with Menu 1 → 3. System Component Repair, then 4. System File Scan.
Use 10. Analyze & Fix Log Errors to see what failed.
Use Diagnostics tools (Device Manager, Services, Event Viewer) to isolate the culprit.

3. Blue screens at random

Read the stop code (e.g. IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL).
Menu 2 → click the matching entry → run the fix.
Or use Menu 1 → 9. Analyze & Fix BSOD, which parses the crash dumps and suggests the fix for you.
For an unknown driver, use 6. Driver Verifier (advanced — one driver at a time).

Rule of thumb: run Menu 1 → 3 (DISM) before 4 (SFC). A healthy component store is required before system files can be restored. Both are PRO and work Both online and offline.

Plain-English glossary

Term	What it means
WinRE	Windows Recovery Environment — the blue "Choose an option" repair menu built into Windows. Reached with F11 or after repeated failed boots.
WinPE	Windows Preinstallation Environment — a lightweight USB/ISO boot environment (the toolkit's natural home). The toolkit detects it when `SystemDrive = X:`.
Online mode	The toolkit is running inside a normal, booted Windows.
Offline mode	The toolkit is running from WinRE/WinPE and repairs a Windows installation on another drive letter.
BCD	Boot Configuration Data — the database Windows reads to know which OS to boot and how. Corrupt/missing BCD = "Bootmgr is missing", 0xc000000f, 0xc0000034.
Boot sector / MBR / bootmgr	The very first code the firmware loads on a Legacy/MBR disk. GPT/UEFI disks use the EFI System Partition instead.
EFI System Partition (ESP)	A small FAT32 partition (usually 100–300 MB) that holds the UEFI boot files and the BCD.
MBR / GPT	The two partition-scheme styles. MBR pairs with Legacy BIOS, GPT pairs with UEFI. They must match — a mismatch is reported by the toolkit and blocks several repairs.
DISM	Deployment Image Servicing & Management — repairs the Windows component store (the source of truth for system files).
SFC	System File Checker — scans protected system files and restores them from the component store.
CHKDSK	Checks and repairs the file system, and with `/R` also recovers readable data from bad sectors.
WinRE / reagentc	`reagentc.exe` enables, disables and points Windows at the recovery image (`Winre.wim`).
BSOD / stop code / bug check	The blue-screen error name and its hex code (e.g. `0x0000007B`). Stored in crash dumps under `Windows\Minidump`.
BitLocker	Drive encryption. While a volume is locked/protected, boot repairs must suspend protection first or they will fail (or trigger a recovery-key loop).
Pending updates	An update that was staged but not finished. If it fails, Windows loops in "Preparing to configure Windows". `DISM /RevertPendingActions` rolls it back.
Registry hive	The on-disk registry files (`SYSTEM`, `SOFTWARE`, `SAM`, `SECURITY`, `DEFAULT`, ...). Backing them up is a prerequisite for safe registry surgery.
Clean boot	Starting Windows with only Microsoft services / minimal drivers to isolate a software conflict.
Driver Verifier	A built-in Windows stress tester that loads chosen drivers with harsh rules to expose bugs. Powerful and easy to misconfigure.

Safety model & guards

Before any repair runs, the toolkit passes it through a chain of guards. Knowing them explains most “why is this button disabled?” moments.

Guard	What it does	Typical message
Environment scan	Nothing runs until the scan has completed (EnsureScanReady). Only one task can run at a time.	`Please wait until the environment scan is complete before using "…"` `Another option is currently running. Please wait for it to complete…`
Windows available	A target Windows partition must be detected. If the volume is BitLocker-locked, the action is blocked with unlock instructions.	`BitLocker Locked - …` · `Action "…" requires a detected Windows partition.`
Boot-mode / disk-scheme mismatch	If the firmware boots Legacy but the disk is GPT (or vice versa), structural repairs are disabled until you fix the firmware setting.	`Boot mode / disk scheme mismatch … Change BIOS/firmware boot mode first, then rescan environment.`
Offline-only gating	Repairs that rewrite boot records are refused in a running Windows.	`… is disabled in online Windows mode. Use offline WinRE/WinPE mode for this repair.`
Dangerous-action confirmation	A modal with Continue / Cancel before format, delete, MBR→GPT, BitLocker loop fix, reboot, etc.	`Continue` / `Cancel` (the text explains exactly what will change)
PRO activation	Protected options open the activation dialog when the app is not activated (a session USB technician license also unlocks them).	`NOT ACTIVATED - free features only`
Every step is logged	Each option opens an `OPTION START:` section in the log console, records each command with its exit code, and ends with `[SUCCESS]` / `[FAILED]` plus `OPTION END`.	Save with File → Save Output… (default name `vmtech-toolkit-log.txt`)

What the toolkit never does: it does not format your Windows partition, does not reinstall Windows, and does not touch your personal files. Destructive sub-options (format/recreate boot or recovery partition) always take a backup first and are hidden behind explicit confirmations.

Menu 1 → Boot & Recovery Repair (left column, 11 options)

Open with the tab “Menu 1: Toolkit Actions”. The left column holds the repairs that fix the startup chain: boot records → recovery environment → system files → disk → encryption.

1 Rebuild Boot Files / BCD PROOffline onlyHigh impact

In short: rebuilds the boot records and the Boot Configuration Data store so the firmware can find and start Windows again. This is the fix for “Bootmgr is missing”, 0xc000000f, 0xc0000034, and for PCs that stopped booting after cloning, partitioning or a disk swap.

What it does

Copies the Windows boot files into the EFI (GPT/UEFI) or System (MBR/BIOS) partition.
Re-creates / repairs the BCD store and the boot entries inside it.
Fixes the master boot record and the boot sector code.
Offers backup & restore of the BCD, and optional format / recreate of the boot partition.
Re-checks and re-enables the Recovery Environment when a destructive sub-option was used.

When to use it

“Bootmgr is missing” / “Press any key to boot from CD” loops.
Boot errors 0xc000000f, 0xc0000034, 0xc000014c.
After cloning to an SSD, resizing partitions or rebuilding a disk.
When Suggested Actions reports “Boot loader entries missing” or “BCD health: needs repair”.

How to use it

Boot to WinRE / WinPE (this option is disabled in normal Windows).
Let the environment scan finish → check the System Status bar: Target, Disk Scheme, Boot Partition.
Click 1. Rebuild Boot Files / BCD.
Choose the sub-option in the dialog (Rebuild BCD - UEFI/GPT or Rebuild BCD - BIOS/MBR).
Read the log panel, then reboot with 12. Reboot when it reports success.

Technical details — dialogs, sub-options and exact commands

Flow: DoBCD → guards (EnsureScanReady, RequirePro, online block, GuardMismatchAction(…, False), GuardWindowsAvailable) → InternalRebuildBCDScript.

Sub-option dialog (buttons, as shown for a UEFI/GPT disk):

1. Rebuild BCD (without format or delete) – the safe, normal repair.
2. Format partition and rebuild BCD – backs up the partition first, then quick-formats it and rebuilds.
3. Delete and recreate partition, then rebuild BCD – backs up first, recreates the boot partition.
4. Backup BCD / 4. Restore BCD from Backup (state-dependent).
Per-partition Delete buttons (protected partitions — Windows/Recovery/external — are refused).
Cancel.

# initial population
bcdboot <W>\Windows

# rebuild burst (GPT and MBR variants)
BOOTREC /FIXMBR
BOOTSECT /NT60 SYS /FORCE
BOOTREC /FIXBOOT
BOOTREC /REBUILDBCD
bcdboot <W>\Windows /s <BootPartition> /f UEFI     (GPT/UEFI)
bcdboot <W>\Windows /s <SystemDrive> /f BIOS       (MBR/BIOS)
# if bcdboot fails it retries without /s

# MBR fallback when the store is unrecoverable
attrib -h -s -r "<W>\Boot\BCD" & ren "<W>\Boot\BCD" BCD.OLD

# optional BCD template restore (if shipped alongside the EXE)
xcopy "<appdir>\BCD-Template" "<W>\Windows\System32\Config\" /I /K /H /Y

# format sub-option uses diskpart
select disk N > select partition P > format quick fs=FAT32 label=EFI override
(MBR: format quick fs=NTFS label=System override)

Guard messages: Rebuild Boot Files / BCD is disabled in online Windows mode. Use offline WinRE/WinPE mode for this repair.

Requirements: PRO · Offline WinRE/WinPE only · detected Windows partition · boot mode and disk scheme must match · a Windows-partition-must-not-be-used-as-EFI safety check runs before any write.

2 Repair / Enable Recovery PROBoth

In short: restores the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) so F11 / “Advanced options” work again. It can simply re-enable WinRE, or — if the recovery partition is damaged — format, recreate or update it.

What it does

Stages Winre.wim back to its default path and registers it with reagentc.
Repairs the recovery partition configuration and the BCD recovery pointers.
Can create a new recovery partition from unallocated space.
Can update WinRE from a mounted Windows ISO / bootable USB (build comparison included).
Backs up the recovery partition before any format/delete.

When to use it

F11 / “Advanced startup” missing at boot.
“Recovery” missing in Settings › Update › Recovery.
Status bar shows Recovery Status: Disabled or WinRE path: Not detected.
After a Windows feature update that broke the recovery partition.

How to use it

Run the toolkit online or offline (both are supported).
Click 2. Repair / Enable Recovery.
Pick an operation: Enable without format (default & safest), Format then enable, Delete & recreate, Backup / Restore, or Update WinRE from ISO/USB.
Watch the log for reagentc /info verification lines, then rescan.

Technical details — dialog, phases and exact commands

Dialog Repair / Enable Recovery lists the detected recovery partitions (Partition P | size | letter | WinRE build) with per-row Delete buttons, and these choices:

1. Enable Recovery (without format or delete) — or 1. Create new Recovery partition when none exists.
2. Format Recovery partition and then Enable Recovery (backup first).
3. Delete and recreate Recovery partition (backup first).
4. Backup / Restore Recovery partition.
5. Update WinRE from mounted ISO / bootable USB (build check; offers to continue if the image is older).
Cancel.

# stage Winre.wim to its default home
attrib -h -s -r "<W>\Windows\System32\Recovery\Winre.wim"
copy /y "<source>" "<W>\Windows\System32\Recovery\Winre.wim"

# create / format a recovery partition (diskpart)
format quick fs=NTFS label=Recovery override
set id=de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac override   (GPT)
set id=27 override                                     (MBR)
gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001

# enable sequence (offline launcher uses full path + /target)
cd /D "<W>\Windows\System32" & "<W>\Windows\System32\reagentc.exe" /enable /osguid <GUID>
(online: reagentc /enable ; fallback: reagentc /enable /target <W>\Windows)
reagentc /setreimage /path "\\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddiskN\partitionM\Recovery\WindowsRE"
reagentc /info /target <W>\Windows
bcdboot <W>\Windows /s <EFI|System> /f UEFI|BIOS      # refresh boot files

The engine works in three phases: 1) enable WinRE into the recovery partition, 2) repair “wim moved but not registered” layouts, 3) delete/recreate when no image remains at all.

Requirements: PRO · Online and Offline · Windows partition detected · Winre.wim must exist (or a mounted ISO/USB for option 5) · mismatch boot/scheme blocks it.

3 System Component Repair (DISM) PROBoth

In short: repairs corruption in the Windows component store — the master copy every system file is restored from. Run it before SFC when SFC reports it cannot fix files.

What it does

Scans and repairs the component store with /RestoreHealth.
Optionally reverts pending actions and compacts the store first (advanced path).
Can use a DVD / bootable USB as the repair source when Windows Update is unavailable.
Advanced path temporarily relaxes WinSxS permissions, then restores them exactly.

When to use it

Before running System File Scan if files cannot be repaired.
Windows Update errors 0x80073712, 0x800f081f.
“The component store has been corrupted” messages.
Corruption a plain SFC scan cannot fix.

How to use it

Click 3. System Component Repair.
Choose a method: Simple Method (auto repair-source detection) or Advanced (ACL Change) (use it when DISM fails with access denied).
Wait — DISM can take 10–30 minutes. Progress is shown in the header bar.
Check the log for [SUCCESS], then continue with option 4. System File Scan.

Technical details — exact commands

Method dialog System Component Repair (DISM): Simple Method / Advanced (ACL Change) / Cancel.

# Simple method
Online : dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth [<source switch>]
Offline: dism /Image:<W>\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /ScratchDir:<W>\Temp [<source switch>]

# Advanced method (6 steps) - permission dance around WinSxS
icacls "<W>\Windows\WinSxS" /save "<Scratch>\WinSxS_ACL_DISM.txt" /T /C /Q
secedit /export /cfg "<Scratch>\SecConfig_DISM_Backup.inf" /log ... /quiet     (online only)
sc qc TrustedInstaller                                   (remember start type)
icacls "<WinSxS>\*" /T /Q /C /reset
icacls "<WinSxS>\*" /T /Q /C /grant Administrators:F
dism ... /Cleanup-Image /RevertPendingActions /ScratchDir:<Scratch>
dism ... /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ScratchDir:<Scratch>
dism ... /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth<source> /ScratchDir:<Scratch>
# then everything above is restored (icacls / secedit / TrustedInstaller start type)

Scratch directory: C:\Scratch online, <W>\Scratch offline. Steps that need secedit/sc are skipped with an info line inside WinPE, where they do not exist.

Requirements: PRO · Online and Offline · Windows partition required offline · allowed to run even when boot mode/scheme mismatch · PRO.

4 System File Scan & Repair (SFC) PROBoth

In short: checks every protected Windows system file and replaces the damaged ones from the component store.

What it does

Verifies the integrity of protected system files (DLLs, EXEs, drivers that ship with Windows).
Restores corrupted/missing files from the component store (and the repair source if configured).
In offline mode it targets the selected Windows installation, not the running one.
Advanced variant temporarily grants full access to WinSxS, then restores the original permissions.

When to use it

DLL errors, “Windows resource protection found corrupt files”.
Blue screens caused by system-file corruption.
After malware infection or a failed update.

How to use it

Run option 3. System Component Repair first (a healthy store is required).
Click 4. System File Scan & Repair.
Choose Simple Method — or Advanced (ACL Change) if SFC previously failed with access denied.
Wait for the scan (typically 5–15 minutes) and read the summary in the log.

Technical details — exact commands

Method dialog System File Scan & Repair (SFC): Simple Method / Advanced (ACL Change) / Cancel.

# Simple method
Online : sfc /scannow
Offline: sfc /scannow /offbootdir=<W>\ /offwindir=<W>\Windows

# Advanced method - same permission dance as DISM, then:
icacls "<WinSxS>\*" /T /Q /C /reset
icacls "<WinSxS>\*" /T /Q /C /grant Administrators:F
sfc /scannow                       (online)
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=<base>\ /offwindir=<base>\Windows   (offline)
# restore: icacls /reset, secedit import, TrustedInstaller start type

Requirements: PRO · Online and Offline · Windows partition required offline · run DISM first if SFC reports it cannot repair the files.

5 Disk File-System Repair (CHKDSK) PROBoth

In short: scans the Windows volume and repairs file-system errors; the advanced variants also recover bad sectors and force a dismount. It never touches your files — it fixes the file system's own metadata.

What it does

Runs a read-only scan first and reports whether a repair is even needed.
Fixes file-system errors (/F), and optionally recovers bad sectors (/R) and forces a dismount (/X).
Refuses to run if the toolkit itself is executing from the target drive (would crash the app).

When to use it

“Disk structure is corrupted and unreadable”.
Unexpected store-exception blue screens.
Slow disk performance, files that fail to copy, NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM stop codes.

How to use it

Click 5. Disk File-System Repair.
Choose the method (see the technical box for what each does).
If the read-only pre-scan says the disk is fine, the toolkit shows “Disk <X> passed the read-only scan. No repair is needed.” and stops — nothing is written.
Otherwise the repair runs with a streamed console; allow extra time for /R on large disks.

Technical details — methods and exact commands

Method dialog Disk File-System Repair (CHKDSK):

Simple (/F only) — “Scans first, then fixes file-system errors only if issues are found. Faster, less stress on the disk.”
Advanced: Scan then Fix (/F /R /X) — scans first, then fixes errors, recovers bad sectors and forces a dismount.
Advanced: Direct Fix (/F /R /X) (red) — skips the scan and runs immediately. Warning in the dialog: stresses the disk heavily; back up first.
Cancel.

chkdsk <W>                    # read-only pre-scan (300 s timeout)
# "FOUND NO PROBLEMS" / "DOES NOT NEED CHKDSK"  -> no repair

echo Y|chkdsk <W> /f          # simple repair (600 s timeout)
echo Y|chkdsk <W> /f /r /x    # advanced repair

Known limitation (build 01): the Advanced: Direct Fix button currently behaves like Cancel (its result code is not mapped by the dialog), so the /F /R /X direct path cannot be selected from the UI. The Scan then Fix variant works and is the recommended advanced choice.

Requirements: PRO · Online and Offline · Windows partition detected · blocked while boot mode/scheme mismatch · the toolkit must not run from the target drive.

6 Manage Windows Updates PRO to repairFREE to listBoth

In short: one option, three jobs: repair the Windows Update components, roll back a pending update that stops Windows from starting, or list the installed updates and remove the one that broke the PC.

What it does

Repair Windows Update components — stops the update services, renames the update caches, restarts everything, then resets Winsock and the HTTP proxy.
Reset Pending Updates — runs DISM /Cleanup-Image /RevertPendingActions against the offline image to cancel a half-installed update.
Show / Uninstall Installed Updates — lists every installed KB article (number, description, date, type) and lets you remove one.

When to use it

Windows Update is stuck checking or downloading (0x80070002, 0x80240034).
Windows loops at “Preparing to configure Windows” or reboots endlessly after a failed update.
A recent update causes boot failures or blue screens and you want it gone.

How to use it

Click 6. Manage Windows Updates.
Pick an action in the dialog: Repair Windows Update components, Reset Pending Updates (revert pending actions), Show / Uninstall Installed Updates — or cancel.
Repair and reset show their own confirmation; read it and press Continue.
For a removal, select a row → Remove Selected, then confirm the warning.
Restart the PC when the action completes (recommended after a repair).

Technical details — exact commands

# Repair Windows Update components
# Online: service control API (not a command) stops/starts wuauserv, bits, cryptsvc, msiserver
%SystemRoot%\SoftwareDistribution        -> SoftwareDistribution.bak
%SystemRoot%\System32\catroot2           -> catroot2.bak
netsh winsock reset
netsh winhttp reset proxy

# Offline (no service control available)
<drive>\Windows\SoftwareDistribution     -> .bak
<drive>\Windows\System32\catroot2        -> .bak
netsh winsock reset
netsh winhttp reset proxy

# Reset Pending Updates (offline WinRE/WinPE only)
mkdir "<W>\Temp"                       # if needed
dism /Image:<W>\ /Cleanup-Image /RevertPendingActions /ScratchDir:<W>\Temp
# fallback if DISM fails:
del /f /q "<W>\Windows\WinSxS\pending.xml"
del /f /q "<W>\Windows\WinSxS\poqexec.log"

# Show / Uninstall Installed Updates
# offline listing
dism /image:<D>\ /get-packages /Format:Table
dism /image:<D>\ /get-packageinfo /packagename:<pkg>
# online removal chain (tried in order):
wusa /kb:<N> /uninstall
# -> Windows Update Agent COM API (PowerShell) -> Windows Installer (MSI patches)
dism /online /remove-package /packagename:<CbsPkg> /quiet /norestart
# offline removal
dism /image:<D>\ /remove-package /packagename:<Pkg> /quiet /norestart

Confirmations: “…reset Windows Update components and rename SoftwareDistribution/Catroot2” → Continue/Cancel; “This will run DISM RevertPendingActions on <W>\Windows. Use this when updates are stuck and prevent boot.” → Continue/Cancel; and for a removal the red stability warning plus the permanent-update note. PRO is checked for the repair and for each removal attempt — listing is free.

Offline block for Reset Pending Updates: RevertPendingActions is intended for offline WinRE/WinPE use. Boot into WinRE/WinPE and run this option against the offline Windows image.

Requirements: Windows partition detected · Repair = PRO · Reset Pending Updates = FREE, offline WinRE/WinPE only, dangerous-action confirmation · list = FREE, remove = PRO · works online and offline.

7 Clear Safe Mode / Recovery Boot PROOffline only

In short: un-sticks a PC that always boots into Safe Mode or loops back into recovery, by clearing the BCD flags that force it.

What it does

Removes the safeboot and safebootalternateshell flags from the default entry.
Clears the one-time bootsequence override on the boot manager.
Re-enables normal recovery behaviour (recoveryenabled Yes) and removes a leftover cleanup RunOnce entry.

When to use it

Windows always boots into Safe Mode.
Recovery boot loop after a failed startup repair.
Status bar shows a safe-mode / recovery boot loop warning.

How to use it

Boot to WinRE/WinPE (disabled in normal Windows).
Click 7. Clear Safe Mode / Recovery Boot.
Press Continue on the confirmation.
Reboot — the log ends with “Boot settings were reset to normal startup mode.”

Technical details — exact commands

bcdedit /enum {default}                              # pre-check
bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot              # only if present
bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safebootalternateshell
bcdedit /enum {bootmgr}                              # pre-check
bcdedit /deletevalue {bootmgr} bootsequence          # one-time override
bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled Yes           # always
bcdedit /deletevalue {default} recoverysequence      # if present
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce" /v VMTech_ClearSafeBoot /f

Every command reports [SUCCESS] Command exit code: 0, [INFO] Element not present in BCD (normal - nothing to remove). or [FAILED] Command exit code: N. Confirmation: “This will remove forced Safe Mode and recovery-loop boot settings from the default BCD entry.”

Requirements: PRO · Offline only · boot mode/scheme must match · dangerous-action confirmation.

8 BitLocker Unlock / Manage FREEBoth

In short: the toolbox for encrypted drives: unlock a locked Windows partition (manually or by searching for the recovery-key file), suspend protection before boot repairs, back up or show the key, decrypt the volume — or turn BitLocker ON for a decrypted one.

What it does

Detects BitLocker-locked partitions and probes with manage-bde -status.
Unlocks with a typed 48-digit recovery key or password, or by auto-searching all partitions for a key file (including keys hidden inside PDF, Word .docx, RTF and HTML documents).
Suspends / resumes protection, disables / decrypts, backs up the key (Microsoft account link when signed in), shows the key and full status.
Turns BitLocker ON for a fully decrypted partition: encrypts the used space only, creates a new 48-digit recovery password (shown immediately, with a save-to-file offer) and skips the hardware test, so it works even without a TPM; a failed enable can fix the usual causes (conflicting local BitLocker policies, allow-BitLocker-without-TPM) and retry automatically.

When to use it

Offline: the Windows drive is inaccessible because it is encrypted.
Before any boot repair that needs the volume readable.
Before MBR→GPT or BCD work on an encrypted system.
You want encryption on this PC and no volume is encrypted yet (or a data partition should be encrypted too).

How to use it

Click 8. BitLocker Unlock / Manage.
If the Windows partition is locked, choose Enter the BitLocker key or password or Auto-search all partitions for a BitLocker Recovery Key file.
Otherwise the manage dialog opens with one block per encrypted volume: Suspend BitLocker / Resume BitLocker Protection, Backup Recovery Key, Disable / Decrypt, Show Recovery Key, Display BitLocker Status (All Partitions).
If no partition is encrypted, an Enable BitLocker dialog opens instead, with one button per fully decrypted partition that has a drive letter (Enable BitLocker on Windows (X:) / Enable BitLocker on X:). If only some partitions are encrypted, the manage dialog draws each decrypted one under a “not encrypted” header with its own Enable BitLocker button. Pick a partition and confirm — the recovery key it creates is shown right away with an offer to save it to a file (save it now, before you close anything).
Rescan afterwards so the toolkit can read the now-unlocked Windows.

Technical details — exact commands

manage-bde -status
manage-bde -protectors -get <D> -Type RecoveryPassword
manage-bde -unlock <D> -RecoveryPassword <48-digit key>
manage-bde -protectors -disable <D>     # suspend (used automatically by Menu 2 fixes)
manage-bde -protectors -enable <D>      # resume
manage-bde -on <D> -UsedSpaceOnly -RecoveryPassword -SkipHardwareTest   # enable
manage-bde -off <D>                     # disable / decrypt

Enable: only a volume that reports Fully Decrypted and has a drive letter is offered (a mid-conversion volume must finish decrypting first), and turning BitLocker ON works online only — from WinRE/WinPE the option says so and stops. After success the new 48-digit key is read back from manage-bde -protectors -get, shown in its own dialog and offered as Save Recovery Key to File / I Will Save It Later.

When enable fails: the “Enable BitLocker Failed” dialog offers 1. Fix conflicting BitLocker policies, then retry and 2. Allow BitLocker without TPM, then retry — each applies its fix and re-runs the enable automatically (up to three rounds). Error 0x8031005a (“does not support this feature of BitLocker”) is an edition limit, not a policy or TPM problem: on Windows Home / Single Language the app warns before starting (edition read from the registry), and after such an error it shows a dedicated dialog offering 1. Open Device Encryption Settings (Settings > Privacy & security > Device encryption) instead of the useless policy/TPM fixes — full BitLocker needs Windows Pro, Enterprise or Education.

Unlock dialog (BitLocker Unlock - X:): Enter the BitLocker key or password to unlock / Auto-search all partitions for a BitLocker Recovery Key file / Cancel. Manual entry uses a prompt: “Enter the 48-digit Recovery Key for volume X: — Format: XXXXXX-XXXXXX-…”; the missing-key hint points to https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey.

If manage-bde.exe is absent, the option reports it and stops.

Requirements: FREE · Online and Offline (turning BitLocker ON is online-only and needs Windows Pro / Enterprise / Education) · manage-bde.exe present · only the scan-readiness + mismatch guards apply.

9 Analyze & Fix BSOD Analysis FREEApply PROOffline preferred

In short: reads the crash dumps on the broken Windows, tells you which stop code and driver caused the blue screen, explains the cause — and then applies the matching repair steps for you.

What it does

Finds dumps in Windows\Minidump, Windows\MEMORY.DMP and LiveKernelReports.
Parses the bug-check code, parameters, crash time and the faulting driver/module.
Matches the code against a built-in solution database (52 unique stop codes, 188 fix steps).
Runs the fix steps (DISM, SFC, chkdsk, bootrec, bcdedit, registry repairs) in order.
Exports the analysis to TXT / CSV / Excel.

When to use it

You only have a stop code and a dump file, not a diagnosis.
Recurring crashes after a driver or update.
Boot failures such as INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE, CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED.

How to use it

Click 9. Analyze & Fix BSOD (needs a detected Windows partition — otherwise the dumps cannot be located).
The VMTechs BSOD Analysis & Repair window opens and loads the dump list (Dump File, Error Code, Error Name, Crash Time, Caused By, Caused Offset, Param1..4).
Select a crash → read Solution / Causes and the numbered fix steps.
Click Apply all fixes (or open a single step and choose Apply this fix only). PRO is required here.
In WinPE the commands run directly; outside WinPE the toolkit writes an offline repair batch for you to run from a WinRE/WinPE prompt.

Technical details — dialog, databases and step kinds

Dialog: VMTechs BSOD Analysis & Repair — menu File › Open Dump File(s)…, Export Details…, Close; buttons Apply all fixes / Close; a steps list and a solution memo. Non-PRO users see “1. Activate PRO to unlock the step-by-step Suggested Fix Steps for this crash.”

Step kinds executed by the callback:

fskCommand   -> run the literal command (targets the offline Windows drive)
fskDISM      -> dism /Image:<D>\ <step>                (600 s)
fskCheckDisk -> chkdsk … (skipped with "[SKIP] Disk is clean" when not needed)
fskBootRec   -> bootrec <step>                          (300 s)
fskBCDEdit   -> bcdedit <step>
fskRegistry  -> registry repair with a RegBack safety copy first
fskInfo      -> explanatory note only

Representative solution steps stored in the database:

chkdsk %T%: /f /r
dism /image:%T%\ /cleanup-image /restorehealth
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=%T%:\ /offwindir=%T%:\Windows
bootrec /fixmbr | /fixboot | /scanos | /rebuildbcd
bcdboot %T%\Windows /s %T%: /f ALL
# registry steps: storahci/msahci StartOverride, UpperFilters/LowerFilters cleanup,
# ACPI\... / Disk\... Start = 0

(%T% is replaced with the target Windows drive letter.)

Requirements: Analysis/listing is FREE · applying a fix requires PRO · Windows partition detected · best results offline in WinRE/WinPE.

10 Analyze & Fix Log Errors Scan FREEApply PROOffline preferred

In short: reads the Windows repair logs (the same ones a technician would open by hand), finds the root cause, and offers four one-click fixes for what it found.

What it does

Scans 10 log sources: SrtTrail, setuperr, CBS, DISM, ReAgent, setupapi, bcdinfo, RecEnv ramdisk setuperr…
Classifies issues: corrupted files, problematic/missing drivers, disabled devices, registry corruption, boot-config errors, minidumps…
Shows a root cause, affected files and affected drivers.
Offers fix buttons: System Files, Drivers, Boot Config, Auto Fix All.

When to use it

After a failed update or a failed automatic repair.
When you see “Root cause found” in SrtTrail.txt but nothing changed.
When a driver causes boot or hardware failures.

How to use it

Click 10. Analyze & Fix Log Errors.
In VMTechs Log Analysis & Fix, review the log list (# / Log File / Full Path / Status / Modified).
Read Suggested Fixes and Issue Details (details require PRO).
Press one of the fix buttons — Auto Fix All runs them in the safe order.
Export the report (File › Export Report… → TXT / CSV / Excel) if you need to share it.

Technical details — what each fix button runs

Button	Exact commands
Fix System Files (DISM + SFC)	`dism /Image:<D>\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth` then `sfc /scannow /offbootdir=<D>\ /offwindir=<D>\Windows`
Fix Drivers	Enumerates devices in the offline/online context and disables every device reporting a problem (API calls, not shell commands).
Fix Boot Config	`bcdboot <D>\Windows /s <D> /f ALL`
Auto Fix All	DISM → SFC → bcdboot → disable problematic devices (in that order).

Scanned files shown in the dialog footer: “Scanned: SrtTrail, DISM, CBS, ReAgent, setupapi, setuperr, bcdinfo”.

Requirements: Scanning is FREE · PRO for issue details and for applying fixes · Windows partition detected · offline (WinRE/WinPE) is the primary target.

11 Convert MBR to GPT FREEBothHigh impact

In short: converts the disk from the legacy MBR partition scheme to GPT so the PC can boot in UEFI mode (the usual requirement for Windows 11) — without reinstalling, where the disk layout allows it.

What it does

Validates the disk first (mbr2gpt /validate) and refuses if the layout is unsuitable.
Converts the partition scheme in place and configures UEFI boot files.
Advanced method adds pre-checks, a restore point, log analysis, free-space handling and typed confirmations.

When to use it

Moving from Legacy BIOS to UEFI firmware.
Needing more than 4 primary partitions.
Meeting Windows 11 hardware requirements (UEFI + GPT + TPM).

How to use it

Back up your data first. This changes the disk structure.
Click 11. Convert MBR to GPT and read the red IMPORTANT WARNING — MBR to GPT Conversion dialog (“READ THIS BEFORE YOU CONVERT”) → I Understand – Continue.
The toolkit checks that the selected disk is actually MBR (“MBR2GPT is only available when the selected disk uses MBR.”).
Choose Simple Method (validate + convert in one visible console) or Advanced Method (guided, resumable, with pre-checks and low-space handling).
Advanced method: type YES, YES and finally CONVERT when prompted.
Afterwards, switch the firmware to UEFI mode and boot — the toolkit's post-conversion steps help with this.

Technical details — exact commands and confirmations

# Simple method
Online : mbr2gpt /validate /disk:N /allowFullOS && mbr2gpt /convert /disk:N /allowFullOS
Offline: mbr2gpt /validate /disk:N           && mbr2gpt /convert /disk:N

# Advanced method (each run through a temporary batch, then deleted)
mbr2gpt /validate /disk:N /logs:"<LogDir>"        (300 s)
mbr2gpt /convert  /disk:N /logs:"<LogDir>"        (600 s)
# online runs add /allowFullOS

Advanced flow: pending-reboot check → locate mbr2gpt.exe (Windows 10 1703+) → pre-checks → already-GPT early exit → WinRE check → restore point → /validate → free-space handling → three typed confirmations → /convert → post-conversion actions.

Low free space (needs ≥ 1000 MB): offers free space automatically / stop / proceed anyway / extend Windows partition. Automatic cleanup removes pagefile.sys, hiberfil.sys, swapfile.sys, Windows\Temp, update downloads, Windows.old, $WINDOWS.~BT, $WINDOWS.~WS offline; or disables hibernation and runs cleanmgr /sagerun:100 online.

Requirements: FREE · disk must be MBR · Windows 10 1703+ or WinPE · Windows partition detected · UEFI support warning + dangerous-action confirmation · back up your data.

Menu 1 → Diagnostics & System Tools (right column, 12 options)

The right column is about diagnosing and managing: reports, restore points, drivers, services, logs and settings.

1 Disk, Partition & BCD Report FREEBoth

In short: a read-only report of every disk, volume and partition plus the full boot configuration — ideal to verify the layout before a repair, or to attach to a support request.

What it does

Lists all disks, volumes and partitions.
Dumps the BCD store and the default OS entry.
Changes nothing — report only.

When to use it

Before a risky repair, to confirm which disk/partition is the target.
To inspect boot entries for missing loaders.
To share a diagnostic report when asking for help.

How to use it

Click 1. Disk, Partition & BCD Report.
Read the two log blocks: ----- DISK, VOLUME & PARTITION LAYOUT ----- and ----- BCD BOOT CONFIGURATION -----.
Optionally save the log (File › Save Output…).

Technical details — exact commands

diskpart:  list disk > list volume > (select disk N > list partition) > exit
bcdedit /enum
bcdedit /enum {default}

DiskPart banner lines are stripped from the output. bcdedit /enum all is deliberately not used.

Requirements: FREE · scan complete · Windows partition present (guard) · no writes at all.

2 RAM / Memory Check FREEOnline

In short: launches the Windows Memory Diagnostic, which tests the RAM on the next restart.

What it does

Starts mdsched.exe so Windows schedules a memory test on next boot.
If the tool is not present in the current environment, it advises vendor diagnostics / bootable memory-test media.

When to use it

Random blue screens with different codes.
Crashes under memory load; suspected faulty RAM module.

How to use it

Click 2. RAM / Memory Check.
Choose the test options in the Windows dialog and let it reboot.
Read the result after the test (Event Viewer → MemoryDiagnostics-Results).

Technical details

mdsched.exe        # launched visible when %SystemRoot%\System32\mdsched.exe exists

Otherwise: “Memory Diagnostic unavailable — mdsched.exe was not found in this WinRE/WinPE environment. Use vendor diagnostics or bootable memory-test media if RAM failure is suspected.”

Requirements: FREE · mdsched.exe available in the running environment.

3 System Restore & Restore Points FREEBoth

In short: the complete System Restore toolbox — turn it on, launch the wizard, create a restore point now, or clean out old restore points keeping only the newest.

What it does

Enable System Restore (greyed out when already enabled) — online immediately, offline staged for the next boot.
Launch System Restore — opens rstrui.exe (works offline with /offline:).
Create New Restore Point (online only).
Clear Old Restore Points (Keep Newest) (online only).

When to use it

After a bad driver or software installation.
The system became unstable after updates.
Before making major system changes.

How to use it

Click 3. System Restore & Restore Points.
The dialog shows “System Restore is currently: <state>. Choose an action:”.
Pick one of the four actions (create/clear need online mode).
In offline mode, the enable action is staged: it runs on the first normal boot of that Windows.

Technical details — exact commands

# Launch wizard
online : start "" rstrui.exe
offline: start "" rstrui.exe /offline:<W>\Windows

# Create a restore point (online only)
powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Checkpoint-Computer -Description 'VMTech Manual Restore Point' -RestorePointType MODIFY_SETTINGS"

# Enable - online
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\SystemRestore" /v DisableSR /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore" /v DisableSR /f
reg add    "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore" /v RPSessionInterval /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add    "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore" /v SystemRestorePointCreationFrequency /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
sc config vss start= demand & sc config swprv start= demand
net start vss & net start swprv
powershell -Command "Enable-ComputerRestore -Drive 'C:'"
vssadmin list shadowstorage /for=C:

# Enable - offline (staged)
writes <drive>\ProgramData\VMTech\EnableSystemRestore.ps1
      + Start Menu\Programs\Startup\VMTech_EnableSystemRestore.cmd
      + RunOnce value VMTech_EnableSystemRestore
# the script also creates a restore point and logs to %SystemRoot%\Temp\VMTech_Enable_SystemRestore.log

Clear old points generates a temporary PowerShell script that calls SRRemoveRestorePoint from Srclient.dll for every point except the newest, after a “This removes all restore points except the most recent one.” confirmation.

Requirements: FREE · Windows partition detected · create/clear restore points require Online mode · offline enable is staged for the next boot.

4 Backup Registry Hives FREEBoth

In short: backs up the registry before you change anything, and lets you restore it later — including restoring the whole SYSTEM/SOFTWARE set from the recovery environment when Windows cannot start.

What it does

Backs up the core hives (SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, SAM, SECURITY, DEFAULT, DRIVERS, plus COMPONENTS/ELAM for a whole backup).
Opens the Restore Registry Hives dialog: restore primary hives, restore the whole backup, take another backup, revert the previous restore, delete extra backups.
Can enable the automatic Windows periodic registry backup (RegBack).

When to use it

Before registry edits, driver removals or service surgery.
After a clean install (baseline backup).
When the status bar reports Registry Backup as Missing / Partially Available.

How to use it

Click 4. Backup Registry Hives (this always opens the management dialog).
Take Another Backup… → Replace Current (RegBack) (online) or Create Additional Backup (RegBack2…).
To restore: run offline in WinRE/WinPE, select a backup in the list, then Restore Primary Hives or Restore Whole Backup.
Optionally press Enable Automatic Registry Backup so Windows keeps making copies by itself.

Technical details — exact commands

# Backup - online
mkdir "<ConfigDir>RegBack\"
REG SAVE HKLM\SAM       "<dir>SAM" /y
REG SAVE HKLM\SECURITY  "<dir>SECURITY" /y
REG SAVE HKLM\SOFTWARE  "<dir>SOFTWARE" /y
REG SAVE HKLM\SYSTEM    "<dir>SYSTEM" /y
REG SAVE "HKU\.DEFAULT" "<dir>DEFAULT" /y      (+ DRIVERS, COMPONENTS, ELAM copies)

# Backup - offline (RegBack is protected -> RegBack2, RegBack3, ...)
copy /y "<Config>SYSTEM" "<dir>SYSTEM"        # and SOFTWARE/SAM/SECURITY/DEFAULT/DRIVERS

# Restore - offline only (previous state saved first)
mkdir "<Config>VMTechRestorePrev\"
copy /y "<Config><hive>" "<Config>VMTechRestorePrev\<hive>"
attrib -h -s -r "<Config><hive>"
copy /y "<SrcDir><hive>" "<Config><hive>"

# Revert a restore
xcopy /h /r /y /i "<Config>VMTechRestorePrev\*" "<Config>"

# Enable automatic backup (RegBack)
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Configuration Manager" /v EnablePeriodicBackup /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
# offline: loads the SYSTEM hive first (reg load / reg query Select\Current / reg unload)

Online, the restore/revert buttons are disabled with: “Registry restore and revert are only available in offline WinRE/WinPE mode (the live hives are locked by Windows).”

Requirements: FREE from this button · Windows partition detected · restoring requires offline WinRE/WinPE.

5 Device Manager PROBoth

In short: a full device & driver manager that also works when the normal Device Manager cannot run (WinRE/WinPE): list devices, enable/disable, uninstall, install or reinstall drivers, and back them up first.

What it does

Lists devices with name, class, status, problem code, hardware ID, manufacturer, driver date/version.
Enable / Disable / Uninstall / Install / Reinstall drivers — online natively, offline by registry and DISM injection.
Filters: hidden/system devices, disabled, missing driver, problem, unknown.
Backups: individual drivers to VMTechBackups\Drivers, whole-device snapshots to VMTechBackups\Devices (restorable).
Warns before touching critical drivers (disk, partmgr, volmgr, ntfs, pci, acpi…).

When to use it

A driver causes boot or hardware failures.
The stock Device Manager is unavailable or limited in recovery.
You must disable a faulty device offline.

How to use it

Click 5. Device Manager (PRO). Offline mode needs a detected Windows partition.
Use the filters to find the faulty device (red = problem, grey = disabled).
Right-click or use the side buttons: Set state (Enable/Disable), Uninstall, Install Driver, Backup Driver, Rescan.
Offline driver installs are injected with DISM; the dialog tells you the target machine.
Read the red warning banner: “Disabling or removing an unfamiliar driver may prevent Windows from booting…”

Technical details — exact commands

# Online
CM_Enable_DevNode / CM_Disable_DevNode   (fallback: pnputil.exe /enable-device "<instanceId>")
pnputil.exe /disable-device "<instanceId>"
pnputil.exe /remove-device  "<instanceId>"                 (uninstall fallback)
UpdateDriverForPlugAndPlayDevicesW(hwId, <Win>\INF\<inf>) (reinstall)
pnputil.exe /disable-device + /enable-device               (reinstall fallback)

# Offline
dism /image:<D>: /add-driver /driver:"<inf>" /ForceUnsigned
# enable/disable: writes ConfigFlags under HKLM\OFFLINE_DEV_SYS\<ControlSet>\Enum\<InstanceId>
# uninstall    : RegDeleteKeyW(HKLM, 'OFFLINE_DEV_SYS\<ControlSet>\Enum\<InstanceId>')

Dialog: VMTechs Device Manager (+ - OFFLINE: <machine>). Update/Reinstall chooser offers Add from driver store / Search automatically / Browse for INF…. Bottom hint: “Press Ctrl+Alt+F12 to force quit if unresponsive”.

Requirements: PRO · Online, WinRE and WinPE · offline needs a detected Windows partition · admin rights recommended online.

6 Driver Verifier Dialog FREEActions PROBoth

In short: a launcher, status monitor and results report for Windows Driver Verifier — the tool that stresses drivers until a buggy one shows itself. It can also clear a verifier configuration that is preventing Windows from booting.

What it does

Shows whether Verifier is active (online via verifier /query, offline by reading the SYSTEM hive).
Launches Microsoft's own verifier.exe UI (no rules are applied by the toolkit itself).
Builds a Results Report: verified-driver list, decoded VerifierFlags bit-by-bit, verifier log files, recent Verifier events — exportable.
Stop Verification = verifier /reset online, or deletes the verifier values from the offline SYSTEM hive.

When to use it

Frequent blue screens not tied to an obvious driver.
Suspected faulty third-party driver; verifying a driver after an update.
Windows fails to boot and you suspect a verifier configuration.

How to use it

Click 6. Driver Verifier — the dialog opens even without activation.
Read the red HOW TO USE (IMPORTANT) panel: choose Select driver names from a list, verify one suspect driver at a time, never the whole list or core system drivers.
Launch Driver Verifier (PRO) and configure it in Microsoft's window; reboot when asked.
Reproduce the crash, then come back and press Show Results Report (PRO) to read what failed.
Finish with Stop Verification (PRO) — confirm the reset.

Technical details — exact commands

# Status
verifier /query                                  # online, 30 s
# offline:
reg load   "HKLM\VMTECH_TMP_VERIFIER" "<D>\Windows\System32\Config\SYSTEM"
reg query  "HKLM\VMTECH_TMP_VERIFIER\Select" /v Current
reg query  "...ControlSet###\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management" /v VerifierFlags
# reads VerifyDrivers, VerifierFlags, VerifyDriverLevel
reg unload "HKLM\VMTECH_TMP_VERIFIER"

# Launch (no arguments - the user configures rules in Microsoft's UI)
verifier.exe        # ShellExecute online / CreateProcess offline

# Stop
verifier /reset                                   # online
# offline: reg delete ... /v VerifyDrivers | VerifierFlags | VerifyDriverLevel /f

The report decodes flags such as 0x00000001 Special pool, 0x00000002 Force IRQL checking, … and notes that a * in the verified list means all drivers.

Requirements: Dialog is FREE, every action button requires PRO · online actions work in normal Windows; offline status/stop/report need the Windows partition.

7 Clean Boot — Manage Services PROBoth

In short: the msconfig replacement for recovery environments: start Windows with only what it needs, disable third-party services one by one, and find the service that breaks the system.

What it does

Lists every service with manufacturer, status, start type and path.
Startup selection: Normal / Diagnostic / Selective startup (with load-services / load-startup-items switches).
Filters: hide Microsoft services, show only Microsoft, show disabled only; bulk Enable all / Disable all / Revert all.
Online and offline persistence (offline edits the target Windows' SYSTEM hive).

When to use it

Clean boot to isolate a software conflict.
Find a problematic third-party service.
msconfig is unavailable in WinRE/WinPE.

How to use it

Click 7. Clean Boot - Manage Services (PRO).
Tick Hide all Microsoft services to see only third-party services.
Set start types to Disabled for suspects (or use Diagnostic startup for a full clean boot).
Press Apply or OK; Cancel discards all changes.
Reboot and test; re-enable services until the culprit is found.

Technical details — where the settings are written

# Online - per service start type
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\<SvcName>\Start   REG_DWORD  (2=auto,3=demand,4=disabled)

# Offline - SYSTEM hive is loaded first (reg load)
HKLM\OFFLINE_SVC_MGR\<ControlSet>\Services\<SvcName>\Start

# Startup mode chosen in the General tab
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VMTechsBootMode\StartupMode  REG_DWORD (0/1/2)
HKLM\OFFLINE_SVC_MGR\ControlSet001\Control\VMTechsBootMode\StartupMode / LoadSystemServices / LoadStartupItems

Dialog: VMTechs Services Manager with tabs General / Services. Offline note: “Running in offline mode. Changes apply to the offline Windows installation.”; online note: “Some secure Microsoft services may not be disabled.” Status line shows “N of M services shown, D disabled, X modified”.

Requirements: PRO · Online and Offline · Windows partition required offline.

8 Configure System Failure Settings PROBoth

In short: decides what Windows does when it crashes — whether it logs the event, whether it auto-restarts (hiding the blue screen from you), and how large a memory dump it writes.

What it does

Toggle Write an event to the system log.
Toggle Automatically restart on failure.
Choose the dump type: (none), Small memory dump (256 KB), Kernel, Complete, Automatic, Active.
Only the fields you actually change are written.

When to use it

You want blue screens to stay on screen so you can photograph the stop code.
You want crash dumps for later analysis (option 10 / Event Viewer).
You need to switch dump type (e.g. small dumps to save disk space).

How to use it

Click 8. Configure System Failure Settings (PRO).
In VMTechs Startup and Recovery, tick/untick the two checkboxes and pick the dump type.
Press OK. Changes take effect on the next crash (and after a restart for most settings).

Technical details — registry keys and value map

# Write event to system log
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl" /v LogEvent /t REG_DWORD /d 1|0 /f
wmic recoveros set WriteToSystemLog=True|False

# Automatically restart on failure
online : wmic recoveros set AutoReboot=True|False
offline: reg load "HKLM\VMTECH_TMP_SYSTEM" "<D>\Windows\System32\Config\SYSTEM"
         reg add  "HKLM\VMTECH_TMP_SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\CrashControl" /v AutoReboot /t REG_DWORD /d 1|0 /f
         reg unload "HKLM\VMTECH_TMP_SYSTEM"

# Crash dump type
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl" /v CrashDumpEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d <v> /f
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl" /v FilterPages      /t REG_DWORD /d 1|0 /f   # 1 only for "Active"

Combo → value map: none=0, small=3, kernel=2, complete=1, automatic=7, active=5 (default 7). Offline writes always take a VMTechsRegBack hive copy first.

Requirements: PRO · Online and Offline · Windows partition required offline.

9 Manage Debugging/Boot Logging FREEBoth

In short: one option that switches kernel debugging and boot logging on or off for the default boot entry, prints the current debug configuration, and reads ntbtlog.txt — the list of every driver that loaded at the last start.

What it does

Reads the debug and bootlog flags from the BCD and shows both states in the dialog.
Enables or disables kernel debugging on the default boot entry.
Show Debug Configuration dumps the full default boot entry into the log.
Enables or disables boot logging, so Windows writes ntbtlog.txt at the next start.
View Boot Log prints ntbtlog.txt straight into the log console.

When to use it

You are debugging with WinDbg / a kernel debugger.
Debugging was left enabled and slows the boot (turn it off).
The boot hangs at the splash screen and you need to know which driver loads last.

How to use it

Click 9. Manage Debugging/Boot Logging.
The dialog reports Debugging: … and Boot logging: …, then offers five actions: Enable/Disable Debugging, Show Debug Configuration, Enable/Disable Boot Logging, View Boot Log (ntbtlog.txt) and Cancel.
Restart for a BCD change to take effect; read the boot log on the next run.

Technical details — exact commands

bcdedit /enum {default}             # detect: lines starting with "debug" and with "bootlog"
bcdedit /set {default} debug Yes    # enable kernel debugging
bcdedit /set {default} debug No     # disable kernel debugging
bcdedit /set {default} bootlog Yes  # enable boot logging
bcdedit /set {default} bootlog No   # disable boot logging

# View Boot Log
online : %SystemRoot%\ntbtlog.txt
offline: <D>\Windows\ntbtlog.txt

Success messages: “Operation completed. Changes take effect after restart.” Logged as [SUCCESS] Kernel debugging enabled/disabled for {default} boot entry. and [SUCCESS] Boot logging enabled/disabled for {default} boot entry.

If the file does not exist: [INFO] No boot log found at <path>. Boot logging must be enabled and the system restarted to generate a log.

Requirements: FREE · Windows partition detected · no confirmation dialog.

10 Event Viewer FREEBoth

In short: read the System and Application event logs — online directly, offline from the target Windows' .evtx files — with filtering, search and export.

What it does

Loads up to 500 events per log (System / Application).
Filter by level (Critical / Error / Warning / Info / Verbose), by source and by free text; one-click Errors+ filter.
Shows full details plus the raw event XML for the selected row.
Export to TXT / CSV / Excel-named file.

When to use it

Investigating system errors, crashes, service failures or warnings.
Finding the exact time of a crash and its Event ID.

How to use it

Click 10. Event Viewer.
Pick the log and levels, then press Load (or Errors+ for the important ones).
Select a row to read its details and raw XML.
Export Events… to save the result.

Technical details — exact commands

# Online
wevtutil qe System /c:500 /f:xml /rd:true

# Offline (reads the target's .evtx files)
"<D>\Windows\System32\wevtutil.exe" /lf:"<D>\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs\System.evtx" qe /c:500 /f:xml /rd:true
# fallbacks: SysWOW64\wevtutil.exe, then PATH wevtutil.exe

Export formats offered: Text (.txt), CSV (.csv), Excel (.xlsx) — default name EventLog_<log>_yyyymmdd_hhnnss.<ext>.

Requirements: FREE · Windows partition detected · offline needs the target's wevtutil.exe and .evtx files.

11 Create Rescue USB... FREEBoth

In short: turns a USB stick into a bootable rescue drive that starts this toolkit on a PC that will not boot — built entirely on this machine from this PC's own Windows recovery image or from a Windows 10/11 ISO you choose, with nothing ever downloaded and no Windows ADK.

What it does

Source: this PC's own recovery image (its size and date are shown), or a Windows 10/11 ISO / extracted folder picked with Browse.
Boot files are taken from that media, or from the folders already on this PC (Windows\Boot\...) — never from the internet.
This toolkit is embedded into the environment image so it starts first, and the same EXE is also placed at the stick root so the drive works in ordinary Windows too.
FAT32 only: the stick is cleaned and formatted with diskpart, falling back to format.com. It is never switched to NTFS or split into two partitions.
Three layouts: A from the PC's recovery image (repair only), B from an ISO (repair only) and C from an ISO (repair only, or repair + Windows Setup).

When to use it

Keeping a rescue stick ready before a PC stops booting.
A machine that no longer starts Windows and has no working desktop to run this toolkit from.
Reinstalling Windows from a stick that also carries the repair toolkit.

How to use it

Click 11. Create Rescue USB....
Choose where the rescue environment comes from: this PC's recovery image (recommended) or a Windows ISO / folder.
Choose the kind of stick — for Layout C decide between Repair only and Repair + Install Windows.
Pick the removable drive. The confirmation names the drive letter, label and size and says everything on it will be erased.
Watch the live log, then press safely eject and pick the stick in the firmware boot menu (the key differs per PC).

Technical details — exact commands

# Source detection - this PC's own recovery image
reagentc /info
dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:"<path to Winre.wim>" /Index:1

# Stage the whole stick in %TEMP% first, only then touch the drive
diskpart
  select disk <N>
  clean
  create partition primary
  format fs=fat32 quick label=VMRescueUSB
  assign letter=<X>

# Embed this toolkit into the environment image
dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:"<boot.wim>" /Index:1 /MountDir:"<stage>"
dism /Unmount-Image /MountDir:"<stage>" /Commit

# Boot configuration - written into the stick's OWN BCD store only
bcdedit /store <X>\boot\BCD /create {ramdiskoptions} /d "Ramdisk boot parameters"
bcdedit /store <X>\boot\BCD /set {ramdiskoptions} ramdisksdidevice boot
bcdedit /store <X>\boot\BCD /set {ramdiskoptions} ramdisksdipath \boot\boot.sdi
bcdedit /store <X>\boot\BCD /create /d "VMTechs Boot Repair Toolkit" /application osloader
bcdedit /store <X>\boot\BCD /set <id> device ramdisk=[boot]\sources\boot.wim,{ramdiskoptions}
bcdedit /store <X>\boot\BCD /set {bootmgr} displayorder <id> /addlast

# Legacy BIOS boot code - only when this PC provides bootsect.exe
"X:\Windows\System32\bootsect.exe" /nt60 <X>: /force /mbr

Every check runs before anything is written: an internal or fixed disk is refused with no override at all, a 32-bit source image is refused, and a stick that cannot hold the build plus 512 MB of free space is refused by name and size. Nothing here downloads anything, and the PC's own Winre.wim, reagentc state and boot configuration are never modified.

Requirements: FREE · administrator rights · a removable drive · this PC's recovery image or a Windows 10/11 ISO · the in-box reagentc / dism / diskpart / bcdedit tools.

12 Reboot FREEBoth

In short: restarts the PC when the repair is done — normally, or straight into the Windows Recovery Environment for one boot (online only).

What it does

Offline: a simple confirmed normal restart.
Online: Reboot Normally or Reboot to Windows Recovery Environment (one time).
The one-time recovery reboot checks that WinRE is enabled first.

When to use it

After any repair (most repairs end with a suggestion to reboot).
To get into WinRE with a single click from the desktop.

How to use it

Click 12. Reboot.
Offline: press Yes for a normal restart.
Online: choose Reboot Normally or Reboot to Windows Recovery Environment (one time).
Confirm — the PC restarts immediately.

Technical details — exact commands

# Normal reboot (after a Continue/Cancel confirmation)
wpeutil reboot              # when running from WinPE
shutdown /r /t 0            # otherwise

# One-time recovery boot (online only)
reagentc /boottore
shutdown /r /t 0

If WinRE is disabled the option refuses with: “Windows Recovery Environment is not enabled. Enable or repair WinRE first using 'Repair / Enable Recovery'…” and logs [FAILED] Cannot reboot to Recovery mode because WinRE is disabled or unavailable.

Requirements: FREE · only the scan-readiness guard · one-time recovery reboot requires Online mode + WinRE enabled.

Menu 2 → Blue Screen Error Quick Repair Options (61 fixes)

Menu 2: Specific BSOD & Boot Error Fixes shows one button per scenario. Clicking a button does not run anything immediately: it builds a repair plan, shows a checklist, and runs only what you leave ticked.

How every Menu 2 fix works (common pipeline)

Guards. Scan must be complete → PRO activation → boot/scheme mismatch and Windows-partition checks. 15 of the 61 fixes stay Offline only (#1, #4, #6, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #28, #29, #51, #53, #54, #60 — anything that rebuilds the boot sector / BCD store or replaces registry hive files, because Windows holds those locked while it runs); the other 46 also run from a live Windows. In online mode a warning appears before the step list — repairing from WinRE/WinPE gives a far better success rate — and any step of an otherwise-online fix that cannot run here is shown unticked, greyed out and marked “offline only, not available here”.
Step list. A “Select Repair Steps” dialog appears with all steps ticked by default (“Choose which steps to run for this BSOD fix. Uncheck any you want to skip:”).
BitLocker wrap. If protection is on, “Suspend BitLocker on X:” is added as the first step and “Resume BitLocker on X:” as the last.
Alternatives. Where applicable you can instead tick an alternative that runs only: Run System Restore (only), Restore Registry from RegBack (only), or Remove Latest Windows Update (only).
Run. Press Run Selected (or Cancel). Each step is logged as its own sub-section with [SUCCESS]/[FAILED]; the environment is rescanned afterwards and a reboot dialog is offered.

Shared building blocks

Pipeline	What it runs
Boot / BCD repair	`bootrec /fixboot` → (Legacy BIOS only) `bootsect /nt60 <SystemDrive> /mbr` → `bootrec /fixmbr` → `bootrec /scanos` → `bootrec /rebuildbcd` → `bcdboot <Win>\Windows /s <efi> /f UEFI` (or `/f BIOS` on Legacy).
Pending update reset	`dism /Image:<Win>\ /Cleanup-Image /RevertPendingActions /ScratchDir:<Win>\Temp` → on failure deletes `WinSxS\pending.xml` and `poqexec.log`.
Deep system repair	DISM `/RestoreHealth` → SFC `/scannow` (offline switches) → `echo Y\|chkdsk <Win> /f` (deep variant adds `/r`).
Recovery restore	The WinRE engine from Menu 1 option 2 (`reagentc /enable`, `/setreimage`, BCD recovery pointers).
Normal boot restore	Clears `safeboot`, `safebootalternateshell`, `bootsequence`, sets `recoveryenabled Yes`.
Registry safety copy	`copy /y "<Win>\Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM" "...SYSTEM.VMTPREMOD"` before registry surgery.

All 61 scenarios

Group A — Boot, BCD and status errors (1–14) get individual, hand-tuned repair plans:

#	Button	Use when	What the fix runs
1	INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE	Windows stops after disk changes, driver updates or disk corruption — common after SSD cloning, AHCI/RAID switches, or backup/antivirus filter drivers.	Revert pending updates → boot sector/MBR/BCD repair → storage-driver registry repair (clears corrupt `UpperFilters/LowerFilters`, re-enables 32 boot-critical storage services) → DISM+SFC+chkdsk → WinRE restore → SYSTEM-hive RegBack check.
2	CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED	A critical system process terminates unexpectedly — usually corrupted system files or drivers.	Revert pending updates → DISM + SFC + chkdsk.
3	CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED	A critical service fails to start — bad driver, corrupted service configuration or malware.	Revert pending updates → restore normal boot mode → deep DISM + SFC + chkdsk.
4	OPERATING SYSTEM WASN'T FOUND	Black-screen errors: “An operating system wasn't found”, “No bootable device”, “Missing Operating System”, “Reboot and Select proper Boot device”, “Insert boot media”.	If no disk is visible: storage-driver recovery (re-enable controller/disk, re-scan inbox drivers, load Intel RST/VMD, AMD RAID or NVMe driver from USB). If the disk is visible: boot-sector/BCD repair + chkdsk.
5	SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED	A system thread throws an unhandled exception — usually driver-related.	Same as #2: revert pending updates → DISM + SFC + chkdsk.
6	AUTOMATIC REPAIR COULDN'T REPAIR YOUR PC	Windows automatic startup repair failed; deeper fixes are needed.	Revert pending updates → boot sector repair → `chkdsk /f /r` → bcdboot → WinRE restore → DISM + SFC.
7	BITLOCKER RECOVERY KEY LOOP / 0x12000002	Windows asks for the BitLocker recovery key after a BCD or Windows update. Runs online too	Suspend BitLocker → (offline) boot repair + chkdsk → WinRE restore → eject CD/DVD drives → re-enable BitLocker. Needs a dangerous-action confirmation.
8	BCD MISSING / CORRUPT	BCD missing or corrupted — after partition deletion, disk errors or multi-boot changes.	Revert pending updates → boot repair → chkdsk → WinRE restore.
9	ERROR 0xc0000034	Missing or incorrect boot entries — common after updates or driver installs.	Revert pending updates → `bootrec /fixboot` + `/scanos` + `/rebuildbcd` + bcdboot → chkdsk → WinRE restore.
10	ERROR 0xc0000001	A required device is inaccessible or the boot configuration is invalid.	Revert pending updates → boot sector + `/fixmbr` → bcdboot → deep DISM+SFC+chkdsk → WinRE restore.
11	ERROR 0xc000014c	The BCD file is invalid (similar to BCD corruption).	Revert pending updates → boot sector → `/fixmbr` + `/rebuildbcd` → bcdboot → deep system repair → WinRE restore.
12	ERROR 0xc00000bb	Boot selection failed because of an inaccessible device — check disk connections and storage health.	Revert pending updates → boot sector → bcdboot + `/scanos` → DISM → SFC → WinRE restore.
13	WINRE DISABLED / RECOVERY LOOP	Stuck in a recovery loop or WinRE missing from the boot menu. Only fix that does not require a detected Windows partition	Revert pending updates → boot + BCD repair → WinRE restore → DISM → SFC.
14	DRIVER / UPDATE BOOT FAILURE	A recent driver or Windows Update prevents booting.	Revert pending updates → restore normal boot mode → deep DISM + SFC + chkdsk.

Group B — File-system and boot-volume stop codes (15–16, 28–29):

#	Button	Use when	What the fix runs
15	NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM (0x00000024)	NTFS file-system driver error. Usually disk corruption, bad sectors, or a failing drive.	Disk check first: `echo Y\|chkdsk <Win> /f` → DISM → SFC → WinRE restore.
16	FAT_FILE_SYSTEM (0x00000023)	FAT file-system driver error. Usually a corrupted FAT table or bad sectors.	`echo Y\|chkdsk <Win> /f` → WinRE restore (no DISM/SFC for this one).
28	HAL_INITIALIZATION_FAILED (0x0000005C)	Hardware Abstraction Layer failed to initialize. Usually corrupted boot files or HAL.	Boot/BCD repair → DISM → SFC → `chkdsk /f /r` → WinRE restore.
29	UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME (0x000000ED)	Windows cannot mount the boot volume. Usually a corrupted boot sector or file-system errors.	Boot/BCD repair → DISM → SFC → `chkdsk /f /r` → WinRE restore.

Group C — Driver, memory and hardware stop codes (17–27, 30–50, 52, 55, 57–59, 61) all share one identical repair body — called standard deep repair in the toolkit (RunOfflineSystemRepair): Component store repair (DISM) → System file repair (SFC) → Disk check (chkdsk /r) → Recovery environment restore (WinRE). Each button exists so you can pick the stop code you actually saw on screen (and so the log names it).

#	Button	Use when
17	SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (0x0000003B)	Exception in a system service routine. Often outdated/incompatible drivers or corrupted system files.
18	KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x0000001E)	Kernel-mode program generated an unhandled exception. Usually faulty drivers or corrupted system files.
19	IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (0x0000000A)	Kernel-mode process or driver accessed invalid memory. Usually incompatible or faulty drivers.
20	PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (0x00000050)	Windows requested data that is not in memory. Usually faulty RAM, disk corruption, or bad drivers.
21	BAD_POOL_HEADER (0x00000019)	Memory pool header is corrupted. Usually faulty drivers or disk corruption.
22	MEMORY_MANAGEMENT (0x0000001A)	Severe memory management error. Usually faulty RAM, disk corruption, or page-file issues.
23	DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION (0x00000133)	Deferred procedure call timeout. Often SSD firmware issues or incompatible drivers.
24	VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE (0x00000116)	Display driver stopped responding. Usually a faulty or overheating GPU.
25	KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE (0x00000139)	Kernel security check detected corruption. Usually corrupted drivers or memory issues.
26	WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR (0x00000124)	Fatal hardware error. Usually a failing CPU, RAM, motherboard, or overheating.
27	SYSTEM_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR (0x0000007A)	Kernel could not read data from disk. Usually bad sectors, a failing drive, or loose cables.
30	VIDEO_SCHEDULER_INTERNAL_ERROR (0x00000119)	Video scheduler fatal violation. Usually a faulty or overheating GPU driver.
31	ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORY (0x000000BE)	A driver attempted to write to read-only memory. Usually a faulty driver.
32	DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (0x000000D1)	Driver accessed invalid memory at high IRQL. Usually a faulty or incompatible driver.
33	REFERENCE_BY_POINTER (0x00000018)	Kernel object reference-count error. Usually a faulty driver or memory corruption.
34	KERNEL_MODE_HEAP_CORRUPTION (0x0000013A)	Kernel heap corruption detected. Usually a faulty driver with a buffer overflow.
35	APC_INDEX_MISMATCH (0x00000001)	Asynchronous procedure call index mismatch. Usually a faulty driver or driver conflict.
36	DATA_BUS_ERROR (0x0000002E)	Parity error in system memory. Usually faulty RAM or a failing motherboard.
37	HARDWARE_INTERRUPT_STORM (0x000000F2)	A hardware device generated too many interrupts. Usually failing hardware or a faulty driver.
38	RESOURCE_NOT_OWNED (0x000000E3)	Thread tried to release a resource it does not own. Usually a faulty driver.
39	WORKER_THREAD_RETURNED_AT_BAD_IRQL (0x000000E1)	Worker thread returned at elevated IRQL. Usually a faulty driver.
40	PROCESS_HAS_LOCKED_PAGES (0x00000076)	Process terminated while holding locked pages. Usually a faulty driver.
41	SPECIAL_POOL_DETECTED_MEMORY_CORRUPTION (0x000000C1)	Memory corruption detected in special pool. Usually a faulty driver with a buffer overrun.
42	BUGCODE_USB_DRIVER (0x000000FE)	Fatal error in a USB driver. Usually a faulty USB driver or an incompatible USB device.
43	NO_MORE_IRP_STACK_LOCATIONS (0x00000035)	IRP has no more stack locations. Usually too many layered drivers or a faulty driver.
44	CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT (0x00000101)	Clock interrupt timeout on a secondary processor. Usually a hardware issue or CPU overheating.
45	UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP (0x0000007F)	Fatal CPU trap. Usually failing CPU/RAM, overheating, or overclocking.
46	KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x0000008E)	Kernel-mode exception not handled. Usually a faulty driver or bad RAM.
47	DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE (0x0000009F)	Driver in an invalid power state. Usually a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPU or USB driver power-management bug.
48	VIDEO_DRIVER_INIT_FAILURE (0x000000B4)	Windows could not initialize the video driver. Usually a corrupted or incompatible GPU driver.
49	VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED (0x00000117)	GPU did not respond within the timeout. Usually a GPU driver timeout, overheating, or a failing GPU.
50	PFN_LIST_CORRUPT (0x0000004E)	Page Frame Number list is corrupt. Usually defective RAM or a driver issue.
52	KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR (0x00000077)	Kernel stack page could not be read from disk. Usually bad sectors, bad RAM, or a corrupted page file.
55	BAD_POOL_CALLER (0x000000C2)	Invalid pool allocation request. Usually a faulty driver or bad RAM.
57	DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL (0x000000C5)	Driver corrupted the executive pool. Usually a faulty third-party driver.
58	PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR (0x000000CA)	Plug and Play manager fatal error. Usually a faulty USB/PCI driver or incompatible hardware.
59	THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER (0x000000EA)	Thread stuck in device driver. Usually a buggy GPU driver or an overheating GPU.
61	WIN32K_CALLOUT_WATCHDOG_LIVEDUMP (0x000001A1)	Win32k callout routine timeout. Usually a GPU/display driver issue or a firmware problem.

Group D — Special-cased fixes (51, 53, 54, 56, 60) get a tailored repair plan instead of the standard body:

#	Button	Use when	What the fix runs
51	REGISTRY_ERROR (0x00000051)	Registry hive failed to load or became corrupt. Usually disk errors or failed updates.	Reset pending updates → `chkdsk /f` → DISM → SFC → restore `SYSTEM` + `SOFTWARE` from RegBack → WinRE restore.
53	PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED (0x0000006B)	System process initialization failed during boot. Usually corrupted boot files or BCD.	Boot/BCD repair → DISM → SFC → `chkdsk /f /r` → WinRE restore.
54	BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO (0x00000074)	`SYSTEM` registry or BCD is corrupted/misconfigured. Usually a corrupted SYSTEM hive.	Boot/BCD repair → `chkdsk /f` → DISM → SFC → restore `SYSTEM` from RegBack → WinRE restore.
56	DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION (0x000000C4)	Driver Verifier found a violation. Disable Verifier, then update the flagged driver.	DISM → SFC → `chkdsk /f` → `verifier /reset` → WinRE restore.
60	CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION (0x000000F4)	Critical process/thread terminated. Usually corrupted system files, a failing disk, or a buggy driver.	`chkdsk /f` → DISM → SFC → boot/BCD repair → WinRE restore.

What happens after a Menu 2 fix runs

Only the steps you left ticked run; each one is logged as its own sub-section with [SUCCESS] / [FAILED].
The affected environment scopes are rescanned automatically (BCD, WinRE, BitLocker, safe-boot flags — depending on the fix).
A reboot dialog is offered. Reboot and confirm the error is gone before running anything else.
If the first attempt does not help, re-run the same option but untick everything except one alternative: Run System Restore (only), Restore Registry from RegBack (only) or Remove Latest Windows Update (only).

Order that works best for a stubborn boot failure: 1) Manage Windows Updates → Reset Pending Updates (Menu 1 → 6) → 2) the matching Menu 2 fix → 3) Menu 1 → 3 (DISM) then 4 (SFC) → 4) a registry/System Restore fallback.

Suggested Actions list

The Suggested Actions panel sits under the log console (drag its top splitter to resize — default height 126 px). It is regenerated after every scan and after most repairs. Most rows are clickable: hover an actionable row (the pointer becomes a hand and the text underlines), click it, confirm in the dialog and the matching System Status repair runs for you. Rows that only carry advice are not clickable.

Colours: red — critical (act now) · orange/yellow — warning · white — informational.

Triggered by	Suggested message (severity)
More than one disk containing Windows	Confirm the correct target disk before running repairs. (warning)
Boot mode does not match disk scheme	Set firmware to UEFI (for GPT) or Legacy/CSM (for MBR); BCD rebuild and Repair / Enable Recovery may fail until they are aligned. (critical)
Multiple EFI / System / Recovery partitions	Keep only the active EFI partition with a valid BCD, one boot partition and one recovery partition — use File → Manage Extra Partitions… (warning)
EFI or System partition not detected	Use Repair / Enable Recovery and Rebuild Boot Files / BCD carefully. (critical)
Recovery partition missing	Use option 2 “Repair / Enable Recovery”. (warning)
`bcdedit /enum active` fails / no boot loader entry	BCD query failed or boot loader entries are missing — run option 1 “Rebuild Boot Files / BCD”. (critical)
WinRE disabled, or BCD `recoveryenabled` is No	Use option 2 “Repair / Enable Recovery” (plus option 1 for the BCD flag). (critical)
BCD health / boot sector / MBR active flag bad	Run option 1 “Rebuild Boot Files / BCD”. (critical)
Safe-mode or recovery boot loop detected	Clear the forced boot flag — Menu 1 option 7 “Clear Safe Mode / Recovery Boot”. (critical)
Active boot partition missing	Rebuild Boot Files / BCD is required. (critical)
WinRE path empty	Use option 2 “Repair / Enable Recovery”. (warning)
Registry backup Missing / Partially available	Take a registry backup before further repairs (Menu 1 option 4). (warning)
Custom VMTechs RegBack missing	Consider creating one from option 4. (warning)
Critical log errors or critical event errors found	Open the log-errors viewer from System Status; N errors/events found. (warning / critical)
Minidump files present, crash dump disabled	Review the crash dumps for the faulting driver (option 10) and enable a dump type (option 8). (warning)
Missing/corrupted boot-critical system files	Use System Files Repair (DISM/SFC) — Menu 1 options 3 and 4. (critical)
Log lines containing `FAILURE` / `WARNING`	Shown newest-first and deduplicated, one line per distinct problem. (critical / warning)
Nothing wrong found	“No immediate repair actions suggested. System layout looks consistent.” (info)

System Status bar

The System Status bar is the 35-row dashboard between the log console and the bottom of the window (drag “Drag to resize System Status bar” to grow it). Every value comes from the environment scan, updates after each repair, and can be re-checked on demand. It is the fastest way to answer two questions: “what is wrong with this machine?” and “did my repair actually change anything?”

The six sections (left to right)

Each section has its own tinted background, its own header colour and its own refresh control. Rows are listed below in the exact order they are painted on screen:

Section	Rows, top to bottom	Header control
Disk Details	Target · Windows Partition · Boot Mode · Disk Scheme · Mode/Scheme · Disk Health · Boot Sector · Free Space on (X)	↻ refreshes the whole section
Boot Config Details	Boot Partition · BCD · Extra EFI / Extra Sys Partitions · Safe Mode Boot Loop · Recovery Boot Loop · Active (MBR only) · Dual/Multi boots	↻ refreshes the whole section
Recovery Details	Recovery Status · Recovery Partition · Recovery Enabled on · WinRE Path · BCD Recovery · Extra Recovery Partitions	↻ refreshes the whole section
Protection & Registry Details	System Restore · Reg Backup · Custom Reg Backup · Auto Restart on Failure · Registry Files	↻ refreshes the whole section
System Files Details	System Files (missing / corrupted files from the 24-file check list) · Full System File Check (read-only `sfc /verifyonly`, started by hand)	↻ refreshes the row — on Full System File Check it starts the check
Diagnostics Details	Crash Dump · Event Log · Debug · Boot Log · Minidumps · Critical Log Errors · Critical Event Errors	Check button (runs all seven rows)

Anatomy of a row

↻ — refresh icon: re-checks only this row.
Label — bold name of the value (Boot Sector:, BCD:, …). A few labels change with what was found: Extra EFI Partitions on GPT vs Extra Sys Partitions on MBR, Free Space on C: once the Windows letter is known, or the file name itself in the System Files row.
Value — the coloured readout. Long values (WinRE path, boot partition) wrap onto extra lines inside the row instead of being cut off.
Hover tooltip — every row shows a popup with a one-line explanation plus what a click would do.

Interacting with the bar

Click a value (pointer cursor, underline on hover) to run the action that fixes that row.
Click a section header ↻ to re-scan every row of that section at once.
Click empty space — nothing happens, deliberately, so a stray click never interrupts a task.
While a repair runs, clicks answer “Another option is currently running…”; during the environment scan they are refused until it finishes.
If the six columns do not fit (narrow WinRE/WinPE windows) the bar shows horizontal and vertical scrollbars — the section header strip stays fixed while you scroll down.

Value colours (dark and light themes use the same meanings, different shades):

Cyan / teal — OK, Enabled, Match, Yes, or a plain informational value. Nothing to do.

Light blue — Scanning: the row is being (re)checked right now, or a refresh spinner is running.

Yellow — Unknown or Disabled. Not necessarily broken: the check failed, was skipped, or the feature is simply switched off.

Red — Missing, Damaged, Needs Repair, Missed, Duplicate, a boot loop, or free space under 5 GB. These are the rows to act on.

Violet — an action you performed in this session (the value was rewritten by a repair, not by the scan).

Underline + hand cursor — the value is clickable; hover shows the exact action before you commit.

Disk Details

Row	Values you may see	What it means — and what a click does
Target	`Disk 0` · `Not Detected` · `Re-scan` · `Scanning` · `Unknown`	The physical disk every repair in this run applies to; change it in the top-left disk list. `Not Detected` in WinRE/WinPE almost always means the storage driver is missing. Click (when no disk was found): loads a storage driver and re-discovers the disks — after a successful load the value becomes `Re-scan`. PRO
Windows Partition	`C:` (drive letter) · `Scanning` · `Unknown`	The Windows installation being scanned and repaired (also the drive used by free-space, system-file and registry checks). Display-only — pick a different Windows install in the top-left panel.
Boot Mode	`UEFI` · `Legacy BIOS` · `Unknown`	Firmware boot type reported by the machine. Display-only.
Disk Scheme	`GPT` · `MBR` · `Unknown`	Partition style of the target disk. Display-only.
Mode/Scheme	`Match` · `Mismatch`	Whether firmware mode and disk scheme agree (UEFI requires GPT, Legacy/CSM requires MBR). A mismatch silently breaks BCD and WinRE repairs. Click on `Mismatch`: opens step-by-step instructions for changing the firmware setting (or converting the disk with `mbr2gpt`).
Disk Health	`Check` · `Scanning` · `Needs Repair` · `OK`	Result of the read-only CHKDSK scan of the Windows drive (the scan is auto-skipped in online mode, hence `Check`). Click `Check`: runs the read-only scan now and reports pass/fail. Click `Needs Repair`: confirms and runs `chkdsk /F /X /R` — offline only, heavy, back up first. PRO
Boot Sector	`OK` · `Damaged` · `Missing` · `Unknown`	Raw-sector check of the MBR `55AA` signature + boot code and of the partition boot sector (VBR). Click on `Damaged`/`Missing`: rewrites the boot code (`bootrec /fixmbr` on MBR disks, `bootsect /nt60` + `bootrec /fixboot`); refused inside a booted Windows — use WinRE/WinPE. PRO
Free Space on (X)	`12.4 GB` · `900 MB` · `Scanning` · `Unknown`	Free space on the Windows partition. Under 5 GB the value turns red and clickable because DISM, Windows Update and the hibernation file all need room. Click: offers the Free Up Disk Space* cleanup (online: Disk Cleanup, hibernation, pagefile; offline: page/hiber/swap files, Temp + SoftwareDistribution, Windows.old, DISM component cleanup). PRO*

Boot Config Details

Row	Values you may see	What it means — and what a click does
Boot Partition	`EFI S:` · `Sys S:` · `Missing` · `Unknown`	The partition that holds the boot files: the EFI System partition on GPT, the System Reserved partition on MBR. Click on `Missing`: rebuilds the boot files / BCD (offline WinRE/WinPE only). PRO
BCD	`OK` · `Needs Repair` · `Missed` · `Unknown`	Health of the Boot Configuration Data store and its boot loader entries. Click on `Needs Repair`/`Missed`: rebuilds the BCD (offline only); when duplicate boot partitions exist it opens the duplicate-partition manager instead. PRO
Extra EFI / Extra Sys Partitions	`Yes` · `No` · `Unknown`	More than one EFI (GPT) or System (MBR) partition exists — the classic cause of “the firmware boots the wrong partition”. Click on `Yes`: opens Manage Extra Partitions* with view / delete / recreate options that back up before changing anything.*
Safe Mode Boot Loop	`Yes` · `No` · `Unknown`	The BCD `safeboot` flag forces Windows into Safe Mode on every restart. Click on `Yes`: after a confirmation, deletes `safeboot` / `safebootalternateshell` from `{default}` so Windows boots normally. PRO
Recovery Boot Loop	`Yes` · `No` · `Unknown`	The default entry boots the WinRE ramdisk, or a `recoverysequence`/`bootsequence` override is set → Windows loops into recovery forever. Click on `Yes`: clears the recovery overrides (and rebuilds the BCD when `{default}` itself is the WinRE ramdisk); offline only. PRO
Active	`Yes` · `No` · `N/A` · hidden on GPT	MBR only: whether the System partition carries the Active (bootable) flag. The row is not drawn at all on GPT disks, where the concept does not exist. Click on `No`: marks the System partition Active with `diskpart`. PRO
Dual/Multi boots	`None` · `Single` · `3 OSes`	How many Windows OS loader entries live in the local BCD store. Click when more than one exists: lists every entry with `INVALID` / `REPEATED` status and a Delete button per bad entry. PRO (deleting an entry)

Recovery Details

Row	Values you may see	What it means — and what a click does
Recovery Status	`Enabled` · `Disabled` · `Unknown`	Whether the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) is enabled on this machine. Click on `Disabled`: enables / restores WinRE (option 2 behaviour). PRO
Recovery Partition	`R:` (letter) · `No` · `Unknown`	The dedicated recovery partition on the disk. Click on `No`: searches for / prepares a recovery partition and stages WinRE on it. PRO
Recovery Enabled on	drive letter — row hidden otherwise	Shown only when WinRE genuinely lives on a Recovery partition (`\Recovery\WindowsRE\`); a staged copy under `Windows\System32\Recovery` deliberately does not count, so the label never lies. Clickable when WinRE sits on the Windows partition while a separate recovery partition exists → moves WinRE onto the recovery partition. PRO
WinRE Path	full path (wraps to two lines) · `Unavailable` · `Unknown`	Where `winre.wim` is installed. `Unavailable` = WinRE is not installed or not enabled. Click on `Unavailable`: searches for and enables WinRE. PRO
BCD Recovery	`Yes` · `No` · `Unknown`	The `recoveryenabled` flag on `{default}` — whether F8 / recovery options are offered at boot. Click on `No`: sets `recoveryenabled Yes` (and restores WinRE if it is missing). PRO
Extra Recovery Partitions	`Yes` · `No` · `Unknown`	More than one recovery partition exists; when `Yes`, one extra row per partition appears underneath with View, Hide letter, Delete and Make storage volume buttons. Click on `Yes`: opens the duplicate-recovery manager (each action backs up first; delete / convert / hide ask for PRO). PRO

Protection & Registry Details

Row	Values you may see	What it means — and what a click does
System Restore	`Enabled` · `Disabled` · `Unknown`	Whether System Restore is switched on (checked via the registry disable flags, the SR service, WMI `RPSessionInterval` and shadow-copy presence). Click: opens the System Restore dialog to create a restore point or roll back. PRO
Reg Backup	`Available` · `Partially Available` · `Missing` · `Unknown`	Windows' automatic `RegBack` folder: all five core hives and `DRIVERS` = Available; core hives only = Partially Available (hover shows the backup date). Click: opens Backup / Restore Registry.
Custom Reg Backup	`Available` · `Missing` · `Unknown`	The toolkit's own `VMTechsRegBack` copy of SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, SAM, SECURITY, DEFAULT and DRIVERS. Click: opens Backup / Restore Registry. PRO
Auto Restart on Failure	`Enabled` · `Disabled` · `Unknown`	The `CrashControl\AutoReboot` flag: whether Windows restarts itself after a blue screen (set it to Disabled while diagnosing so you can read the stop code). Click: toggles between Enabled and Disabled. PRO
Registry Files	`Available` · `Hive file(s) missing` · `Not available` · `Scanning`	Presence of the five live hive files (SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, SAM, SECURITY, DEFAULT) under `\Windows\System32\Config`. Click when a hive is missing: opens the Registry Hive manager to back up / restore / repair the hives. PRO

System Files Details

Row	Values you may see	What it means — and what a click does
System Files	`No Issue Detected` · Missing System File (name): `Repair` · Missing/Corrupted System File (Multiple): `Repair`	Presence check of a fixed list of 24 boot-critical files on the Windows partition, plus the file blamed by the last analyzed crash dump when it is a kernel/driver component. A present file counts as intact; only a genuinely missing one (or one explicitly blamed by a dump) is reported, and the label names it. Click `Repair`: lists the problematic files and offers per-file replacement from a known-good source or a DISM/SFC image repair. PRO
Full System File Check	`Check` · `Checking` · `Check Failed` · `Issues Detected` · `No Issues`	A manual, read-only `sfc /verifyonly` run against the Windows installation on the scanned partition: Windows compares every protected system file with the copy it keeps in its component store and reports the ones that differ. It never starts on its own — it takes several minutes, so the environment scan leaves the row parked on `Check`; offline it uses `/offbootdir` and `/offwindir` to check the partition being scanned rather than the running system. Click `Check`: starts the check — it only looks, nothing is repaired, and the run is free in any edition. The row's ↻ starts it too, and re-runs it from `Check Failed` or `No Issues`. `Issues Detected`: opens a tool chooser with `DISM /RestoreHealth`, `SFC /ScanNow` or both ticked (DISM first, then SFC) — the repair half PRO

The 24 files the System Files row checks

The list is fixed and compiled into the toolkit — it does not depend on what the scan finds. Each path is relative to <WinDrive>:\Windows\. If the Windows drive letter is not known yet, the row reports that instead of a result.

Technical details — the full list, grouped as the toolkit holds it

User-mode processes (7): System32\csrss.exe, System32\smss.exe, System32\winlogon.exe, System32\wininit.exe, System32\lsass.exe, System32\services.exe, System32\svchost.exe.

Kernel / core (4): System32\ntoskrnl.exe, System32\hal.dll, System32\ntdll.dll, System32\win32k.sys.

Base libraries (9): System32\kernel32.dll, System32\kernelbase.dll, System32\user32.dll, System32\gdi32.dll, System32\advapi32.dll, System32\ole32.dll, System32\msvcrt.dll, System32\combase.dll, System32\win32u.dll.

Boot drivers (4): System32\drivers\ntfs.sys, System32\drivers\ndis.sys, System32\drivers\tcpip.sys, System32\drivers\msrpc.sys.

How a file is classified: each entry is checked and held as one of three states — OK (file present), MISSING (the repair target) or PRESENT (seen but reported through the crash-dump path). On the fixed list, PRESENT counts as OK: the toolkit does not call a file corrupt just because it exists. The only exception is the file the last analyzed crash dump blamed — that one is reported as a suspect and can be repaired even while it is present on disk, because a dump is direct evidence and a size/version check is not.

Diagnostics Details

Why every row starts at “Not checked - click Check”: diagnostics are deliberately not collected during the environment scan, so the app stays fast to start. Press Check in the section header to run all seven rows at once, or use a row's own ↻ to run just that one (both mark the section as checked). Until then the placeholder text has no action.

Row	Values after Check	What it means — and what a click does
Crash Dump	`None` · `Small memory` · `Kernel memory` · `Complete memory` · `Automatic memory` · `Active memory` · `Unknown`	The configured crash-dump type. `None` is shown in red: no dump will be written on the next blue screen, so there is nothing to analyze later. Click: opens Configure System Failure Settings* (dump type, write an event log, auto-restart) — available in any state. PRO*
Event Log	`Enabled` · `Disabled` · `Unknown`	Whether Windows error/event logging (`LogEvent`) is switched on. Display-only — use Menu 1 → option 10 Event Viewer* to read the logs.*
Debug	`Enabled` · `Not Enabled` · `Unknown`	The BCD `debug` flag (kernel debugging mode). Click on `Not Enabled`/`Unknown`: opens the Manage Debugging/Boot Logging* dialog.*
Boot Log	`Enabled` · `Not Enabled` · `Unknown`	The BCD `bootlog` flag — whether `ntbtlog.txt` records every driver loaded at boot. Click on `Not Enabled`/`Unknown`: opens the Manage Debugging/Boot Logging* dialog.*
Minidumps	`0` · `4` (count)	Number of `.dmp` files in `Windows\Minidump` — each one is a past blue screen. Click when the count is above 0: opens the Dump Analyzer / Analyze & Fix BSOD to identify the faulting driver. PRO*
Critical Log Errors	`0` · `12` (count)	Critical `FAILURE` lines found while reading the system logs (shown newest-first and deduplicated). Click when above 0: opens the log-errors dialog with details and fix recommendations.
Critical Event Errors	`0` · `7` (count)	Critical/Error events collected from the Windows Event Viewer logs. Click when above 0: opens the full event details and analysis dialog.

Which clicks ask for a PRO key?

The bar mixes repair actions with free viewers. Every row that changes something asks for activation: Target (storage-driver flow), Disk Health, Boot Sector, all six Recovery rows, System Restore, Custom Reg Backup, Auto Restart on Failure, Boot Partition, BCD, Safe Mode Boot Loop, Recovery Boot Loop, Active, System Files → Repair, Full System File Check → its repair (the check itself is free), plus Free Space, Registry Files, the extra-recovery-partition buttons and boot-entry deletion. Everything informational or diagnostic (Mode/Scheme instructions, Reg Backup, Debug, Boot Log, the two error-count dialogs) stays free — the same split as the FREE vs PRO matrix.

Reading the bar at a glance

Healthy system: Target and Windows Partition resolve to real values · Mode/Scheme = Match · Disk Health = OK, Boot Sector = OK · Boot Partition found, BCD = OK, no Extra partitions, no boot loops, Active = Yes (MBR) · Recovery Status = Enabled on a recovery partition, WinRE Path set, BCD Recovery = Yes, no Extra recovery partitions · System Restore = Enabled, both registry backups Available, Registry Files Available · System Files = No Issue Detected · after a Diagnostics Check: Minidumps 0, both error counts 0, Crash Dump configured · free space above 5 GB.

Triage order when it is not healthy (fix one red row, then re-scan before moving on):

Target / Windows Partition — without a detected disk nothing else can be trusted (load the storage driver first in WinRE/WinPE).
Mode/Scheme Mismatch — align firmware and disk scheme; every boot repair below depends on it.
Disk Health & Boot Sector — a failing disk or missing boot code invalidates all higher-level repairs.
Boot Config — Boot Partition, BCD, Extra partitions, the two boot loops, Active.
Recovery — status, partition, WinRE path, BCD recovery flag, extra partitions.
System Files & Protection — DISM/SFC for corrupt files, then System Restore / registry backups.
Diagnostics — run Check last: minidumps and error counts tell you why it broke and whether the repair worked.

After every repair, refresh the affected section (↻) or use File → Rescan Environment and confirm the row turned cyan — and reboot to prove it outside the toolkit.

Environment scan

Every run starts with Initializing environment scan…. The scan runs on a 250 ms timer so the UI stays responsive, fills the header progress bar, and every option stays disabled until it finishes (EnsureScanReady). If you interrupt it, actions that need a Windows partition refuse with “the environment scan was stopped before it could complete” and tell you how to restart it.

What it discovers

Firmware boot mode (UEFI / Legacy) and disk scheme (GPT / MBR), plus whether they match.
The target disk, the Windows partition, EFI System partition, System/boot partition and Recovery partition.
Boot sector state, MBR active flag, BCD health and boot entries (dual/multi-boot).
WinRE status and path, BitLocker protection/lock state, forced safe-mode / recovery boot flags.
System Restore, registry backups (Windows RegBack + the toolkit's own backup), crash-dump type.
Diagnostics counts: critical log errors, critical event errors, minidumps, boot-critical system files.

How to re-run it

File → Rescan Environment — full scan.
The ↻ refresh icon next to the progress bar — full scan without leaving the current screen.
After most repairs only the affected scopes are refreshed automatically: BCD, WinRE, BitLocker, PartitionLetters, DuplicateParts, SafeBoot.
If no disk shows up in WinRE/WinPE, load the storage driver (Device Manager / Load Storage Driver) and rescan.

Offline only for structural repairs: the scan itself works in both modes, but repairs that rewrite boot records are refused while the toolkit runs inside a booted Windows.

Menu bar (File / View / Help)

Menu	Command	What it does
File	Open…	Opens a text/log/ini/cmd file in the log console (custom file dialog, works offline).
	Save Output…	Saves the whole log console to a file (default `vmtech-toolkit-log.txt`) — the file you attach when asking for help.
	Rescan Environment	Runs a full environment scan again (same as the ↻ refresh button).
	Remove Assigned Letters	Removes the drive letters that were given to the RECOVERY, EFI and SYSTEM partitions (including letters that already existed before the app started). Keeps the Windows letter.
	Manage Extra Partitions…	Lists duplicate EFI/System/Recovery partitions with backup-before-change options for removing or recreating them.
	Exit	Closes the toolkit.
View	Dark Theme	Switches the whole UI (including System Status and Suggested Actions colours) to the dark palette.
View	Light Theme	Switches to the light palette for bright rooms / printing.
Help	How To Use	Step-by-step walkthrough dialog for first-time users.
	What's New…	Release notes for the current version — new features and improvements, newest first.
	About	Version, build number and project information.
	Activation…	Enters a license key / uses the USB technician stick to unlock the PRO options.

FREE vs PRO matrix

The toolkit runs and scans without a key. A PRO activation unlocks the repair actions marked PRO below — everything else stays free forever.

Option	License	Where it runs
Menu 1 · L1 Rebuild Boot Files / BCD	PRO	Offline only
Menu 1 · L2 Repair / Enable Recovery	PRO	Both
Menu 1 · L3 System Component Repair (DISM)	PRO	Both
Menu 1 · L4 System File Scan (SFC)	PRO	Both
Menu 1 · L5 Disk File-System Repair (CHKDSK)	PRO	Both
Menu 1 · L6 Manage Windows Updates	PRO to repair · FREE to list · PRO to remove	Both (reset pending = offline only)
Menu 1 · L7 Clear Safe Mode / Recovery Boot	PRO	Offline only
Menu 1 · L8 BitLocker Unlock / Manage	FREE	Both
Menu 1 · L9 Analyze & Fix BSOD	Analysis FREE · Apply PRO	Both (offline preferred)
Menu 1 · L10 Analyze & Fix Log Errors	Scan FREE · Apply PRO	Both (offline preferred)
Menu 1 · L11 Convert MBR to GPT	FREE	Both High impact
Menu 1 · R1 Disk, Partition & BCD Report	FREE	Both
Menu 1 · R2 RAM / Memory Check	FREE	Online
Menu 1 · R3 System Restore & Restore Points	FREE	Both
Menu 1 · R4 Backup Registry Hives	FREE	Both (restore offline)
Menu 1 · R5 Device Manager	PRO	Both
Menu 1 · R6 Driver Verifier	Dialog FREE · Actions PRO	Both
Menu 1 · R7 Clean Boot — Manage Services	PRO	Both
Menu 1 · R8 Configure System Failure Settings	PRO	Both
Menu 1 · R9 Manage Debugging/Boot Logging	FREE	Both
Menu 1 · R10 Event Viewer	FREE	Both
Menu 1 · R11 Create Rescue USB	FREE	Both
Menu 2 · all 61 quick fixes (incl. the step selector)	PRO	Both · 15 of the 61 are offline only

Activation is remembered (registry + optional USB technician stick). Until then the locked buttons open the activation dialog instead of running — no partial or half-applied repair ever starts.

Version history of this guide

Guide build	App version	Changes
03 · 2026-10-11	2.5	Menu 1 reorganised to match the app. 6. Manage Windows Updates is now one option with three actions - Repair Windows Update components, Reset Pending Updates (revert pending actions) and Show / Uninstall Installed Updates - which replaces the old 6. Reset Pending Updates, 7. Manage Windows Updates and right-column 1. Repair Windows Update articles, and 9. Manage Debugging/Boot Logging merges the old 10. Enable Debugging and 11. Enable Boot Logging. The left column now holds 11 options, the right column 12, and Menu 1 holds 23. Guide build 03 also added Create Rescue USB...: turns a USB stick into a bootable rescue drive that starts the toolkit on a PC that will not boot, built on this machine from this PC's own recovery image or from a Windows 10/11 ISO - nothing downloaded, no Windows ADK, FAT32 only, internal disks never a target (the technical details use the VMRescueUSB FAT32 label, at most 11 characters, so the format step always succeeds). The System Status bar reference now matches the app: it documents all 35 rows the bar paints (the 33 numbered checks plus the Free Space and Registry Files rows) instead of 32, and the System Files Details section gained Full System File Check — the manual read-only `sfc /verifyonly` row, free to run in every edition, whose DISM/SFC tool chooser is PRO. Option 8 BitLocker Unlock / Manage gained Enable BitLocker: when no partition is encrypted (or when you pick a decrypted partition in the manage dialog) the app offers to turn BitLocker ON — used-space-only encryption, a new recovery password, hardware test skipped so it works without a TPM — shows and offers to save the key the moment it is created, a failed enable can fix the usual causes (conflicting local BitLocker policies, allow-BitLocker-without-TPM) and retry automatically, and Windows Home / Single Language gets a clear edition explanation pointing at Device Encryption settings instead.
02 · 2026-09-28	2.5	Version reference update for app 2.5: page title, metadata, download button, version pills and footer now read 2.5 / guide build 02. No option content changed - every described option still matches the released build.
01 · 2026-09-25	2.4	First release of this page: how-to, 5-minute quick start, plain-English glossary, safety model & guards, all 25 Menu 1 options (12 repair + 13 diagnostics), all 61 Menu 2 fixes (shared pipeline, building blocks, scenarios grouped A–D, what happens after a fix runs), Suggested Actions, the full System Status bar reference (six sections, all 32 rows, colour legend, PRO gating, triage order), environment scan, menu bar, FREE vs PRO matrix, and a contents list with sub-lists for each group.