[German]Broken Windows installations can be repaired by "installing over" the operating system (known as "Inplace Upgrade"). Now there are reports that Microsoft is internally working on a feature that will enable such a repair by an "Inplace Upgrade" via Windows Update. At least in Windows 11 Insider Preview, this previously hidden function can be tested. Overall, however, the whole thing sheds light on Microsoft's quality and development status – Windows 11 is so broken that it needs an integrated function to make the system usable again via reinstallation.
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Reset or Inplace Upgrade
Microsoft itself has been trying to establish something like a "repair function" in Windows for ages. This ranges from System Restore, which can roll back system files to a previous state (if the feature is turned on), to the Windows reset functions introduced since Windows 8.x (keywords "Refresh Windows" and "Reset Windows to factory defaults").
Windows users give themselves the tip in forums to simply reinstall Windows in case of problems (e.g. failed upgrades, etc.). However, experienced Windows users use a so-called Inplace Upgrade for this purpose. In this case, the setup.exe of the installation medium is simply called up while Windows is running. Then one lets a new installation of Windows accomplish, whereby the option can be used to keep files and if necessary applications. The latter approach usually saves the tedious task of setting up the operating system after the reinstallation, prevents data loss, and can sometimes eliminate persistent errors resulting from a damaged Windows.
Windows 11 Insider with Inplace Update feature
I don't test Insider Previews anymore myself, but in the new Windows 11 Insider Preview build 23516 (distributed in the Developer Channel) not only Windows CoPilot comes as a new feature. A user with the alias Xeno noticed back in July 2023 that the Windows 11 Canary build includes the fully functional ability to repair a corrupted operating system via Windows Update.
The colleagues from deskmodder.de noticed this tweet and took a closer look at the Windows 11 Insider Build 23516. As they write in this article, this build already contains the function to repair Windows 11 via Windows Update. However, the whole thing is hidden and has to be unlocked manually via the ViVeTool. For this, the following command can be used in the command prompt:
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vivetool /enable /id:39847173
The prerequisite is, of course, that the ViVeTool is available in the corresponding directory. If you are interested in this topic, have a corresponding Insider Preview and want to test the feature, you can find more information in this article at deskmodder.de. I assume that this feature will come in Windows 11 23H2; expected for the fourth quarter of 2023. As a matter of interest, are any of you still testing Windows 11 Insider Previews?
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Microsoft shows contempt for its Home users by enforcing a compatibility requirement for UEFI secure boot and TPM equipped devices to run Windows 11. These features are obviously relevant to corporate use. GPT storage device configuration is not essential for normal Home users. I do NOT need a storage device with more than 2,000 GB capacity.
I want to upgrade my existing Windows 10 systems to Windows 11 and resent being prevented from doing that by Microsoft diktat. It's MY informed choice to do without the security of UEFI boot and TPM. Microsoft, for whatever reason, is obliging me to have to do clean Windows 11 installations on newly purchased hardware instead of performing Windows 11 system upgrades to existing Windows 10 systems.