How To Do A Factory Reset On Windows 10

A factory reset allows you to restore your Windows 10 PC back to its original settings. This can help improve performance if your computer is running slow or buggy. A reset erases all data and apps you’ve installed, so make sure to back up any files you want to keep.

Here are the steps to factory reset Windows 10:

Back Up Your Files

Before resetting, back up any personal files and data you want to keep. This includes:

• Documents
• Photos
• Videos
• Music
• Downloaded programs

You can copy files to an external hard drive or cloud storage. Backing up data ensures you won’t lose anything important during the reset process.

Sign Out of All Accounts

Sign out of any accounts on the device, including:

• Microsoft account
• Social media and email accounts
• Streaming service accounts

This will unlink the device from accounts to protect your privacy during the reset.

Reset Windows 10 From Settings

The easiest way to reset is through the Windows Settings menu. Here’s how:

1. Open the Start Menu and select the Settings icon.
2. Choose Update & Security.
3. Select Recovery from the left sidebar.
4. Under “Reset this PC,” click Get started.
5. Choose either:
6. Remove everything – Fully resets Windows and erases all data
7. Keep my files – Reinstalls Windows but keeps personal files
8. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reset process. This may take over an hour depending on your device.

Reset Windows 10 From Sign-In Screen

You can also start the factory reset process from the sign-in screen:

1. Press the Windows logo key + L to get to the sign-in screen.
2. Hold down the Shift key and select Power > Restart.
3. After your PC restarts, choose Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
4. Select either “Keep my files” or “Remove everything.”
5. Follow the on-screen prompts to reset Windows 10.

Reset Windows 10 from Settings App

If you can’t load Windows normally, you can reset from the Settings app:

1. On the sign-in screen, hold down the Windows logo key and press I to open Settings.
2. Click Update & Security > Recovery.
3. Under “Reset this PC,” click Get started.
4. Choose “Keep my files” or “Remove everything.”
5. Follow the instructions to reset your PC.

Clean Install Windows 10

A clean install completely erases Windows and programs and installs a fresh copy:

• You’ll need Windows 10 install media on a USB or DVD.
• Boot from the installation media.
• Choose custom installation.
• Delete existing partitions when prompted.
• Install Windows on the empty unallocated space.

A clean install ensures everything is erased and freshly installed. But you’ll have to reinstall programs afterwards.

What Gets Removed During Reset?

When resetting Windows 10, here’s what gets removed:

• All user accounts and profiles
• Any installed applications and programs
• Personalization settings
• Windows registry and system files

With the “Remove Everything” option, absolutely all data gets erased from the hard drive.

Files removed during reset:

• Documents
• Pictures
• Videos
• Downloads
• Music
• Desktop items

The “Keep My Files” option preserves your personal files but deletes everything else.

Before Resetting Windows 10

Before performing a factory reset, make sure to:

• Back up important data to an external drive
• Sign out of all accounts
• Deactivate or uninstall any security/anti-virus software temporarily
• Charge your device and connect to power to avoid shutdown during reset

Also consider copying the Windows product key in case you need to reactivate Windows after resetting.

When Should I Reset Windows 10?

Reasons you may want to reset Windows 10 include:

• Experiencing frequent crashes, bugs, or errors
• Computer running much slower than normal
• Wanting to wipe a used computer before selling it
• Preparing to give your PC to someone else
• Testing out a major Windows update
• PC is virus-infected and traditional cleansing methods haven’t worked

Resetting should be your last resort before reinstalling Windows entirely. Back up your data first!