How to reset Windows 11 keeping files

• To reset Windows 11 keeping files, open Settings > Recovery, click “Reset PC,” select “Keep my files,” and “Local reinstall.”
• Or open Settings > Recovery, click “Reset PC,” select “Keep my files,” and “Cloud download.”
• Or Start Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), then go to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC, and select “Keep my files” and “Local reinstall.”

When your computer is not working correctly, running slow, or has problems with the battery or apps, you can reset Windows 11 to its factory default settings to resolve these and many other issues.

On Windows 11, the “Reset this PC” feature allows you to quickly reset a computer while keeping your files and reinstalling the operating system using the locally available image or downloading a fresh image from the cloud. Although using either of these options won’t delete your files, the process will remove your apps and reset the settings to their factory defaults since they can be part of the problem.

This guide will teach you the steps to use the “Reset this PC” feature to reinstall Windows 11 after an upgrade if the device is having problems or dealing with apps or system configuration issues.

• Windows 11 reset this PC keeping files (local reinstall)
• Windows 11 reset this PC keeping files (cloud download)
• Windows 11 reset this PC keeping files from WinRE

Windows 11 reset this PC keeping files (local reinstall)

To reset Windows 11 while keeping files with the local reinstall option, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Recovery tab.

   

4. Under the “Recovery options” section, click the Reset PC button in the “Reset this PC” setting.

   

5. Click the “Keep my files” option.

   

6. Select the “Local reinstall” option to use the locally available Windows 11 image to reset the computer without losing your files.

   

7. Click the Next button.

   

8. Click the Reset button.

Once you complete the steps, the feature will reset Windows 11 using the locally available image, keeping all your files. However, this process will reset all the settings to their factory defaults and remove all the apps and programs installed in the current setup. The time to complete the process is around 20 minutes.

It’s important to note that you cannot keep your apps because the point of resetting Windows 11 is to fix problems that can be caused either by the operating system or applications.

Windows 11 reset this PC keeping files (cloud download)

To reset Windows 11 while keeping files using the “Cloud download” option, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Recovery tab.

   

4. Under the “Recovery options” section, click the Reset PC button in the “Reset this PC” setting.

   

5. Click the “Keep my files” option.

   

6. Select the “Cloud download” option to download a fresh copy of Windows 11 instead of using the locally available image.

   

7. Click the Next button.

   

8. Click the Reset button.

After you complete the steps, a fresh image of Windows 11 will download and be used to reset the device, keeping all your files. However, similar to the local reinstall option, the settings will be reset, and apps will be removed through this process. The time to complete the process is around 20 to 30 minutes, depending on your internet connection.

Windows 11 reset this PC keeping files from WinRE

To reset a computer using local reinstall or cloud download from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), use these steps:

1. Start device.

2. Immediately after the Power-On Self-Test (POST), press the Power button again to shut down.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 twice, and in the third restart, the OS should enter the Windows Recovery Environment.

   Quick note: Windows 11 includes multiple ways to open the Advanced startup settings. If you cannot access the recovery environment, try these other options.

4. Click the Advanced options button.

5. Click on Troubleshoot.

   

6. Click on the “Reset this PC” option.

   

7. Select the “Keep my files” option to reset Windows 11 without losing your files.

   

8. Select the “Cloud download” option to download a fresh copy of Windows 11 instead of using the locally available image. (If you prefer to use the locally available installation files, select the “Local reinstall” option.)

   

9. Click the Reset button.

Once you complete the steps, the feature will reset the computer to default settings by erasing and reinstalling a fresh copy of Windows 11 downloaded from the Microsoft servers. The time to finish the reset is around 20 minutes.