Microsoft added two capabilities to Windows 11 Cloud Rebuild in Insider Experimental Preview build 26340.9502, published on September 18, 2026: Remove & sanitize files, which asks supported storage hardware to erase data before Windows is reinstalled, and remote configuration and initiation through the Recovery CSP for IT administrators. Both features are preview functionality.
Cloud Rebuild is a full Windows reinstall launched from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). It downloads the Windows image and device drivers through Windows Update, then removes the existing local installation, including files, accounts, applications, and settings.
Windows 11 Cloud Rebuild adds a sanitization option
The new Remove & sanitize files choice is aimed at PCs being recycled, returned, or reassigned. It asks the storage hardware to use its erase capability before Cloud Rebuild installs Windows again.
That is different from the standard Remove files option, which is intended for someone who plans to keep using the PC. Microsoft warns that ordinary file removal can leave data recoverable with specialized recovery tools.
What the two removal modes do
| Decision | Remove files | Remove & sanitize files |
| Intended use | Keeping the PC | Recycling, returning, or reassigning the PC |
| Operation | Removes local files and reformats the system disk during the rebuild | Asks supported storage hardware to erase targeted data before Windows is reinstalled |
| Data recovery | Deleted files may remain recoverable with specialized recovery tools | Intended to make recovery much harder |
| Reversibility | The rebuild removes the existing local installation | The sanitization operation is irreversible |
| Hardware requirement | Uses the normal Cloud Rebuild requirements | Also depends on storage hardware support and its erase implementation |
The sanitization request is not the same thing as a proven result for every PC. The operation depends on the storage device’s erase capability, and Windows cannot independently verify that the hardware completed the requested erase correctly. Microsoft describes the operation as irreversible, but the feature does not provide an absolute guarantee that data can never be recovered.
Remote Cloud Rebuild control for IT administrators
The second addition is aimed at managed environments. Microsoft says IT administrators can configure and start Cloud Rebuild remotely through the Recovery CSP, using either the installed build or a specified target build.
That gives administrators a way to initiate the reinstall without starting the process locally at the PC. The capability remains part of the Insider Experimental Preview build rather than a general Windows 11 release.
Cloud Rebuild is a destructive reinstall, not a repair
Cloud Rebuild starts in WinRE and relies on internet access and compatible networking support in that recovery environment. The PC must also meet Windows 11 hardware requirements, and WinRE must be healthy enough to launch the process.
The workflow downloads Windows and device drivers through Windows Update instead of relying on the health of the installed operating system. It then reformats the system disk and removes local files, accounts, applications, settings, and the existing Windows installation.
Cloud-stored data such as OneDrive content is not affected by the local reinstall. The practical dividing line is simple: Remove files fits a PC that stays with its current owner, while Remove & sanitize files is designed for a device changing hands. Both choices belong to a full reinstall that erases the local Windows environment.
Microsoft is testing these additions through the Windows Insider Program, and preview features can change, be removed, or never ship beyond the preview program.
