Microsoft unveiled two innovative recovery features for Windows 11 at the Ignite developer conference, aimed at minimizing downtime and simplifying recovery from system failures or problematic updates. These features, named Cloud Rebuild and Point-in-Time Restore (PITR), are integral to the company’s Windows Resiliency Initiative, which seeks to empower organizations to swiftly restore devices that have become inoperable.
Point-in-Time Restore (PITR)
The Point-in-Time Restore (PITR) feature enables users and IT administrators to revert a Windows 11 system to a previous, stable state in just a matter of minutes. Similar to the existing System Restore functionality, PITR restores the operating system, its settings, and system files to a previously saved condition. However, PITR enhances this capability by capturing comprehensive snapshots of the system at various intervals, allowing for the restoration of local files and applications as well.
Microsoft has announced that this feature will enter preview this week with an upcoming Windows 11 Insider preview build, providing early access to its capabilities.
Cloud Rebuild
In addition to PITR, Microsoft is launching Cloud Rebuild, a tool designed to facilitate a complete reinstallation of Windows 11 directly from the cloud for devices facing persistent issues. Through the Intune portal, administrators can select the desired Windows release and language, prompting the device to download the necessary installation media and initiate a self-rebuild.
This process utilizes Autopilot for zero-touch provisioning, ensuring that mobile device management (MDM) enrollment and policy compliance are maintained post-rebuild. User data and settings restoration is streamlined through OneDrive and Windows Backup for Organizations, significantly reducing downtime from potentially hours or days to mere minutes.
Integration with Microsoft Intune
Both recovery features are set to be integrated directly within Microsoft Intune in the first half of 2026. This integration will empower Windows administrators to initiate recovery actions remotely, coordinate enterprise-wide remediation efforts, and manage Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) functionalities directly from Intune.
Quick Machine Recovery (QMR)
Earlier this month, Microsoft also began testing an updated version of Quick Machine Recovery (QMR), a tool designed to assist administrators in resolving Windows boot failures without the need for physical access to the device. When a boot failure occurs due to a configuration change, problematic drive, or update, Windows 11 will automatically engage the Windows Recovery Environment, load QMR, and transmit crash information to Microsoft.
Leveraging this data analysis, Microsoft can remotely implement fixes, such as removing troublesome drivers or updates and adjusting configuration settings. The latest iteration of QMR enhances the boot-repair process by conducting a single scan to identify and resolve issues, rather than engaging in a repetitive search for solutions.
