Product Guide
4-in-1 Computer Repair Toolkit
Install or reinstall Windows, repair a system that won't start, rescue files off a broken computer, and test failing hardware — all from one drive.
Start with your symptom
Find the row that matches what's happening, then follow the steps below.
| What's happening | What to use |
|---|---|
| Windows won't start, blue screens, or gets stuck in a repair loop | Repair / Recovery — try Startup Repair before anything drastic |
| The computer works but is slow, unstable or infected | Windows Setup — a clean reinstall |
| Windows is beyond saving, but the files still matter | Rescue environment — copy your files to an external drive first |
| Random crashes, freezes or strange noises | Diagnostics — test memory and drive health before reinstalling |
| You've replaced the hard drive and it's empty | Windows Setup — a fresh install |
Rescue your files before you reinstall
Installing Windows erases the drive it's installed onto. If there's anything on that computer you'd miss, boot the drive, plug in an external hard drive, and copy your files across before you start an installation. Look in C:\Users\YourName for Desktop, Documents, Pictures and Downloads.
Using the toolkit
Haven't started your computer from the drive yet? Do that first — the five steps are here.
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Choose from the menu
Once the drive loads you'll see a plain list of the tools on it. Move with the arrow keys and press Enter to select. Your mouse won't work in this menu.
Picked the wrong thing? Restart the computer and boot the drive again — nothing has changed until you actually confirm an action.
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To reinstall Windows
- Choose the Windows Setup entry from the menu.
- Set your language, time and keyboard, then Next.
- Choose Install now.
- Asked for a product key? Choose I don't have a product key. If Windows was activated on this computer before, it reactivates by itself once you're online.
- Choose the edition that matches what the computer had — Home or Pro. The sticker on the case, if there is one, will tell you.
- Choose Custom: Install Windows only.
- Delete the existing partitions on the target drive, select the resulting unallocated space, and choose Next.
- Wait. The computer restarts several times — that's expected. Remove the USB drive at the first restart so it doesn't launch setup all over again.
Windows 11 refusing to install?
It may say your PC doesn't meet the requirements. Windows 11 needs TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and a reasonably recent processor. Check in the BIOS that TPM (sometimes called PTT on Intel or fTPM on AMD) and Secure Boot are enabled — that alone fixes most cases. If the processor is genuinely too old, install Windows 10 instead.
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To repair Windows without reinstalling
Always try this before wiping anything. Choose the recovery or repair option, then:
- Startup Repair — run this first. It fixes most “won't start” problems on its own and changes nothing else.
- System Restore — rolls the computer back to an earlier date. Your personal files are left alone.
- Uninstall Updates — if trouble started right after a Windows update, remove it.
- Command Prompt — for advanced repairs, if you know your way around.
Run Startup Repair two or three times if the first attempt doesn't do it. It sometimes fixes one problem per run.
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To rescue files from a computer that won't start
- Boot the drive and pick a tool that gives you a file browser.
- Plug in an external hard drive or a large USB stick.
- Open the computer's internal drive, usually shown as C:.
- Go to Users, then your account name.
- Copy Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos and Downloads to the external drive.
- Check the copies actually opened properly before you erase anything.
Can't see the C: drive or your files? The drive may be encrypted with BitLocker — you'll need the recovery key — or the drive may be failing.
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To test the hardware
Worth doing before you spend a weekend reinstalling, because faulty hardware causes the same symptoms as a broken Windows.
- Memory test — leave it running for at least one full pass, ideally overnight. Any errors at all mean a bad memory stick.
- Drive health — check the SMART status. A warning here means back up immediately and replace the drive.
If a test reports failures, reinstalling Windows won't help. The part needs replacing.
Common questions
Do I need to buy a Windows product key?
Usually not. Since Windows 10, the licence is stored in the computer's own hardware. If this machine ran an activated copy of Windows before, it reactivates on its own once it's back online. Choose I don't have a product key during setup.
You would need to buy a licence if the computer has never had Windows activated on it — for instance a self-built PC or a brand-new bare drive in a machine that came with Linux.
Setup says it can't find any drives
- In the BIOS, change the storage mode from RAID or Intel RST to AHCI. This is the usual answer on Dell, HP and Lenovo laptops.
- A few very new laptops need a manufacturer-supplied storage driver, downloadable from their support site onto a second USB stick and loaded with Load driver.
- Check the drive is actually detected in the BIOS at all. If the BIOS can't see it either, the drive or its cable has failed.
Get in touch with your model number and we'll point you at the right setting.
After installing, no Wi-Fi, no sound, or the screen looks wrong
Perfectly normal on a fresh install — Windows hasn't fitted the drivers for your specific hardware yet.
- Connect with an ethernet cable if you can, or use a phone tethered over USB.
- Run Settings → Windows Update and let it install everything, repeatedly, until it finds nothing more. This fixes the majority of cases on its own.
- Anything still missing: go to your manufacturer's support site, enter the model or serial number, and download the drivers for that exact machine.
Drivers to look for by name: chipset first, then network, graphics, audio.
It keeps restarting into Windows Setup over and over
The USB drive is still plugged in and the computer keeps choosing it. Shut down, remove the Repairo drive, and start again. If it still happens, go into the BIOS and put the internal hard drive back at the top of the boot order.