I've been trying to reset my Windows 11 PC for three days now because programs like Steam and Discord, as well as several games, keep crashing. When I try to do a factory reset, I get an error saying it can't find the recovery environment. I attempted to create a recovery USB using the Media Creation Tool, but it fails at around 10% with the error code 0x50 (PAGE_FAULT_IN_NON_PAGED_AREA). I've also tried various command prompt commands, but nothing seems to work. My System32 Recovery folder only has one file (REAgent) and it shows all zeros instead of proper values. I'm really hoping to reset my PC to start fresh, but I haven't found a solution after searching online for days. I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed! My system specs are: Windows 11 Home 23H2 Build#22631.6199, i9-14900KF, RTX 4060Ti, 32GB RAM 6000 MT/s, and a 2TB NVME SSD TFORCE TM8FFW002T.
2 Answers
It looks like you're in a tricky situation! I recommend making a Windows 11 install USB from another working computer. You can find the installation instructions on the official Microsoft site. Also, make sure to download the necessary drivers for your motherboard and storage so you can load them during the installation process. This could help prevent issues with missing drivers during setup.
Your problem may stem from faulty hardware. I suggest testing your RAM with Memtest86 and checking your drives using one of the utilities from Hiren's Boot CD. If there's no issue with those, it might be related to your Intel CPU, especially since you're running a 13th or 14th gen. Contact Intel for a potential replacement if you can provide proof of purchase.
I've already tested the RAM and the drive connections. It might be the CPU since I bought it in August 2024 through Amazon as part of a prebuilt system. Just not sure about the warranty on that.
Thanks for the tip! I managed to format the drives successfully using the USB installer, but now I'm facing a different error - SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION 0x3B and it's making my PC feel like a brick right now.