Microsoft has introduced a new Windows 11 recovery feature called Cloud Rebuild that can restore a dead or corrupted PC by downloading a fresh copy of the operating system directly from Windows Update. The company says the tool returns a machine to a clean, known-good state without requiring a USB drive or a custom recovery image. It can also pull down the drivers the system needs. The feature works even when the existing Windows installation is too damaged to repair itself, which sets it apart from the existing Reset this PC option.
Cloud Rebuild is reached through the Windows Recovery Environment, or WinRE. Users select Troubleshoot, then Recovery and uninstall, then Cloud rebuild. Microsoft has also upgraded networking inside WinRE so the recovery environment can reuse eligible Wi-Fi profiles that were already saved in the existing Windows installation. That lets a PC get online during recovery without an administrator separately configuring Wi-Fi credentials in WinRE. Once connected, Cloud Rebuild queries Windows Update for the target Windows build and downloads the necessary files.
Before the reinstall begins, users confirm the Windows edition, language, and build. The process then completely wipes the system drive, removing all data stored in the main installation, including locally stored files, accounts, applications, and settings. Microsoft recommends backing up important files either locally or through a cloud-based service before starting. When installation finishes, the PC boots into the Windows out-of-box experience, the same starting point as a fresh Windows installation.
For admin-managed PCs running Windows Autopilot and Microsoft Intune, the system can automatically reconnect to the organization's management infrastructure. It then restores assigned applications, policies, and backed-up settings. That capability is aimed at IT departments that manage fleets of Windows machines, including many US businesses and government agencies that rely on Intune for device administration. The feature is currently in preview, and a wider release is expected later this year.
The most likely use case is a Windows installation that has become too corrupted to boot normally, a common problem for consumers and corporate support desks alike. In the past, recovery meant locating another PC, building installation media, and manually reinstalling Windows. Cloud Rebuild allows the entire process to run from WinRE on the affected machine. Tom's Hardware reported the feature in a story published on September 11, 2026.
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