Windows 11 Cloud Rebuild recovery feature rolls out

Microsoft has introduced Cloud Rebuild, a Windows 11 recovery feature that reinstalls the operating system from the cloud, even when a device cannot start. It does not require USB media or a custom image, and it is rolling out gradually with Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 26H2.

What Cloud Rebuild does

Cloud Rebuild works like an advanced Reset this PC feature, downloading the target Windows image and the PC’s drivers through Windows Update. It may help when a device must return to its original clean state for another person or company, or when installations are severely corrupted and need removal. The feature can erase files or securely wipe a drive before reinstalling Windows, and Microsoft says this sanitization cannot be reversed.

How to access it

The new recovery option comes with Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 26H2 and is being released gradually, so it will not be available to all eligible systems right away. In Windows, users can go to Settings, choose System > Recovery, then select Rebuild PC. If Windows cannot boot, the feature can be accessed through the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).

Reactions from users

Tech and gaming account @Pirat_Nation on X said Microsoft is introducing a recovery option that downloads a fresh Windows installation directly from its servers instead of relying on local installation files. Some users joked that Microsoft actually shipped a good feature, while another wrote, ‘Finally, it can fix the problems it caused, all by itself. Jokes aside, this is a pretty damn neat feature.’ Others raised concerns, with one user saying, ‘Can’t wait to see what kind of lovely vulnerabilities come from this,’ and another calling it ‘A disaster in the making! Wiping the drive, destroying all backups, reinstalling clean. This is a problem for recovery systems.’

Sources: Cybernews