Recovery & Reinstall

Explains the difference between backup, restore and recovery and introduces the built-in tools for each, including Windows Backup, File History, System Restore and Recovery Drive. It walks through the options on the Recovery settings page.

Helps you pick a recovery method for a Windows 10 or 11 PC, depending on whether it still starts, beginning with the least disruptive option. It recommends backing up your important files first.

Describes the Fix problems using Windows Update option, which reinstalls the Windows version already on the PC to repair system files while keeping apps, files and settings. It also covers why the option can be missing.

How to roll back to the earlier Windows version after an upgrade. The option is only available for a limited time, usually 10 days, and apps installed after the upgrade may be removed.

Point-in-time restore rolls a PC back to an earlier snapshot including apps, settings and files, using restore points created roughly daily and kept for up to 72 hours. Changes made after the chosen point are lost.

Explains how to reinstall Windows with options to keep or remove personal files, cloud download versus local reinstall, and how to start the reset from Settings or recovery.

Startup Repair is a recovery tool that diagnoses and fixes problems that stop Windows from starting, such as damaged system files or boot configuration errors. It runs from the Windows Recovery Environment.

System Protection saves snapshots of system files, installed apps, the registry and settings so you can roll back without losing personal files. It is off by default, and the page shows how to turn it on and create restore points.

Introduces Windows RE, the built-in set of tools that can automatically fix common startup problems and act as the starting point for manual recovery, and shows the different ways to reach it.