My 5 favorite Windows Insider features in 2026 so far
Microsoft offers a variety of ways to restore or recover Windows in the event of a boot problem or other glitch. One option now available in the latest insider build is Cloud restore. Here, you can restore Windows to a clean state even if it won’t boot up. Plus, Cloud rebuild automatically adds the latest updates and patches courtesy of Windows Update.
Also: You can soon restore Windows 11 from scratch even if it can’t boot up – here’s how
The main downside is that your personal files, custom settings, and installed apps won’t come along for the ride. But at least this method will restore Windows cleanly. And once Windows is running again, hopefully you can restore your personal items from a backup.
Let’s say your PC is failing to boot up. At some point, Windows should load the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) screen with your local network connection active. From there, select Troubleshoot, click Recovery and uninstall, and then click Cloud rebuild. Review the target Windows build, edition, and language, and click Continue. Follow the steps until Windows has been rebuilt with the latest updates, and you should be able to log back in to your desktop.
