How to Reinstall Windows 10/11 without Losing Data

Recoverit Editorial Team

Oct 23, 2026 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

TL;DR:

You can reinstall Windows 10 or 11 without losing your personal data by running the operating system's Setup file from a bootable media or mounted image and explicitly selecting the installer option to keep your files and apps.
    ● This direct reinstallation technique requires your computer to be bootable so you can access File Explorer and launch the setup process.
    ● If your system has crashed and cannot boot, you must extract your inaccessible data first by using a data recovery tool like Recoverit to create a Windows PE bootable drive on a blank USB or CD/DVD.
    ● Creating a bootable recovery drive will format the connected USB flash drive, and extracting data requires manually adjusting your crashed computer's BIOS settings to boot from this new media.

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If your system is not functioning in an ideal way, then you might reinstall Windows and fix most of the persisting issues related to it. Nevertheless, if you can't afford to lose your important content while reinstalling Windows 10, then don't worry. You can easily learn how to reinstall Windows 10 without losing data. In this informative guide, we will teach you how to reinstall Windows 10 without losing data in a step-by-step manner. If you also wish to recover your lost or inaccessible content from it, then we have a solution for that as well.

How to Reinstall Windows 11/10 without Losing Data

No one likes to lose their important data files while reinstalling the operating system on their computer. Thankfully, Windows 10 makes it easier for us to retain our content while troubleshooting or reinstalling the OS. Before you proceed, you need to make sure you have a bootable media (USB flash drive or DVD) of Windows 10. You can easily learn how to reinstall Windows 10 without losing data by following these simple steps:

Firstly, connect the bootable media to your system. If you have an image file, then you can select it and choose to "Mount" it.

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  Afterward, you can go to File Explorer and open the connected drive in a new window.

  

  Here, you can view a "Setup" file. Simply launch it to get things started. You might need to provide your admin credentials to confirm your choice.

  

  This will launch the Setup process. Firstly, you need to choose whether you wish to download the recent updates or not. We recommend doing the same.

  

  After clicking on the "Next" button, you might have to wait for a while as the setup will download the available update file.

  

  Once it is done, you will get the following screen. Simply read the terms and conditions and click on the "Accept" button.

  

  In this way, the Windows installer will start checking for updates. Make sure you have a stable internet connection to speed up the process.

  

  After checking for the updates, Windows will make your system ready for it.

  

  The installer will proceed and ask whether you wish to retain your content or not. From here, you can choose to keep your files (and apps) safe.

  

  Once it is done, you will get the following screen. You can simply click on the "Install" button to proceed.

  

  Sit back and relax as it would take a while for Windows to reinstall. Since you have opted to keep your data, Windows won't get rid of your content as well during the process.

By following these steps, you can easily learn how to reinstall Windows 10 without losing data. Though, this technique will only work if your system is bootable. Once the installation is complete, your system would be restarted in the normal mode like brand new.

Video Guide: How to Install Windows 10 from USB without Losing Data?

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Recover Data When You Fail to Boot Windows 10

The above tutorial will teach you how to reinstall Windows 10 without losing data. However, when you can't access Windows normally, to recover data, reinstalling the Windows 10 is not the only choice. You can also use Recoverit. As a highly reliable tool, it can help you retrieve your inaccessible or lost content when the system is not functioning ideally or has been crashed. It supports Windows PE that can create a bootable drive and perform the recovery operation even in an adverse situation. It is the best data recovery program for operating system crash recovery.

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• Recover lost or deleted files, photos, audio, music, emails from any storage device effectively, safely, and completely.
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• Supports to recover data for sudden deletion, formatting, hard drive corruption, virus attack, system crash under different situations.

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To recover data from the crashed Windows 10 system, you can download and install Recoverit, and also prepare a blank USB or CD/DVD drive for creating e a bootable drive.

• Select a scenario. To get inaccessible data from the crashed internal hard disk, please select the "Recover from Crash Computer" mode. Create a bootable media. Recoverit can be used to create a bootable drive to help you extract data from a crashed system. Click on "Start" to go on.

• Select a mode to create a USB or CD/DVD bootable drive and click the "Create" button to move on.

• An alert message about formatting USB flash drive pops up. Make a point of backing up your important data before formatting the USB flash drive. Click the "Format now" button to confirm.

• During the process of creating a bootable drive, please do not eject the USB flash drive or pull out the CD/DVD drive. It will take you a while to complete the creating process.

• After the bootable USB flash drive or CD/DVD drive is created, you will receive a guide to retrieve your data back.

a) Adjust the BIOS to boot from USB/CD/DVD drive: restart your crashed computer and press the BIOS entry key when the first screen is displayed. You can check out this page to learn how to set your computer to boot from a USB drive or CD/DVD drive.

b) Connect the USB flash drive or insert CD/DVD drive to your computer.
c) Restart your computer and start to recover data from the crashed system.

If you wish to learn how to reinstall Windows 10 without losing data, then you can simply follow the first tutorial. Though, the second tutorial will also help you recover your lost data before the installation (or after, if the installation has gone wrong). Now when you know how to reinstall Windows 10 without losing data, you can share this guide with your friends and family as well to help them.