Configure Quick Machine Recovery Via Group Policy

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Applies to: Supported versions of Windows Server

Quick machine recovery on Windows Server 2025 uses Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to Windows Update for a remediation when a server encounters a critical boot failure. This article explains how administrators can use Group Policy computer settings to enable or disable quick machine recovery. Recovery succeeds only if an applicable remediation is available.

Use a Windows Server 2025 installation that includes the quick machine recovery and Group Policy support, a working WinRE configuration, and network connectivity from the recovery environment to the services required for cloud remediation. Quick machine recovery is disabled by default on server. An administrator must configure it to enable the feature.

Release prerequisite: Quick machine recovery is available for Windows Server 2025 editions with the October 2026 security update or later installed.

For local configuration, sign in to the target server with administrator permissions and use Local Group Policy Editor.

For domain configuration, use Group Policy Management on a Windows Server or an administration computer with the appropriate management tools. You need permissions to edit the GPO and link it to the intended organizational unit (OU).

The policy editor must contain the quick machine recovery administrative template settings.

This article doesn't apply to Windows clients or other Windows Server versions.

Group Policy computer settings for quick machine recovery

In the policy editor, open Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Quick Machine Recovery . The configuration uses computer settings, not User Configuration. Group Policy loopback processing is not required for this procedure.

Enable quick machine recovery on a single server by using Local Group Policy

Sign in to the Windows Server 2025 computer as an administrator.

Open Local Group Policy Editor by running gpedit.msc .

Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Quick Machine Recovery .

Open Enable Cloud Remediation , select Enabled , and select Apply , then OK .

Open Enable Auto Remediation , select Enabled , and select Apply , then OK . This is the two-setting configuration used in the Server validation procedure.

Set Set Recovery Retry Interval and Set Total Recovery Wait Time to the values that are appropriate for your deployment. Note : For headless servers, Set Recovery Retry Interval can be configured to a value greater than 0 to allow repeated remediation attempts during the Total Recovery Wait Time. Otherwise, only one remediation attempt is made per wait period, which may delay receiving remediations.

Close the editor, refresh computer policy, and verify the effective recovery settings as described below.

Apply quick machine recovery policy to domain-managed Windows Server 2025 computers

Use a dedicated GPO and target only the intended Windows Server 2025 computer accounts. Start with a pilot group before expanding the configuration.

Open Group Policy Management and locate the domain containing the target server computer accounts.

Under Group Policy Objects , create a GPO with a descriptive name, such as Windows Server 2025 - Quick Machine Recovery.

Edit the new GPO and go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Quick Machine Recovery .

Configure Enable Cloud Remediation and Enable Auto Remediation as Enabled to use the validated enablement configuration. To turn off both capabilities, configure both settings as Disabled .

Link the GPO to the OU containing the intended Windows Server 2025 computer accounts. If the OU contains other operating systems, restrict the GPO scope to the intended Windows Server 2025 computers before rollout.

Refresh computer policy on a target server and verify both the applied GPO and effective recovery settings (see section below).

Confirm pilot results before expanding the scope. Resolve conflicting computer policies through your normal Group Policy management process.

Disable quick machine recovery through Group Policy

To prevent cloud-sourced quick machine recovery remediation, explicitly disable Enable Cloud Remediation . To also suppress automatic application of local remediation packages, disable Enable Auto Remediation . Other recovery resources aren't equivalent to cloud quick machine recovery and aren't all disabled by these settings.

Open the local policy or domain GPO that manages the target Windows Server 2025 computers.

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Quick Machine Recovery .

Open Enable Cloud Remediation , select Disabled , and select Apply , then OK .

Open Enable Auto Remediation , select Disabled , and select Apply , then OK .

(Optional) Verify the effective configuration.

Not Configured isn't an explicit off switch. This setting returns control to local recovery settings or the edition default. Don't use Not Configured as a substitute for Disabled when you need to enforce that a capability is off.

Verify the effective quick machine recovery policy (optional)

Run the following commands from an elevated command prompt.

After applying the policy, administrators can run gpresult /scope computer /r to verify that the policy was applied.

From the elevated command prompt, run reagentc /getrecoverysettings to confirm the effective quick machine recovery configuration.

Use a manual gpupdate /force when you want immediate policy processing.

When requesting support, collect the Windows Server 2025 edition and OS build, installed update details, the relevant policy states, gpresult output, and reagentc /getrecoverysettings output. If a recovery attempt was performed in a controlled test, include its time and recovery logs. Review collected files for credentials or other sensitive information before sharing them.

Group Policy overview - Windows Server

Group Policy Management Console

Quick machine recovery

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Last updated on 2026-10-13