Frequent Windows glitches can spoil your ideal work or gaming setup in no time. While Windows has a built-in troubleshooter, sometimes, it fails to detect and resolve the problem. Before you waste your productivity hours, use the tricks below to reinstall Windows 10 and 11 without losing your files.

Microsoft offers several ways to reinstall Windows. Before we start, make sure to backup your data on OneDrive or an external drive to avoid any accidental data loss. Windows 11 installation requires a minimum of 64GB space on the C drive. You should clean up unnecessary files and applications to free up space on your laptop.

Reinstall Windows OS without affecting your files and apps

There are three ways to reinstall Windows 10 and 11 without any data loss. You can use the Windows 11 Recovery menu, mount an ISO file, or install the OS from a USB drive.

Method 1: Reinstall Windows using recovery options

It is one of the easiest ways to reinstall Windows on your PC. It offers an option to keep all your files or remove everything.

  1. Launch Windows Settings by pressing the Windows + I keys.
  2. Head to System and open Recovery.
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  3. Select Reset PC under Recovery options.
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  4. Select Keep my files.
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  5. Click Local reinstall. If you run into errors, use cloud download. But make sure to connect to a robust Wi-Fi or Ethernet network for a smooth process. It uses more than 4GB of data.
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  6. Select Next.
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  7. Check the implications of resetting Windows. Select Reset.
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You should connect your Windows device to a power source to avoid any issues.

Method 2: Reinstall Windows by mounting an ISO file

You can download a Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft and mount it to start the installation process. Go through the steps below.

  1. Head to Microsoft’s official website and download Windows 11 ISO for your device.
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  2. Find your ISO file and right-click on it. Select Mount from the context menu.
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  3. Run the Windows 11 setup.exe file from the mounted drive.
  4. Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt. Select Next.
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  5. Go through the usual terms and conditions.
  6. Select Change what to keep.
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  7. Click the radio button beside Keep personal files and apps. Hit Next.
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  8. Select Install and you are good to go.

Let it finish the installation process. Your PC may reboot several times during the process.

Method 3: Reinstall Windows 11 from USB

You need to have a blank USB drive with at least 8GB of storage and a stable internet connection to reinstall Windows. Here, we will create a bootable USB drive with a media creation tool.

First, head to the System menu in Windows Settings and open the About menu. Note down your Windows edition (Home or Pro, usually). Now, follow the steps below.

  1. Plug in your USB drive to your PC and head to this source on the web to download Windows 11 installation media.
  2. Find and open the file to launch the Windows 11 Setup. Accept terms and conditions.
  3. Select language and edition and hit Next.
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  4. Select USB flash drive and click Next.
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  5. Find your USB flash drive and select Next.
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  6. The system will copy Windows installation media on the flash drive.

That’s it. Your USB flash drive is ready to install Windows on your computer.

  1. Press the Windows key and hit the Power menu. Click Restart while holding the Shift key.
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  2. It reboots the system into the Windows Recovery Environment.
  3. Select Use a device.
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  4. Find your bootable flash drive.
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  5. It opens the Windows setup page. Select language, time currency format, and keyboard. Click Next.
    Screenshot of Windows pre-installation environment asking the user to choose language and regional settings
  6. The system may ask for a product key. You can select I don’t have a product key. Since you are reinstalling Windows, the system automatically activates once you connect your Microsoft account.
    Screenshot of Windows pre-installation environment asking the user for a product key
  7. Select the operating system you want to install (the one we noted down above).
    Screenshot of Windows pre-installation environment asking the user to choose the correct edition of Windows 11
  8. Follow the on-screen instructions and select a hard drive where you want to complete the installation.
    Screenshot of Windows 11 setup showing a list of drives. Only one drive is installed and all space on it is unallocated

Microsoft starts reinstalling Windows on your device. Make sure to connect your device to a power source to avoid any unexpected errors.

It's still a good idea to back up your data

While it is unlikely, it's possible to lose data when reinstalling Windows. It can be due to disk errors, unexpected glitches, power outages, and other interruptions.

Microsoft offers a OneDrive-powered Windows Backup tool to save your files and system credentials. If you have sufficient OneDrive space, use the steps below to save your files.

  1. Open Windows Backup on your PC.
  2. Expand folders and select your relevant folders like Pictures, Documents, and Desktop. Hit Back up
    Windows Backup options
  3. You can also save your device settings and credentials to OneDrive.
    Windows Backup in progress

It might take a few minutes to complete the backup. You can also back up your media files to an external drive.

Have a fresh start with Windows

After reinstalling Windows, you may run into issues with specific drivers on external devices. Check our dedicated guide to update drivers on Windows. And if you face a black screen of death during system boot, go through our troubleshooting guide to get things back to normal.