It's a good idea to create a recovery drive. That way, if your PC ever experiences a major issue such as hardware failure, you'll be able to use the recovery drive to reinstall Windows 11. Windows updates to improve security and PC performance periodically, so we recommend you recreate the recovery drive annually.

Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020. We recommend you move to a Windows 11 PC to continue to receive security updates from Microsoft. Learn more. The System Recovery Options menu contains several tools, such as Startup Repair, that can help you recover Windows from a serious error.

Use this app to try to recover lost files that have been deleted from your local storage device (including internal drives, external drives, and USB devices) and can’t be restored from the Recycle Bin.

From your files, themes, and some settings to many of your installed apps and Wi-Fi information - Windows Backup will help protect what matters and make it easier than ever to move to a brand-new PC. This guide will help you to use Windows Backup to back up key things on your Windows PC.

Your PC isn't working well and you recently installed an app. Restore from a system restore point. You suspect your device has been infected. Use installation media to reinstall Windows 11. Select one of the recovery options below and follow the steps to try to get things working again.

If some Windows functions aren't working or Windows crashes, use the System File Checker to scan Windows and restore your files. Though the steps below might look complicated at first glance, just follow them in order, step-by-step, and we’ll try to get you back on track. Run the System File Checker tool (SFC.exe)

Enable a Windows Administrator account. Learn how to find your old files after upgrading your PC to Windows 10, including search and recovery tips.

Restore deleted files and folders or restore a file or folder to a previous state. Navigate to the folder that used to contain the file or folder, right-click it, and then select Restore previous versions.

You can use installation media (a USB flash drive or DVD) to install a new copy of Windows, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows. To create installation media, go to the software download website, where you'll find step-by-step instructions.

We recommend you consider modern backup options like the ones listed above, as they're easier to manage and non-destructive. If you've used Backup and Restore in Windows 7, consider moving your content to a cloud-based backup. To learn more about recovery, see Recovery options in Windows 10. SUBSCRIBE RSS FEEDS.