If your Windows 10 machine is acting up, running Microsoft’s Refresh Windows tool or uninstalling a recent update might do the trick. You can even run your own diagnostic tests to make sure your hard disc is healthy. But if your PC is sluggish or you’re getting worrying error messages, it might be time to back up your files and reset your PC to its factory settings. The steps below will (hopefully) get your computer running smoothly again.
Recovery Settings
Click the Start menu and select the gear icon in the lower left to open up the Settings window. You can also select the Settings app from the app list. Under Settings, click Update & Security > Recovery, then select Get started under Reset this PC.
Will You Save or Remove Your Files?
At this point, you have two options: You can either keep your personal files and only remove downloaded apps and settings, or you can wipe everything and start from scratch. Both choices will also give you additional settings to change.
If you are resetting Windows in order to roll back an issue, try Keep my files first. If you plan to get rid of the computer, Remove everything is the way to go.
How Will You Reinstall Windows?
You will then be asked how you want to reinstall Windows; Cloud download or Local reinstall. The cloud option, added in the May 2020 update, pulls Windows installation files from Microsoft’s servers, instead of asking your computer to gather necessary files from local storage.
While Windows gives you the choice, the cloud download option is meant to be a faster and more reliable option over using local files that may end up being corrupted. It’s also a more convenient alternative to booting from a USB stick.
Additional Settings
When you choose Keep my files, apps and settings will default to what they were when the PC was brand new, but your personal files will be saved. Any preinstalled apps will also be returned, but you can prevent this from happening by clicking Change settings at the Additional Settings screen and switching it off.
If you want to delete everything, click Remove everything, and Windows will simply erase all your files. This is the default option, and it is the quickest way to remove your personal files. However, you can also choose to clean the drive completely by clicking Change settings at the Additional Settings screen and toggling the Clean data? option to Yes.
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While this will take several hours to complete, it’s the more secure option. Microsoft recommends wiping the drive completely if you’re looking to get rid of your PC, which will make it much harder to recover deleted files.
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Reset Your Computer
Once you make all your decisions, click Next, and Windows will generate a screen that summarizes all the decisions you have made. If you selected Keep my files, you can look at a list of apps that will be removed with the reset.
Finally, click Reset to actually commit. Your computer will restart, and after several minutes, it will boot back up again. If you are getting rid of the computer, your work is done now. Otherwise, you can sign back into Windows 10 to make sure that whatever you selected to be removed has been wiped from the machine.