- Microsoft offers a built-in solution to reset Windows back to the initial state, almost like when you had the computer for the first time installed.
- Since it is a very useful option instead of performing a clean install, we show you 4 different ways to do this depending on which is easier for you.
- The System Restore section contains other related articles that can come in handy.
- For similar articles with guides and step by step instruction visit our How To section which covers many different topics.
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Problems with your operating system will appear sooner or later, and if that happens you’ll need to know how to deal with them. You can usually fix most major problems with your PC by performing a factory reset, so today we’re going to show you how to factory reset your Windows 10 PC.
The factory reset option was available in Windows 8, and since it was a useful feature, Microsoft decided to enhance it even further. Unlike Windows 8, Windows 10 doesn’t have a recovery partition available that works as an installation media.
However, by removing the recovery partition, users now have more storage space on their primary partition, and this is especially important for tablets or devices that use only SSD storage. With the recovery drive option removed, the only way to fix problems on your PC is to factory reset Windows 10, and there are several different ways to do that.
1. Use Settings app
Settings app allows you to change all sorts of system settings easily, but it also allows you to perform a factory reset and fix any major problems that you have with your PC. Resetting Windows 10 is fairly simple, and you can do it by following these steps:
If you have any major PC problems, you should always use the Keep my files option first, but bear in mind that this option will remove your installed applications, so you might want to back up some of your files. Although this option is great, it doesn’t always fix problems with Windows 10. If problems still persist, you need to use Remove everything option. To do that, follow these steps:
Remove the files and clean the drive option will basically do the same thing, it will remove all your files and applications from the installation drive, with one small difference. By choosing this option, Windows will delete all your files and write zeros at their location, so you won’t be able to recover your files in any way.
Keep in mind that this option doesn’t affect your hard drive negatively in any way, it just writes zeroes instead of your data, thus making your data impossible to recover. This option is useful if you want to sell your PC, and you want to be sure that your personal files can’t be recovered.
Keep in mind that this option allows you to clean only the installation drive or all drives that you have on your PC. If you plan to keep your PC, be sure to clean only the drive where Windows is installed.
Some users might have the Restore factory settings option and this option will revert your PC to the factory settings. Your PC will revert to the initial state your Windows came without any updates installed.
2. Use Advanced Startup options
If you want, you can also factory reset Windows 10 by using Advanced Startup options. This method is useful if you can’t access Windows 10 due to constant crashing.
This mode will automatically start after your PC restarts a couple of times during the boot, but you can also enter Advanced Startup from Windows 10 by doing the following:
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We have to mention that some branded PCs might have Factory Image Restore option available from Advanced Startup, and you can also use this option to reset your Windows 10.
By using this option, you’ll reset Windows 10 to its original state with certain applications from the PC manufacturer installed. Keep in mind that not all PCs have this option available.
3. Use a Recovery Drive
If you want to reset Windows 10, you can do so by using a Recovery Drive. In most cases, you’ll be able to reset Windows 10 by using one of the previous methods, but if you can’t access Windows 10 and if you can’t open Advanced Startup, you might want to consider using a Recovery Drive.
Before you can use the Recovery Drive, you’ll need to create it. Keep in mind that you’ll need a working version of Windows 10 in order to create the Recovery Drive. We have to mention that 64-bit Recovery Drives work only with 64-bit versions of Windows 10. The same goes for 32-bit version.
To create a Recovery Drive on Windows 10, do the following:
After creating the Recovery Drive, you can boot your PC from it and use the Recover from a drive option. If you want, you can also open access Advanced options or the Reset option.
4. Use a system image
Some computer manufacturers allow you to use the Factory Restore Image option to reset your PC, but often these Factory Images are filled with applications from the computer manufacturer that you don’t really use. To fix this problem, you can create your own system image and use it to reset your PC.
By creating a system image you’ll create your own backup with desired applications and settings and use it to reset Windows 10. To create a system image, do the following:
Keep in mind that system the image can be quite large and take up more than 10GB on your drive, so it might be better to store them on a USB flash drive or a portable hard drive. After creating a system image, you can reset your PC with it by following these steps:
We have to mention that by using a system image all your files that you created after making the image will be removed, so it might be a good idea to back up all your important files. Even though this option isn’t as same as factory reset, it’s quite similar to it.
If you want to achieve similar results to factory reset, be sure to create a system image as soon as you install your operating system and necessary programs.
Moreover, if for any reason you are unable to perform the factory reset procedure on Windows 10, you can count on our nifty tips to get it done in no time.
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