Windows 11 is getting a new point-in-time restore feature and other advanced recovery tools

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Microsoft is introducing new tools for Windows 11 to help users recover their PCs from serious problems. These features are designed to either keep your computer running smoothly or quickly restore it if an update or driver causes issues.

One of the new features is called point-in-time restore, and it allows users to revert their computer back to a previous state. Microsoft explains this will be helpful for fixing problems caused by things like faulty updates, driver issues, or incorrect settings.

Windows now makes it easier to recover your system with built-in networking. Previously, you had to manually install the network driver before using networking features within the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Now, WinRE automatically uses the network driver from your main Windows installation, saving you a step. This initially works with Ethernet connections, and Wi-Fi with WPA2/3 support is coming soon.

The company is introducing a new feature that lets businesses customize how company computers are reset or rebuilt. IT departments can use Intune to choose the language and operating system version, and OneDrive for Business will safeguard user data during the process. This gives businesses more control over PC recovery images and simplifies reinstallation.

Microsoft is introducing a new feature for point-of-sale (POS) systems and other public-facing displays like menu boards and airport flight information screens. This mode automatically hides Windows error messages that might pop up on the screen, preventing unwanted interruptions. While diagnostic messages will still appear briefly – for up to 15 seconds – the screen will then go dark until someone interacts with it using a keyboard or mouse.

  • Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) was released for general availability earlier this year and is soon getting increased networking capabilities and Autopatch management for enterprise level control of QMR updates.
  • Intune recovery is remote management of the Windows Recovery Environment – A single, scalable management plane for recovery, enables customers to execute custom recovery scripts and to trigger recovery actions. Azure Portal will have the same ability for Windows Servers hosted in Azure VMs. Now generally available.
  • Point-in-time restore: Roll back individual or groups of devices to a previous state, before an issue started occurring, without complex troubleshooting.
  • Cloud rebuild for Windows 11 (preview): Rebuild PCs experiencing erratic behavior, reducing downtime. You’ll be able to select the Windows release and language through the Intune portal. The PC will download the install media, rebuild itself, and let the user take over with the out-of box experience where Autopilot will ensure the right MDM management is configured. The user gets apps, PC settings, and their files quickly through Intune, Windows Backup for Organizations, and OneDrive.

These new tools help Windows 11 better handle problems caused by bad updates or drivers. If a bug or faulty code stops your computer from working, you should be able to easily get it back up and running, and hopefully without losing any of your files.

Following the significant CrowdStrike outage in 2024, Microsoft has prioritized making Windows more reliable. They’ve implemented improvements to quickly restore functionality, even if a Windows system goes offline, and can often do so remotely.

They’ve just released a significant update to how drivers are approved. This update will require drivers to meet stricter standards and lessen the need for specialized drivers created by computer manufacturers. The goal is to make Windows as reliable and stable as possible.

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2025-11-18 19:10