Microsoft will soon introduce a new built-in recovery system that will allow you to reinstall or restore Windows 11 via Windows Update without losing your existing files. This new feature appears to be called Fix Problems using Windows Update.

The new option can be found in Windows 11’s Settings > System > Recovery menu, but it’s only a “plug”, according to Tom’s Hardware. Insider channels, such as the Canary Channel, can use the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25905 Recovery Utility Beta. The presence of this option in the public test builds of Windows 11 indicates that it is almost ready.

Until now, the best way to reinstall or restore Windows 11 while keeping files was to use the in-place upgrade option in the Microsoft Media Creation Tool. Although both options restore the operating system with the files saved, it takes a long time. Microsoft says the new tool will speed up the process and can be useful in many cases.

The Fix Problems using Windows Update function may be integrated into the Windows 11 Moment 5 update, which should be released in February 2024. Moment 5 will be a cumulative update that is normally rolled out via Windows Update, just like previous Moment-labeled updates. It’s also expected to be the last update for Windows 11 in 2024, with the next big one coming in 2025. At the same time, it will have some optimization, for example, simplifying the use of styluses. Other features, such as the ability to uninstall some built-in apps (such as Edge and Cortana), will only be available on Windows 11 PCs in the European Economic Area.