Windows 10 PC Reset Soon with Cloud Download option?
Windows 10 administrators may soon have a new cloud download option when it comes to resetting a PC running Windows 10. Microsoft added functionality to the company's Windows 10 operating system to reset the operating system.
Admins may initiate a reset from within Windows 10 if the system still boots up properly or by using the advanced startup option that should fire automatically after a number of loading errors and can also be run by booting from install media.
Tip: find out how to reset Windows 10 account passwords.
Reset my PC is found under Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. Admins may select to keep installed apps and files or remove everything to start fresh.
Windows 10 uses the local Windows installation by default to reset the PC. While that is a good option at times, it may not work all the time especially if the Windows installation is corrupt or if essential files are missing or damaged.
A scan of files of the new Windows 10 build 18950 by Twitter user WalkingCat suggests that Microsoft could add another option to the reset function of the operating system.
The phrase "how would you like to reinstall Windows" has two options associated with it according to the information.
The options "cloud download: download Windows" and "reset locally: reinstall my existing Windows operating system" are both listed. The second option refers to the current status quo. Windows 10 provides no option when it comes to the source of the installation files currently.
The cloud download reference suggests that this could be a thing of the past when Windows 10 20H1 is released next year.
Cloud download cannot really refer to anything but the download of Windows 10 from a Microsoft server and the use of the downloaded copy for the installation of the operating system.
The functionality does not seem to be part of the Insider build yet. Microsoft has not made any mention of the functionality up to this point and it is certainly possible that it could get pulled again.
The feature is not new entirely. Surface Hub devices support a "recover from the cloud" feature that works similarly.
In the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE), you can recover your device by downloading a factory build from the cloud and installing it on the Surface Hub. This allows devices in an unusable state to recover without requiring assistance from Microsoft Support.
The new feature would make things easier for administrators in certain cases, e.g. when a Windows 10 PC does not boot anymore and reset cannot be performed using the local copy.
One downside of cloud download functionality is that it may take a while for the download to complete and that enough storage space needs to be available.
Now You: what is your take on the cloud download functionality? Welcome feature? (via Deskmodder)
“Reset my PC is found under Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. Admins may select to keep installed apps and files or remove everything to start fresh.”
@Martin,
Can one really keep his/her “Apps” with recovery. I thought it was only “Files” that can be kept. Correct me if I am wrong, unless this is new.
The problem I find with a “cloud” download method with MS is data that becomes corrupted at some point. I’m relatively certain of the integrity of the data with an ISO file. Too many problems in the past trusting MS servers and delivery.
This option should have been baked into Windows and a part of firmware years ago. So, all you’d have to do is install a new HD or SSD, boot to the firmware screen and download and install Windows without media. Don’t Macs already so this?
Indeed. Macs have been doing this for years.