How to enable Quick Machine Recovery to fix boot problems on Windows 11

To enable Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) on Windows 11, open Settings > System > Recovery and turn on the “Quick machine recovery” toggle.
On Windows 11 Pro, you can also configure QMR using a custom XML file and the reagentc command-line tool. This feature helps automatically fix boot failures by checking Windows Update for targeted remediations.
Quick Machine Recovery comes enabled by default on Windows 11 Home.

UPDATED 7/17/2025: On Windows 11, the Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) feature offers a new way to recover a system that won’t boot properly. In this guide, I’ll explain how this feature works and how to configure it to quickly restore functionality without needing to reinstall the operating system or lose files.

Quick Machine Recovery is a built-in option within the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) designed for fast, large-scale recovery. Unlike traditional tools like Safe Mode or Startup Repair, QMR is designed for critical scenarios where the operating system fails to start, enabling users and network administrators to bring systems back online faster and more efficiently.

This feature becomes a critical tool in enterprise or large-scale environments. For example, during the CrowdStrike update incident, thousands of devices experienced blue screen errors and failed to boot, resulting in disruptions to businesses worldwide. QMR is designed to address exactly these kinds of failures, offering automated boot repair and system restoration without the need for reimaging.

The Quick Machine Recovery is available starting with the Windows 11 August 2025 Security Update and higher releases for Home and Pro editions.

In this guide, I’ll outline the steps to enable QMR on Windows 11 Pro, as in the Home edition, this feature comes enabled by default.

Enable Quick Machine Recovery using Settings app
Enable Quick Machine Recovery using XML file
FAQs about Quick Machine Recovery on Windows 11

Enable Quick Machine Recovery using Settings app

To enable and configure Quick Machine Recovery from the Settings app, follow these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 11.
Click on System.
Click the Recovery page.
Click the Quick machine recovery setting.
Turn on the “Quick machine recovery” toggle switch.
Turn on the “Continue search if a solution isn’t found” toggle switch.
Choose the interval time to check for fixes using the “Look for solutions every” setting.
Select when the computer should restart to repeat the process using the “Restart every” setting.

After you complete the steps, if the computer fails to start, it’ll automatically connect to the internet to check, download, and apply solutions as provided by Microsoft.

Enable Quick Machine Recovery using XML file

To configure the Quick Machine Recovery feature on Windows 11 Pro, follow these steps:

Open Start on Windows 11.
Search for Notepad and click the top result to open the app.
Compose the following content in XML format:
Confirm the wireless SSID and password in the “Wifi” settings to allow the device to connect to the network.

Quick tip: If the device is using an Ethernet network, you don’t have to configure this setting.
Set the state value of CloudRemediation to 1 to enable the feature.
Set the state value of AutoRemediation to 1 to enable the feature.
Choose the value (in minutes) for the “totalwaittime” setting (for example, 120) to specify how long the system should wait before rebooting.
Choose the value (in minutes) for the “waitinterval” setting (for example, 2) to specify when the system should check for remediations.
Open the File menu and choose the Save As option.
Save the file as the settings.xml file on your computer.
Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt (or Terminal), right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.
(Optional) Type this command to check the current configuration and press Enter:
```
reagentc.exe /getrecoverysettings
```
Type this command to enable the Quick Machine Recovery feature and press Enter:
```
reagentc.exe /setrecoverysettings /path C:\\myrec\settings.xml
```
In the command, update the path of the XML file to match the location you are using.
Type this command to check the new configuration and press Enter:
```
reagentc.exe /getrecoverysettings
```
(Optional) Type this command to enable the QMR test mode and press Enter:
```
reagentc.exe /SetRecoveryTestmode
```
(Optional) Type this command to set your device to launch WinRE upon reboot and press Enter:
```
reagentc.exe /BootToRe
```

As part of the configuration, you have created and applied the configuration file to enable Quick Machine Recovery on Windows 11. If you’re using the same settings as I did, the system will wait 2 hours before rebooting and check for remediation every 2 minutes.

You can always remove and clear the settings by running the reagentc.exe /clearrecoverysettings
command.

FAQs about Quick Machine Recovery on Windows 11

Here’s a list of common questions and answers using QMR on Windows 11:

What’s Quick Machine Recovery for Windows 11?

Quick Machine Recovery is a new feature that aims to reduce downtime due to a boot failure by automatically detecting and fixing boot issues using WinRE and Windows Update.

When a critical failure happens, the system will automatically connect to the internet and upload the diagnostic information to Microsoft, and then the device will receive targeted fixes.

An internal response team is activated to develop, validate, and prepare a targeted remediation if a widespread outage is detected.

How is QMR configured on Windows 11 Home and Pro?

On Windows 11 Home, cloud remediation is enabled by default, while auto-remediation is disabled by default.

On the other hand, on Windows 11 Pro, cloud remediation and auto-remediation are turned off by default.

Cloud remediation is the process of using “Windows Update” to find fixes for issues on your computer.

If the feature is enabled, the computer will connect to the internet and use the Windows 11 update system during recovery.

Auto-remediation allows you to automate the recovery process. If the feature is enabled, the computer will automatically connect to “Windows Update” and attempt to find a remediation.

If the system can’t find a solution on the first attempt, it retries without manual intervention.

If the feature is disabled or not configured, the computer requires manual user interaction to continue the recovery process.

However, here’s the caveat. Quick machine recovery is a best-effort feature. It might not always be possible to find a solution for every issue.

How does Quick Machine Recovery work on Windows 11?

This is how the recovery process is when Quick Machine Recovery is enabled on the computer.

Quick Machine Recovery diagram / Image: Microsoft

Device crash: When the device fails to boot multiple times, the system automatically detects an issue and starts the recovery process.
Boot to recovery: The computer boots into the Windows Recovery Environment, and the QMR process begins.
Network connection: After a network connection is established, the computer scans Windows Update for fixes.
Remediation: If a solution is found, the computer will download and apply it. If no solution is found, the system retries the process based on the configured retry scanning intervals and time-outs.
Reboot: After the remediation is applied, the computer reboots, and if the solution is successful, it’ll boot into the desktop environment. If the solution fails, the device reboots into WinRE again, and the process repeats in step 2.

Update July 17, 2025: This content has been updated with new information, and it’s been revised to ensure accuracy.