Repair Install Windows 11 using an ISO file
This article shows how to do a repair install of Windows 11 using an Installation Media that keeps everything and reinstalls Windows to fix issues on the computer.

What is a repair install?
A repair install, also known as an in-place upgrade, allows you to reinstall Windows, keeping apps files and settings. It can fix a wide variety of issues, including Windows Update errors, store app issues that include downloads and updates, or unreliable windows like slowness or crashing. A repair install is highly successful in fixing these problems without the hassle of doing a reset that removes your existing applications.
Prerequisites for a repair install
For a repair install, you need to do the following three things:
- A windows 11 ISO file, also known as installation media.
- A backup of your existing files
- A working windows 11 installation that at least boots to the desktop. If your PC is stuck in a boot loop or reboots to safe mode, It won’t work.
A Repair Install affects the following things:
- Any windows customization like custom fonts and custom icons would be removed.
- All windows updates would be nice to reapply again, but they would be automatically installed before you reach the desktop.
How to repair install Windows 11:
- First of all, download a windows 11 insider ISO file from the following link:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/software-download/Windows11 - Under Download ISO file, select Windows 11.
- Click Download and choose the Language in which Windows is installed.
- Click 64-bit Download to start the download.

- When the file has completed downloading, open it, which should mount the installation file to a separate drive in the File Explorer.

- Open the drive and click on setup.exe, which should show you a preparing screen.
- If you have trouble installing windows updates, click Change how setup downloads updates and skip checking for updates.

- Accept the license terms.

- The next step should confirm that your files, apps. Settings are kept. It would also show you the edition of windows it would install.

- If you want to remove apps and reinstall Windows, click Change what to keep and select the appropriate option. Click Next.

- You would see Windows starting the Installation in the downlevel phase.

- After the restart, you would see configuring Windows screen, aka SafeOS phase.

- When complete, you should see the login screen. Enter your PIN.
- The setup would give the final finishing touches, and you should see the desktop ultimately.

These steps can help you run a Repair Install of Windows 11.
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