Microsoft details on getting started with Quick Machine Recovery in Windows 11

Quick machine recovery—a powerful feature that automatically detects, diagnoses, and resolves critical issues on your device—is now available in the Windows Insider Preview Beta Channel for Windows 11, version 24H2. First announced by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at Microsoft Ignite 2024 as part of the Windows Resiliency Initiative, this feature is a game-changer for Windows 11 devices facing boot issues.

Reducing the burden on IT administrators​

With system failures, devices can sometimes get stuck in the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE), severely impacting productivity and often requiring IT teams to spend significant time troubleshooting and restoring affected machines. With quick machine recovery, when a widespread outage affects devices from starting properly, Microsoft can broadly deploy targeted remediations to affected devices via Windows RE—automating fixes and quickly getting users to a productive state without requiring complex manual intervention.

What's included in the preview​

Currently available in preview for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel, quick machine recovery supports Windows 11, version 24H2 devices with an up-to-date version of Windows RE. This feature will eventually be enabled by default for Windows 11 Home devices. For devices running Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise, local and IT admins will be in full control and can enable or customize the feature for the devices in their organizations.


Quick machine recovery is shown in the Advanced options menu for Windows RE

The following capabilities are available with this initial release:

• Enable/disable: IT admins can enable or disable quick machine recovery via the RemoteRemedation CSP or directly on the device via reagentc.exe in an administrative command prompt.
• Preconfigure experience: IT admins can prepopulate network credentials to ensure seamless delivery of automatic remediations. They can also configure the scanning interval, which checks for remediations (recommended: every 30 minutes), and the timeout, which determines when the device will restart (recommended: 72 hours, to optimize the remediation process).
• Test: Simulate the quick machine recovery process through test mode to ensure readiness before deployment. Keep an eye out for a test remediation package coming your way in the next few days, allowing you to experience the quick machine recovery feature in action.

How it works​

Quick machine recovery strengthens system resilience by detecting failures and automating remediation to minimize downtime. During a widespread outage, assuming the system has quick machine recovery and automatic remediation enabled, the process would look like this:

1. Device enters recovery mode: If a Windows 11, version 24H2 device encounters a critical failure preventing normal boot, it enters Windows RE.
2. Network connection established: Windows RE connects to the network using ethernet or Wi-Fi protected access (WPA), ensuring the device can communicate with Microsoft's recovery services. Future updates will introduce additional networking configurations for broader support.
3. Incident analysis: Microsoft analyzes crash data from affected devices to identify patterns and pinpoint the root cause. If a widespread outage is detected, an internal response team is activated to develop, validate, and prepare a targeted remediation.
4. Remediation rollout: In this initial release, Microsoft will deliver the remediation via Windows Update, adhering to the update policies configured on the device. Microsoft will safely rollout the remediation.

Get started today​

Windows Insiders can start testing quick machine recovery by installing the latest Windows Insider Preview build in the Beta Channel for Windows 11, version 24H2. We encourage you to explore the capabilities and provide feedback via Feedback Hub (file under Recovery and Uninstall > Quick Machine Recovery) to help us refine and optimize this feature.

You can learn more about quick machine recovery by reading today's announcement on the Windows Insider Blog.


Stay tuned for future enhancements as we continue to strengthen Windows resilience and support IT admins in maintaining seamless business operations. To learn more about the Windows Resiliency Initiative, see Windows security and resiliency: Protecting your business.