with Sony plans to stop making discs for games and remove access to movies and TV shows that people pay forphysical media is more important than ever. Xbox is Reviews the disk-to-digital program for Project HelixMicrosoft proves the importance of physical media in decision making.
But the physical media debate isn’t really about discs; it’s about control. People want to control the content and devices they buy. Microsoft’s new expanded options for resetting PCs demonstrate how choice and control can be given to consumers.
Like many others, I opposed Sony’s plans and argued for the preservation of physical media. So it might come as a surprise to hear that I’m happy with a new option to reset a Windows 11 PC that uses the cloud entirely and doesn’t use a USB drive.
While I’m all for physical media to protect ownership of games and movies, convenience wins when it comes to purely helping to fix a broken computer.
a new feature called Rebuilding the cloud Tested on Windows 11. This allows you to restore the computer to a clean state without the need for an external drive.
What is Cloud Reset in Windows 11?
Cloud reset is a feature that allows you to reinstall Windows and your computer’s drivers using the Internet. Instead of requiring an installed USB drive, you can hard reset your computer via the cloud.
Microsoft has explained the restructuring of the Cloud recently when the feature was sent to Insiders:
“Differently Reset this computerCloud rebuild downloads both the target Windows image and the device drivers from Windows Update, so the device returns to a fully functional state without USB media, without a custom image, and regardless of the health of the currently installed OS.”
While Reset this PC and Cloud reset both allow you to restore your PC, they differ in important ways except that one uses a USB drive and the other uses the cloud.
Resetting this PC allows you to save your personal files, which can save you from losing important content. But even if you have an external USB installation drive ready to go, if only Windows is bootable, you can reset this PC.
This feature also requires you to manually create a USB installer beforehand on a running computer.
In contrast, Cloud rebuild works even if your computer refuses to boot. The downside is that it doesn’t provide an option to save apps and files.
Cloud reset brings your PC to a clean slate with Windows running and device drivers in place.
The biggest advantage of cloud infrastructure is reliability. Cloud rebuilding doesn’t rely on a tool that you’ve previously set up or that you’ve made sure is properly formatted. It simply downloads a fresh image and drivers via Windows Update.
All my files are stored on OneDrive and backed up elsewhere so I don’t need the option to save my files. It will save some time after the reset, but it is not important.
The cloud rebuild depends on having an internet connection, so the USB installer is still a safer option for people in low connection environments.
Let the people decide
Of course, it’s best to have the option to use a USB drive or the cloud. Although I prefer Cloud rebuild to restore my personal computer, I want both options to be available. Many people prefer to have physical tools that they know are reliable and can work locally.
And that’s what the current debate about physical media is all about: choice and control. The vast majority of game sales are digital, but people want the option of owning physical media.
Windows 11 management is the same way. Some will use the cloud, while others will have USB drives for resetting their computers and SSD drives stored for backing up files.
Cloud restore is a better option for my workflow, but the point is not to replace USB restore. It is about choosing and controlling people. Like physical media, recovery tools should not be removed; they must live together.
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