Summary
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Windows 11 Experimental gets Cloud Rebuild to recover unbootable systems.
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Download the Windows image and device drivers from Windows Update; no USB or custom image needed.
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The feature is currently in public testing; It is expected to reach the release branch in the coming months if it is stable.
Whenever Windows suffers a problem big enough that it can’t even boot, there are tools available to get you back on track. However, most of them will require some type of installation media, and when you log back in, you may notice that some drivers are missing. Fortunately, it looks like Microsoft is making the PC recovery process a lot easier with a new “Cloud Rebuild” tool that is currently in public testing.
Although it is still being worked on right now.
As announced in Windows BlogsThere is a new build available for the Experimental branch of Windows 11. If you’re not sure what it is, it’s where Microsoft first releases features for people to try. Once it is proven to be stable enough, it is moved to the Beta branch and then released.
This time, the Experimental branch gets a useful repair feature called Cloud Rebuild. This allows you to recover Windows 11 to a last good configuration, even when it fails to start. Windows experts will know that Reset This PC sounds very familiar, but as Microsoft explains, this new method has an ace up its sleeve:
Unlike Reset This PC, cloud rebuild downloads both the target Windows image and the device drivers from Windows Update, so the device is fully functional again without USB media, without a custom image, and without depending on the state of the currently installed operating system.
Microsoft hasn’t confirmed when this useful new feature will arrive, but it should appear in the release branch in the coming months, if all goes well.
