How To Copy And Paste On Dell Laptop

How To Copy And Paste On Dell Laptop By default, when you need to reinstall Windows 11 due to critical errors or performance issues, the built-in recovery option will preserve your personal files but wipe out all your installed applications. However, there’s a solution to keep your apps intact during the reinstallation process. Here, we’ll guide you through two methods to repair Windows 11 without losing any data or applications.

Method 1: Reinstall Windows 11 Using a Bootable USB Drive or ISO Image

If you have a bootable USB drive or an ISO image, you can perform an in-place upgrade to reinstall Windows 11 without deleting your data and apps. Follow these steps:

1. Connect the bootable USB drive to your PC.
2. Once detected, open File Explorer and access the USB drive.
3. Locate and double-click the setup.exe file to launch the Windows setup. Click Yes when prompted by User Account Control.
4. In the “Install Windows 11” window, click on “Change how Setup downloads updates.”
5. Select “Not at the moment.”
6. Click “Accept” to agree to the terms. The setup wizard will run some checks to ensure readiness.
7. In the “Choose what to keep” window, select “Keep personal files and apps.”
8. Click Next to continue.
9. Review your settings in the “Ready to install” window. If needed, click “Change what to keep.”
10. Click the “Install” button to start the Windows 11 repair installation. This process may take some time, so leave your system idle and connected to a power source.
11. After the installation is complete, log in with your local user account or Microsoft Account.

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Method 2: Repair Install Windows 11 Using an ISO Image

Alternatively, you can use a Windows 11 ISO image to perform an in-place upgrade and reinstall the OS if you don’t have a spare USB flash drive with sufficient storage for creating installation media. Follow these steps:

1. Download a Windows 11 ISO file and save it to your PC.
2. Once the download is complete, right-click on the ISO file and select “Mount.” You can also double-click the file to mount it to your PC.
3. In File Explorer, navigate to “This PC” > “Devices and drives” and double-click on the newly mounted virtual drive. This will launch the Windows 11 setup wizard.
4. In the Windows 11 Setup window, click on “Change how to set up downloads updates.”
5. Select “Not at the moment” and click Next.
6. Click “Accept” to continue.
7. Click “OK” if a warning related to your display language appears.
8. In the “Ready to install” window, click “Change what to keep.”
9. Select “Keep personal files and apps” and click Next. Remember that you won’t be able to use your PC during installation, so save your work and close apps.
10. Click the “Install” button to begin the process. The upgrade process will take some time to complete.

After the upgrade is finished, your PC will restart automatically. Go to “Settings” > “Apps” > “Apps and Features,” and you should find all your previously installed apps and games.

The next step is to install any missing updates. Go to “Settings” > “Windows update” and click “Check for updates” to install pending Windows and third-party updates.

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Reinstalling Windows 11 Without Removing Apps

Microsoft’s in-place upgrade feature is a valuable tool for troubleshooting system issues without losing your applications. However, in cases where Windows is severely damaged and unable to boot or repair itself, you’ll need to use a recovery drive or System Repair Disc to rescue your system.