Windows 11 will soon offer the option to perform a reinstallation via Windows Update. This allows users to fix bugs without losing their files.
Currently, users have to rely on the reset option in Windows to reinstall, or reinstall using an ISO file. In both cases, files and apps on the computer are lost. That is about to change, Microsoft wrote in an earlier this year blogpost. A recovery option from Windows Updates is said to be being worked on. However, things have remained quiet since then, and it was unknown whether the feature was still in development. The answer is ‘yes’: the feature is present in the most recent Insider Preview Build (22635.2915) for Windows 11.
Die update is since December 14th available for the Insider channel. Users who have already installed the update on their computers will find the feature under the ‘Recovery’ menu. New in that menu is the option to troubleshoot problems with Windows Update. The recovery option says: “Reinstall your current version of Windows (your apps, files and settings will be saved)”.
In short: anyone who restores their computer via Windows Update does not have to worry about their files. These are always retained, just like applications and Windows settings. The only thing that changes is the Windows installation. It is being refreshed from the ground up. Bugs in Windows 11 should therefore disappear like snow in the sun.
Windows Media Creation Tool
With the new recovery option, Microsoft offers a replacement for so-called “in-place upgrades” of Windows 11, which users must perform via the Windows Media Creation Tool. This is usually a lengthy process that can take up to several hours. In addition, your files will be lost if you completely reinstall Windows via the Media Creation Tool. For these reasons, the use of this tool was discouraged; instead, Microsoft preferred to refer users to troubleshooters. However, for complicated bugs, these tools are often insufficiently effective.
It will take some time before all Windows 11 users can use the Windows Update recovery option. The feature will first be tested in the Insider channel. The stable release may be planned for spring 2024, with the Moment 5 update. That update will appear on Windows 11 in February.
