How to Remove Updates from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

In this tutorial I ‘ll show to you, how to remove Windows Updates from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). This is useful in case where, after an Update installation, you cannot start (boot) to Windows normally. At this case, the only way to resolve the problem, is to boot your system from a Windows Installation Media and to uninstall the problematic update using the DISM tool in Command Prompt.

Related Article: How to Remove Windows Updates using WUSA and DISM commands.

How to Uninstall Updates in WinRE and DISM tool.

If an update installation fails, then, may cause Windows to fail to start. At this case you can remove the update offline, by following the steps below:

1. Boot your system from a Windows installation media.
2. At the below screen press the SHIFT + F10 keys to launch command prompt. (or press Next > Repair My Computer > Troubleshoot > Command Prompt).

3. At command prompt, get a list of all drives, on your system with this command:

• wmic logicaldisk get name

4. Then find out which drive contains the “Windows” folder, by typing this command: *

• dir drive-letter:

* e.g. To see the contents of the C: drive, type: “dir C:” (without quotes). If you cannot see the “Windows” folder on the C: drive, then continue to the next drive letter (e.g. “dir D:”, “dir E:”, etc.), until see the “Windows” folder.

[As you can see at the screenshot below, the Windows folder (at this case) is located at the D: drive.]

5. Once you find the “Windows” drive (e.g. the “D” in this example), give this command to get a list of installed updates:

• dism.exe /Image:D: /get-packages /format:table

* TIP: if you don’t know the KB name of the update that caused the boot problem, then give the following command to view the installation date of all the installed packages.

• dism.exe /Image:D: /get-packages /format:list

6. At the “Package Identity” column, find out the Package Name of the update that you want to remove.

* e.g. “Package_for_KB4058702~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~16299.188.1.0”

7. Then give the following command to remove the problematic update package:

• dism /image:D: /Remove-Package /PackageName:PackageName

e.g. To remove the “Package_for_KB4025376~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.0 “, give the following command:

• dism /image:D: /Remove-Package /PackageName:Package_for_KB4025376~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.0

8. When the update removal is completed, type exit to close command prompt, then close all windows and shutdown your computer.
9. Finally, remove the Windows Installation Media and start Windows normally.

That’s all folks! Did it work for you?

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