The Tool Desk
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Check the WinRE version on a running PC
- Select Start, type
cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator. - Run
reagentc /info. In the output, note the line labelled Windows RE location. It points to the folder that containswinre.wim, and it is usually on a hidden recovery partition. - Run DISM against that file, using the image index shown for your build (index 1 is typical for WinRE, but confirm it on your system):
reagentc /info
Dism /Get-ImageInfo /ImageFile:\?GLOBALROOTdeviceharddisk0partition4RecoveryWindowsREwinre.wim /index:1The path in the example is only a sample. Your Windows RE location will usually differ in disk number, partition number, and folder, so copy the value from your own reagentc output. The filename and index can also vary, so use the exact details reported on the machine you are inspecting.
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Read the DISM output
DISM prints image metadata. The fields you need are:
- Version: the full image version, in the form
10.0.<build>.<UBR>. - ServicePack Build: the final part of the version, which is the Update Build Revision (UBR).
- ServicePack Level: shown in Microsoft’s examples, and normally
0.
To check whether WinRE includes a particular cumulative update, compare ServicePack Build with that update’s UBR. Microsoft’s Learn example uses a Windows 11 version 22H2 November security update at full version 22621.819, which would show 819. That example illustrates the mapping only; it is not a current target for every machine. If the WinRE value is lower than the update’s target, the recovery image has not been refreshed for that update. A matching or higher value needs no action for that comparison.
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Targets are tied to a specific update and Windows release. For example, Microsoft’s KB5046398 article applies to Windows 11 version 21H2 and gives the expected post-update WinRE version as 10.0.22000.3250. Do not apply that number to any other Windows release or update. Windows 11 21H2 and 22H2 are no longer serviced, so for current systems, use the target listed for your own version in the update’s Microsoft release notes.
Check a Windows image that is not running
To inspect WinRE inside an offline Windows image, mount the image with DISM, then point /Get-ImageInfo at the winre.wim file under WindowsSystem32Recovery in the mounted folder:
Dism /Get-ImageInfo /ImageFile:C:mountWindowsSystem32Recoverywinre.wim /index:1This method suits administrators who check a reference image before deploying it. Replace C:mount with the mount folder you chose.
Other ways to verify servicing
Event Viewer
Open Event Viewer, go to Windows Logs > System, and look for events from the WinREAgent source. Event ID 4501 records WinRE servicing activity. Microsoft recommends DISM as the way to confirm the installed version when WinRE is serviced with DISM or when these events are not available.
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Dynamic Update packages
Installing a Dynamic Update (DU) package does not always change the WinRE version number. Microsoft Learn states that the version changes after a Latest Cumulative Update (LCU) is added. After a DU package is added, run DISM /Get-Packages to confirm that the package is present in the image.
What the check does not change
The version check only reads information. The reagentc /disable and reagentc /enable commands belong to a separate servicing procedure and are not needed to view the version. Also, the KB5046398 update required 250 MB of free space in the recovery partition. That requirement applies when installing the update, not when reading the version.
Common problems
- No Windows RE location or Windows RE status: Disabled in the
reagentc /infooutput: the recovery image is not configured on that machine, so there is nowinre.wimpath to inspect. - DISM cannot find the file: the path was copied from an example rather than from your own output. Re-run
reagentc /infoand use the reported location. - Access denied: the Command Prompt was not opened as administrator.
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The Bottom Line
Run reagentc /info, read the Windows RE location, and check winre.wim with Dism /Get-ImageInfo. Compare the ServicePack Build value only with the target for your specific update and Windows release.
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