There are many reasons why you may need to reinstall Windows 11. Perhaps you’re experiencing performance issues, or your computer has malware you can’t get rid of. Maybe you want to start fresh and restore your system to its default settings.
Reinstalling Windows 11 doesn’t mean you have to lose your data – you are given the option to keep it or not. However, we recommend a backup of any important files before going through the process. This guide shows you the different methods of reinstalling Windows 11.
Reinstall Windows 11 using Reset PC
If you want to reinstall Windows 11, the easiest way is to use the Reset PC feature.
- Go to Settings.
- Navigate to System > Recovery.
- Next to the Reset this PC section, click Reset PC.
- Two options will appear: Keep my files and Remove everything. Select the option you prefer.
Keep my files: Removes apps and settings but keeps your data.
Remove everything: Removes all of your files, apps, and settings. - Another two options will appear:
Cloud download: Windows will download the Windows 11 original files from Microsoft’s servers and then reinstall them. Your computer must be connected to the Internet for this option to work as it will use more than 4GB of data.
Local reinstall: Windows will use the files already on your computer to reinstall Windows 11. - Click Next.
- Press Reset.
- After the process is finished, Windows 11 will be reinstalled on your computer.
Reinstall Windows 11 using an ISO File
An ISO file is simply a disc image of a CD or DVD. It contains all the data normally on a disc but is stored electronically. You can “mount” ISO files on your computer to behave like discs.
- Download the Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft.
- Double-click the ISO file to mount it as a virtual drive.
- Open the setup file inside the virtual drive.
- In the Windows 11 Setup window, click Next.
- In the next window, click Change what to keep.
- Three options will appear: Keep personal files and apps, Keep personal files only, and Nothing. Each option has a description. Read them carefully and select the one you want.
- Click Next.
- Windows 11 will start installing on your computer.
Reinstall Windows 11 from a USB
You can also do a clean Windows 11 install from a USB. We’ll use Rufus, a free, open-source program for formatting and creating bootable USB drives. This approach will allow us to burn the Windows 11 disk image to a USB flash drive. All you need is a Windows 11 ISO file and a USB with at least 4GB of storage.
We have a detailed guide showing you how to install Windows 11 from a USB. However, you can also follow these steps for a shorter version:
- Download the Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft.
- Download Rufus from its official website.
- Connect the USB to your computer and burn the ISO file to the USB.
- Restart your computer and boot from the USB.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to install Windows 11.