Troubleshooting Guide

Solution

1. Click "More info" — this reveals the publisher name and the "Run anyway" button
2. Verify the publisher shows "RescuePC Software"
3. Click "Run anyway"

Solution — Switch Out of S Mode (Free)

1. Open Settings → System → Activation (Win 11) or Settings → Update & Security → Activation (Win 10)
2. Under "Switch to Windows Home/Pro," click "Go to the Store"
3. Click "Get" in the Microsoft Store page that opens — this is free
4. Wait for the switch to complete (may take 1–2 minutes)
5. Restart your computer
6. Run RescuePC again

Solutions (try in order)

1. Copy to Desktop: Some policies only block execution from Downloads or temp folders. Copy the entire RescuePC folder to your Desktop and try again.
2. Contact IT: Ask your IT administrator to whitelist RescuePC. Provide: Publisher O=RESCUEPC SOFTWARE, C=US, and link them to the Deployment Guide.
3. Use a personal device: Enterprise policies on managed PCs cannot be bypassed by end users. If IT will not whitelist the app, use an unmanaged PC.

Solution

RescuePC automatically bypasses the standard PowerShell execution policy (Restricted, AllSigned, RemoteSigned) by invoking scripts with the -ExecutionPolicy Bypass flag. This works in most environments.

If scripts still fail:

1. Verify you are running RescuePC as Administrator (right-click → Run as administrator)
2. Check if PowerShell is in Constrained Language Mode — open PowerShell and run $ExecutionContext.SessionState.LanguageMode. If it returns "ConstrainedLanguage," your IT department has locked down PowerShell.
3. Ask IT to exempt the RescuePC directory from CLM, or use an unmanaged device

Solution — Retrieve Your Recovery Key

1. On another device (phone, tablet, or another PC), go to aka.ms/myrecoverykey
2. Sign in with the Microsoft account linked to this PC
3. Find the recovery key that matches the Key ID shown on the BitLocker screen
4. Enter the 48-digit recovery key on the locked PC
5. Your PC will boot normally

Diagnostic Steps

1. Check the repair report — open the HTML file in logs\repair_logs\ and look for any repairs that failed or flagged warnings
2. Restart the PC — some repairs (Windows Update resets, service repairs) require a reboot to take effect
3. Run the specific repair again individually — Fix All runs safe repairs only; the fix you need may be in the Advanced tab
4. Run a full antivirus scan — active malware can re-break what RescuePC repairs
5. Test hardware — run Windows Memory Diagnostic (mdsched.exe) and check SMART data on your drives

Solution

RescuePC v2.1.5+ automatically removes Zone.Identifier flags on launch. If you are seeing this issue:

1. Close RescuePC completely
2. Re-launch it (right-click → Run as administrator)
3. Check logs\unblock.log — it should show files were unblocked
4. If the issue persists, re-extract the ZIP to a new folder and try again

Solution

1. Copy/paste the key from your email — do not type it manually
2. Verify internet access — open a browser and confirm you can reach any website
3. Check your firewall — ensure port 443 (HTTPS) to rescuepcrepairs.com is not blocked
4. Try a different network — corporate proxies sometimes block unknown domains
5. Check for VPN interference — some VPNs route traffic through regions with different DNS, which can cause TLS failures

Solution

1. Add an exclusion for the entire RescuePC folder in your antivirus settings
2. Restore from quarantine if the EXE was already moved — check your antivirus quarantine and restore the file
3. Verify the signature — right-click the EXE → Properties → Digital Signatures → verify "RescuePC Software" is the signer
4. Re-extract if the antivirus deleted files from the ZIP — some AV tools silently remove files during extraction