How to reinstall Windows 11 (easy way)

Reinstall Windows 11 on your computer to get a fresh start without losing your files.

Windows 11 reinstall
  • To reinstall Windows 11, click the Reset PC button on Settings > System > Recovery.
  • The feature allows you to perform a full reinstallation keeping your data or removing everything.

The easiest method to reinstall Windows 11 on a laptop or desktop computer is using the “Reset this PC” option available through the Recovery settings. The feature allows you to perform a Windows 11 reinstallation in two ways, including keeping your data or wiping out the hard drive removing everything using a locally available image, or downloading the installation files from the cloud. 

The Reset this PC option will come in handy to fix problems when the device isn’t loading or working correctly or dealing with battery and apps issues. All without downloading additional tools like the Media Creation Tool or changing the UEFI settings to boot from USB.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to reinstall Windows 11 if your computer.

Reinstall Windows 11 without losing data

To reinstall Windows 11 on your laptop or desktop computer without losing your files, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on System.

  3. Click on Recovery on the right side.

    Windows 11 recovery

  4. Under the “Recovery options” section, in the “Reset this PC” setting, click the Reset PC button to begin Windows 11 reinstallation.

    Reset This PC

  5. Click the Keep my files option.

    Keep my files reset option

  6. Select the Cloud download option to download Windows 11 to perform a fresh reinstallation. Or Select the Local reinstall option to use the local files to reinstall the OS without losing your data.

    Windows 11 reset with Cloud download

  7. Click the Next button.

    Cloud download optional settings

  8. Click the Reset button.

After you complete the steps, Windows 11 will reinstall keeping your files. However, if you select the cloud download or local reinstall option, the process will also reset the settings, and it’ll remove your apps.