14 DAY TRIAL // One of the latest features that Microsoft is working on for Windows 10 is cloud reinstall, which technically allows users to reinstall the operating system without the need for any installation media.
Instead, what this feature does is take care of the whole process all by itself, as it uses a system image stored in the cloud to automatically download the necessary files.
The cloud reinstall option was included in Windows 10 build 18950, which is a preview of Windows 10 20H1, so the target appears to be shipping it to production devices in the feature update due in the spring of 2020.
But as per Twitter user Albacore, the idea of equipping Windows 10 with a cloud reinstall option isn’t entirely new. In fact, the software giant first started work on this feature back in 2016 when it also integrated it into a preview build of the OS.
Possibly coming in early 2020
The feature was originally implemented in Windows 10 build 14908 compiled in on August 16, 2016, but for some reason, Microsoft then abandoned the idea altogether.
At this point, no major progress appears to be made on the cloud reinstall option, as it currently downloads Windows 10 build 14393, which was part of the Redstone 1 development program. Microsoft itself explains the cloud reinstall support isn’t ready just yet, and it should go live for insiders at some point in the future:
“Insiders may notice some references to “Cloud download” relating to PC reset or refresh. This feature isn’t available and working quite yet. We’ll let you know once it is, so you can try it out!” Dona Sarkar, chief of the Windows Insider program, said.
It remains to be seen how the development of this feature advances in the coming months, but if everything goes according to the plan, we should be able to try it out in the Insider program in just a few weeks.