How do I fix the mouse and keyboard not working in the Windows RE?

If your mouse and keyboard are not functioning in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) after reinstalling Windows, and you are unable to install the out-of-band update KB5070773 to resolve this issue, you can try the following workarounds:

1. Use a Touchscreen: If your PC has a touchscreen, you can use the touch keyboard to navigate within WinRE.
2. PS/2 Devices: If your PC has a PS/2 port, connect a PS/2 keyboard or mouse to navigate within WinRE.
3. USB Recovery Drive: If you previously created a USB recovery drive, boot your computer from that drive. This will take you directly to WinRE with USB functionality restored.

If these workarounds do not help and you are still unable to install the update, you may need to wait for the next cumulative update or explore other methods to install the update manually if possible.

References:

• Resolved issues in Windows Server 2025
• Resolved issues in Windows 11, version 25H2

Hi Daniel,
Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum. I'm happy to help.

If you have problem with mouse and keyboard in WinRE even you have updated Windows to the latest version, there're a workaround that you use the other WinRE version.

For this guide, you will need 7-zip.

Disclaimer: Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology.

1. First, download and save a copy of Windows 11 ISO. Make sure the build of the ISO is other than the one installed on your PC.
2. From that ISO, extract winre.wim. This can be a complex task, but you just need to download 7-zip. Once you’ve 7-zip, open the ISO using it.
3. In 7-zip, open .ISO, then go to sources, find install.wim (or install.esd).
   
4. Double-click install.wim / install.esd.
   
5. You’ll see numbered folders like 1, 2, 3. In this case, each represents a Windows edition, but it actually doesn’t matter. Make sure you choose the folder that actually contains additional folders. In my case, 1 worked. It doesn’t matter which number you choose, as Pro and Home effectively come with the same WinRE.
   
6. After selecting 1, navigate to Windows\System32\Recovery.
   
7. Now, you’ll see winre.wim. Copy the file and save it.
8. Exit 7-zip. It is no longer required now.
9. Open Command Prompt (Run as Administrator) and run reagentc /disable. This will disable WinRE and allow us to make changes to the file on the system.
   
10. Open File Explorer, enable Hidden items and go to C:\Windows\System32\Recovery.
11. You’ll now see winre.wim file. It’ll not show up when WinRE is enabled, so make sure you turn it off.
12. You can now back up this WinRE.wim, as we’re going to replace it in the next step.
13. Copy the other, working winre.wim (from the ISO) into this same folder and replace it.
14. In Command Prompt (Run as Administrator), run: reagentc /enable – this turns on WinRE again.

If you follow the steps correctly, WinRE will now work.

I hope that above information is helpful to you.

If you have further questions, please feel free to let me know.

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