,
If your Windows 10 PC is experiencing serious problems, the most effective solution is to reinstall Windows. Reinstalling Windows 10 offers a fresh start and a stable system, resolving issues that may have accumulated over time.
However, if you have a lot of important files on your system, you might want to reinstall Windows without losing them. Luckily, Windows 10 offers several ways to reinstall Windows while preserving your personal files.
This article contains four (4) different methods to reinstall Windows 10 without losing your files.
How to Reinstall Windows 10 While Keeping Files.
- Reset this PC.
- Reinstall Windows 10 from ISO.
- Reinstall Windows 10 from WinRE.
- Re-install Windows 10 from USB.
Method 1: Reinstall Windows 10 using “Reset This PC” option.
The easiest way to reinstall Windows is through the “Reset this PC” feature in Windows Settings, because you don’t need to download anything or have a bootable Windows USB/DVD.
1. Right-click on the Start button and select Settings.
2. Then click Update and Security tab from the Settings page.
3. Choose the Recovery option on the left pane and click on Get Started button under ‘Reset this PC’ on the right pane.
4. When the Reset this PC dialog box opens, select the Keep my files option to remove third-party apps, drivers, and settings while keeping your personal files.
5. Next, you have to choose how you want to reinstall Windows:
● If you pick Cloud download, Windows will download and install the latest version of Windows 10 from the Internet. This requires a stable Internet connection and around 4 GB of fee storage space.
● If you choose Local reinstall, Windows will reinstall the same version of the operating system using the backup image stored on your device. We recommend the cloud download option because local OS files could be damaged or corrupted.
6. At the next screen, review your settings and click Next to continue.
7. Then click the Reset button to reinstall Windows 10 on your PC.
Method 2: Reinstall Windows 10 using an ISO file.
If you want to reinstall or clean-install Windows 10 on your PC, you can use the media creation tool to download Windows 10 in a ISO file and then to install Windows from the ISO file.
Reinstalling Windows 10 from the ISO file is a simple process that allows you to either keep your files, settings and applications or perform a clean installation of Windows if you have already saved your files to another storage device.
Step 1. Download latest version of Windows 10 on a ISO file.
1. Open your web browser and navigate to the Windows 10 download page.
2. Click Download Now at the ‘Create Windows 10 Installation Media’ section.
3. Once the “mediacreationtool.exe” file is downloaded, double click on to launch the Windows 10 Setup utility.
4. Accept the license agreement if you agree to the terms.
5. On the next screen, select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC and click Next.
6. By default, the “Windows 10 Setup” tool will detect the installed Language, version and Architecture of the installed Windows. Check them and if they are correct and then click Next to continue. *
* Note: If you want to change these settings, uncheck the Use the recommended options for this PC box to choose your preferred language and architecture. Then, click Next.
7. At the next screen, check the ISO file option and click Next.
8. Then, select where you want to save the ISO file and click Save.
9. Now wait for the download to complete, and when this done, click Finish.
Step 2. Reinstall Windows 10 using the ISO file.
1. Navigate to the folder where you saved the Windows.iso file.
2. Right-click on the downloaded Windows.ISO file and choose the Mount option.
3. From the mounted drive, double-click on setup.exe to start the Windows 10 setup. (Click Yes at ‘User Account Control’ warning).
4a. Once the Setup opens, click on Change how Windows Setup downloads updates, to choose whether or not to download the latest updates and drivers during Windows 10 reinstallation.
4b. By default, Windows Setup utility will Download updates, drivers, and optional features (recommended) along with Windows installation. If you don’t want any updates, choose Not right now. Then, click Next.
5. When prompted click Accept to agree to the licensing terms and conditions.
6. In the “Choose what to keep” screen, choose whether or not to keep the files and apps by selecting one of the following three (3) options:
- Keep personal files and apps: if you want to reinstall Windows 10 and to keep your personal files and apps.
- Keep personal files only: if you want to reinstall Windows 10 and to keep your personal files only. (after reinstalling you will need to reinstall all your apps)
- Nothing (Clean Install): If you want to perform a clean Windows 10 installation by deleting all the personal files, apps and settings on the PC. *
* Important: By selecting this option you’ll ERASE ALL YOUR PERSONAL DATA and FILES from your PC. So, if you choose that option ensure that you have backed up your files to another external storage device (e.g. a USB disk), before continuing.
7. Wait for the setup process to verify if your system meets the requirements for installation and finally, click the Install button to begin the installation process.
8. The installation process will start and will take some time. During this time, your computer will restart several times. So, wait and let the process complete without interrupting it. When this is done, you will be ready to use Windows again.
Method 3: Reinstall Windows 10 through Windows Recovery Environment (aka “WinRE”).
If you’re having trouble logging into your Windows 10 PC or experiencing issues with your system, you can re-install Windows 10 from the WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment)
WinRE lets you repair or reinstall Windows 10 without the need to sign in to Windows, or to use a Windows 10 USB media. To reinstall Windows 10, through WinRE:
Step 1. Launch WinRE.
To enter into the Windows Recovery Environment, use one of the following ways according your case:
A. From Sign-in Screen:
If you can “reach” the Windows Sign-in screen:
1. Hold down the SHIFT key on your keyboard and go to Power > Restart.
2. Then, click Restart anyway & continue to next step.
B. Force your PC to boot into WinRE:
If Windows couldn’t start, perform these steps to launch the WinRE options:
1. Turn Off you PC.
2. Turn On the PC again and when you see the manufacturer’s or the Windows logo on the screen, hold down the power button for 5-7 seconds to force turn off your computer again.
3. Repeat the above step two (2) or three (3) more times, and then let Windows to go to the ‘Automatic Repair’ screen. When this done, click Advanced options and continue to next step.
Step 2. Reinstall Windows 10 from WinRE.
1. Once you are in the Windows Recovery Environment, click on the Troubleshoot option.
2. On the ‘Troubleshoot’ screen, click on the Reset this PC option.
3. Now you will be prompted to choose whether you want to keep your personal files or remove everything. Select Keep my files.
4. Next, choose how you want to install Windows on your computer: Cloud download or Local reinstall.
* Note: “Cloud Reinstall” will download and install the latest version of Windows 10 from the Internet. If you have a good Internet connection, prefer this option.
5. Finally, click the Reset button to initiate the Windows 10 reinstall process.
6. Wait for the process to complete, which may take some time depending on the performance of your system and the speed of your Internet connection (if you have selected “Cloud Download”). During this time, your computer will restart several times, so wait and let the process finish without interrupting it. When this is done, you will have reinstalled Windows 10 successfully.
Method 4: Reinstall Windows 10 from USB.
If your computer is having trouble booting, then you can create a Windows 10 USB installation disk on another computer and then reinstall Windows 10 in your PC from that USB disk.
Step 1. Create a Windows 10 Bootable USB drive on another computer.
To create a bootable Windows 10 USB disk, use these steps:
1. First, connect a EMPTY* USB drive with a capacity of at least 8 GB to the computer.*
* Important: During the USB creation process all the data on the USB disk will be ERASED/DELETED.
2. Then, open your web browser and navigate to the Windows 10 download page.
3. Click Download Now at the ‘Create Windows 10 Installation Media’ section.
4. Once the “mediacreationtool.exe” file is downloaded, double click on to launch the Windows 10 Setup utility.
5. Accept the license agreement if you agree to the terms.
6. On the next screen, select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC and click Next.
7. By default, the “Windows 10 Setup” tool will detect the installed Language, version and Architecture of the installed Windows. Check them and if they are correct, and click Next to continue. *
* Note: If you want to change these settings, uncheck the Use the recommended options for this PC box to choose your preferred language and architecture. Then, click Next.
7. At the next screen, check the USB flash drive option as the media type and click Next.*
* Note: You can also choose to download Windows 10 in a ISO file and then to use a third-party tool like Rufus to create a bootable USB drive from the download ISO file.
8. Next, select the USB drive and click Next.
8. The ‘Windows 10 Setup’ tool will start downloading the necessary Windows 10 installation files to create the USB drive.
9. When the USB drive is ready, click Finish.
10. Unplug the USB drive and continue to next step.
Step 2. Reinstall Windows 10 using the USB drive.
1. Connect the Windows 10 USB drive you created in the previous step to the computer you want to install/reinstall Windows 10 on.
2. Turn ON the PC and press the corresponding key to access the boot order menu. (e.g. Esc, F2, F9, F10, or F12).*
* Notes: The “Boot Order” menu key varies by manufacturer. To find it, refer to your computer manufacturer’s website or manual.
3. In the “Boot Order” menu, highlight the USB drive and press Enter to boot from it.
4. When the Windows Setup screen appears, choose your preferred language, time, currency, and keyboard input method, and then click Next.
5. On the next screen, click Install now to continue.
6. If prompted with the ‘Activate Windows’ screen, do one of the following:
- If you haven’t activated Windows on the computer before, type a valid Windows product key and click Next.
- If you’re reinstalling Windows or don’t have the product key at the moment, click I don’t have a product key.
7. If prompted to select the operating system you want to install, select the Windows version that is already installed on your device, and then click Next.
8. Check the I Accept the license terms box and then click Next.
9. Finally, select “Upgrade: Install Windows and keep files, settings, and applications” to re-install Windows 10 while keeping your files, settings and apps.
10. Now, follow the on-screen instructions provided by Windows Setup and wait for the upgrade process to complete. Setup will reinstall the latest version of Windows while preserving your files, applications and settings.
That’s it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.