Not all of us are very familiar with Reinstalling Windows, as it seems like a tedious task. However, reinstalling Windows is relatively easy if we follow the steps correctly. You can fix many issues regardless of whether they bother you or don’t simply by reinstalling Windows. In this article, we’ll be looking at how we can reinstall Windows 11/10 by going through a simple step-by-step process. So without any further delay, let’s begin.
Why Reinstall Windows 11/10?
Reinstalling Windows on your PC might change many things that you weren’t possibly aware of. It also includes resolving a lot of bugs and issues. Resetting your PC and installing a fresh copy of Windows 11/10 will also positively impact the overall performance of your machine.
Many unnecessary files and programs pile up on the PC with time. Resetting your PC will get rid of all of them. There are also system updates that are being held back if your Windows version isn’t up to date yet, and reinstalling Windows 11/10 will also install the latest version of Windows.
How to Reinstall Windows 11/10 (Complete Guide)
There is more than just one way of doing so when it comes to reinstalling Windows 11 and Windows 10. Depending on your priorities, the approach you take to reinstall Windows 11/10 may differ. There are a variety of methods for reinstalling Windows 11 and Windows 10.
These include installing Windows via the official ISO file, using an external USB drive to install Windows, and Cloud reset. Using the official ISO file and an external USB are probably the most commonly used methods to reinstall Windows on any PC. Cloud Reset is an automated method, a straightforward approach, but it can take longer. Here’s what this article focuses on:
- Reinstalling Windows 11 Using Cloud Reset
- Reinstalling Windows 10 Using Cloud Reset
- Reinstalling Windows 11/10 Using USB
- Reinstalling Windows 11/10 Using ISO File
So without any further delay, let’s proceed and learn how to reinstall Windows using the methods we mentioned in this section.
1] Reinstalling Windows 11 Using Cloud Reset
Cloud Reset is a reset or recovery method that Windows offers as an internal feature. It is a method where the ISO file isn’t required for the reinstallation of Windows. During the reset process, Windows downloads the new image file from the Cloud, and hence you don’t need to download an ISO file for the process manually. Let’s now look at how to reinstall Windows 11/10 using the inbuilt Cloud Reset feature.
Follow these steps to reinstall Windows 11 using the Cloud Reset feature:
- Press Windows + I or navigate to System Settings via the Start menu.
- In the Settings window, please navigate to the option of Windows update, and click on it.
- Find and click on Advanced Options.
- Under the section Additional options, click on Recovery. You’ll see an option named Reset this PC.
- Once you click on the Reset this PC option, you’ll be asked to choose between two options: Keep my files or Remove everything. As you may have already guessed, choosing the latter option will entirely wipe off your storage drives, and it will be a new start for your computer.
- After choosing from the Keep my files and the Remove everything option, you’ll be asked to choose between Cloud download or local reinstall. Choose Cloud download.
If you click on Keep my files and choose to reinstall Windows 11 while keeping your files and folders, you’ll see that two extra steps will be performed. These are the preparation phase and the offline phase.
Preparation phase: In this step, Windows runs a diagnosis to check if all the crucial requirements for the reinstallation process are fulfilled or not. These requirements include Windows Recovery Environment to be available and enabled, connection strength, scan for optional features installed to retain them during the reinstallation process, etc.
This step is necessary to avoid data loss and complete retention of all the extra features and add-ons. It also checks the total size of the Windows update.
Offline phase: This step comes after the Windows 11 image file from the Cloud is downloaded. Your computer is booted in Windows RE, and the installation process will initiate. Image file of Windows 11 will be installed, followed by the transfer of retained personal data, additional options, and add-ons such as additional languages.
Your Windows PC will reinstall Windows 11 and reboot when it’s done safely.
2] Reinstalling Windows 10 Using Cloud Reset
Despite Windows 11 bringing about many changes in the user interface, reinstalling Windows 10 via Cloud Reset is similar to doing it in Windows 11. However, we will walk you through the steps as there are some minute changes in the overall process.
Follow these steps to reinstall Windows 10 using the Cloud Reset feature:
- Please navigate to the system settings via the Start menu or by pressing Windows + I key.
- Find and click on Update and Security Settings.
- Select Recovery.
- Find and select the option of Reset this PC.
- Select Get Started, choose any one of Keep my files and Remove everything as per your choice.
- Select Cloud Download from the two options Cloud Download and Local Reinstall.
- Click on Reset.
You can also reset your PC via Advanced startup tools that you can access from Troubleshooting.
Similar to how it happens in the case of Windows 11, if you choose to keep your files while resetting your PC and reinstalling Windows 10 via Cloud Reset, two extra steps, namely the Preparation phase and offline phase, will be performed before your PC reinstalls Windows 10 and boots up.
The preparation and offline phases of reinstalling Windows 10 are almost the same as Windows 11.
3] Reinstalling Windows 11/10 Using USB
It is one of the popular methods of reinstalling Windows on a computer. Although a bit tedious, this method is considered quite efficient as well. Here’s how you can install Windows 11/10 via an external USB:
You need a bootable USB drive if you wish to reinstall Windows 10/11 to your computer. Follow these steps to do that:
- Go to the official Windows 10 or Windows 11 download page.
- Find Create Windows Installation Media, and click Download Now to get the required files.
- Launch the installer, select recommended options, click on next select your USB drive, click on next and follow up by clicking on Finish.
Change Boot Order
- Go to Settings > Update and Security > Recovery. Select Advanced Startup and click on Restart now.
- Click on Troubleshoot.
- Select Advanced Options > UEFI Firmware Settings, and click on Restart.
- On the boot page, set the boot order so that your PC boots via the bootable USB drive.
- Restart, and the PC will boot from the USB. It will offer you to install Windows. Follow the wizard, and let it complete the process.
Windows 11/10 will be installed on your PC when you boot it while the bootable USB drive is plugged in.
4] Reinstalling Windows 11/10 Using ISO file
Direct installation via the ISO file of Windows 11/10 is also a way of reinstalling Windows on your PC. Follow these steps to do that:
- Download the ISO file of Windows 11/10 from the official site.
- Mount the downloaded file by selecting the mount option from the top bar.
- Press Windows + E to launch the File Explorer, navigate to This PC > Devices and drives, and open the iso file you mounted
- Now, you’ll be able to see a Setup.exe file, click on it and follow the on-screen instructions and prompts to reinstall Windows 11/10 using the ISO file.
Using the ISO file for reinstalling Windows 11/10 isn’t the best-recommended way, so keep this as your last resort if other methods mentioned in this article don’t work.
In this article, we learned the benefits of reinstallation of Windows 11/10 and how we can install them using various methods. Cloud Reset, external USB, and the official ISO file, all of these ways are commonly used across the globe for the reinstallation of Windows, and we hope that this article was able to help you get familiar with them.
Can I Partition the Drive When Installing Windows?
Yes, you can. During installation, the wizard will offer you partition options that allow you to create, delete, and set the partition size. So if you have any existing ones, you can change them and install Windows on them.
How To Roll Back To Windows 10 From Windows 11?
You can roll back to the previous version of Windows only if you have been on the newer version for less than 10 days. To do so, go to Settings, then go to Windows Update > Advanced Options > Recovery.
Here you’ll see an option named the Previous version of Windows with a Go Back button. Click on it, agree to a few prompts, and Windows will automatically take you back to the previous version of Windows. This process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on the performance of your computer.
