How to Reset Windows 10 PC
If you're having problems with your Windows 10 PC, sometimes resetting Windows 10 is the only cure. When you use the “Reset this PC” feature in Windows, Windows resets itself to its factory default state. If you purchased a PC and it came with Windows 10 installed, your PC will be in the same state you received it in. All the manufacturer installed software and drivers that came with the PC will be reinstalled. If you installed Windows 10 yourself, it will be a fresh Windows 10 system without any additional software.
You can choose whether you want to keep your personal files or erase them. However, all your installed programs and settings will be erased. This ensures you have a fresh system. Any problems caused by third-party software, system file corruption, system settings changes, or malware should be fixed by resetting your PC.
If your computer came with Windows pre-installed, you may also see a third option, “Restore Factory Settings”. This will restore the original version that came with your PC–so if your computer came with Windows 8, and you upgraded to Windows 10, it will reset back to Windows 8.
To reset your PC to its factory default settings within Windows 10, just open the Settings app and head to Update & Security > Recovery. Click or tap the “Get Started” button under “Reset this PC”.
The Reset tool offers two options:
Choose whether to just keep your files or to remove files and clean the drive.
Windows reinstalls itself on your computer, which takes anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. When your computer wakes up, it should feel refreshed and ready to work again.
How to Reset Your PC From the Windows Recovery Environment
If your Windows PC isn’t booting properly, you can reset it from the Windows Recovery Environment. You can access Windows Recovery Environment from Windows 10 Setup DVD. However, Windows Recovery Environment menu will also appear automatically if Windows can’t boot.
Select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC to reset your PC from the menu.
You can choose whether you want to keep your personal files or erase them. However, all your installed programs and settings will be erased. This ensures you have a fresh system. Any problems caused by third-party software, system file corruption, system settings changes, or malware should be fixed by resetting your PC.
If your computer came with Windows pre-installed, you may also see a third option, “Restore Factory Settings”. This will restore the original version that came with your PC–so if your computer came with Windows 8, and you upgraded to Windows 10, it will reset back to Windows 8.
To reset your PC to its factory default settings within Windows 10, just open the Settings app and head to Update & Security > Recovery. Click or tap the “Get Started” button under “Reset this PC”.
The Reset tool offers two options:
- Keep My Files: The most widely used choice, this reinstalls Windows, but preserves everybody's user accounts and files. The only thing you lose are desktop programs, which must be reinstalled from their discs or installation files.
- Remove Everything: Only choose this when you want to wipe everything away from your computer, including everybody's user accounts and files, and reinstall Windows 10. Then you can start from scratch or safely sell or donate your computer to others.
Choose whether to just keep your files or to remove files and clean the drive.
Windows reinstalls itself on your computer, which takes anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. When your computer wakes up, it should feel refreshed and ready to work again.
How to Reset Your PC From the Windows Recovery Environment
If your Windows PC isn’t booting properly, you can reset it from the Windows Recovery Environment. You can access Windows Recovery Environment from Windows 10 Setup DVD. However, Windows Recovery Environment menu will also appear automatically if Windows can’t boot.
Select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC to reset your PC from the menu.