How to Reset a PC to Factory Settings

A PC factory reset reinstalls Windows and lets you keep personal files or remove everything, depending on the option you select.

What should you do before you reset a PC to factory settings?

Before starting a PC factory reset, protect anything you cannot replace. A reset can remove applications, settings, and personal files.

1. Copy documents, photos, downloads, browser bookmarks, and other important files to an external drive or cloud storage.
2. Confirm that cloud files have finished syncing before signing out of cloud storage, email, browsers, and other accounts.
3. Write down passwords, software license details, and any Windows product key you may need later. If device encryption is enabled, make sure you can access the BitLocker recovery key.
4. Record the names of essential apps, printers, and accessories so you can reinstall their software later.
5. Connect a laptop to its charger. Keep any PC connected to reliable power throughout the reset.

Disconnect external drives after completing the backup so they are not selected or changed accidentally.

How do you reset a PC from Windows Settings?

If Windows 11 starts normally, use its built-in Reset this PC option:

1. Open Start, select Settings, and then select System.
2. Select Recovery.
3. Under Recovery options, select Reset PC.
4. Choose Keep my files or Remove everything.
5. Choose Cloud download or Local reinstall. Cloud download gets a fresh Windows image, while Local reinstall uses files already on the PC.
6. Review the summary carefully, change any available settings if needed, and follow the confirmation prompts.

Windows 10 places the reset controls under Start, Settings, Update & Security, and Recovery. Select Get started under Reset this PC.

The computer may restart several times. A black screen can appear for a while during the process, so do not turn off the PC merely because the display temporarily looks inactive.

How do you reset a PC when Windows will not start?

Windows Recovery Environment, also called Windows RE, is a set of repair and reset tools that runs outside the normal Windows desktop. Windows may enter it automatically after repeated failed starts.

1. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
2. Select Reset this PC.
3. Choose Keep my files or Remove everything, then follow the prompts.

If the sign-in screen appears, hold Shift while selecting Power and Restart to enter Windows RE. If recovery does not appear, start the PC from a Windows recovery drive or official Windows installation media. Installation media may offer Repair your computer, which opens recovery tools.

A boot-menu key can let the PC start from USB media, but the key varies by manufacturer and model. Check the PC maker’s official instructions rather than treating one function key as universal. You may also need the BitLocker recovery key before Windows RE permits certain actions.

What is the difference between Keep my files and Remove everything?

Both reset choices reinstall Windows and remove installed desktop applications. Settings return to their defaults, and you will need to reinstall programs afterward.

• Keep my files preserves personal files in user folders but removes apps and settings. It is useful when Windows is damaged but you plan to continue using the PC.

• Remove everything deletes personal files as well as apps and settings. Use it only after confirming that the backup works and you no longer need local data.

Reset this PC is not always identical to restoring the computer’s exact out-of-box configuration. Windows may restore standard drivers automatically, while manufacturer utilities or specialized drivers may need to be installed separately. Some PCs include a manufacturer recovery option, but its wording and results are model-specific.

What should you do after the PC factory reset finishes?

1. Complete Windows setup and connect to a trusted network.
2. Run Windows Update repeatedly until no further required updates appear.
3. Reinstall essential applications from their official sources.
4. Check Device Manager for hardware that is missing a driver or is not working correctly.
5. Scan your backup before copying files back, especially if malware was suspected.
6. Restore personal files in small groups and confirm that they open correctly.
7. In Windows 11, open Settings, System, and Activation to check the activation status. On Windows 10, use Settings, Update & Security, and Activation.

If Windows was activated on the same hardware before the reset, its digital license will often be recognized when the PC goes online. If activation fails, record the exact message and error code.

What should you do if a PC factory reset is stuck?

A reset can remain on one percentage while Windows works in the background. Keep the PC connected to power and do not force a restart just because progress pauses or the screen turns black.

• If the percentage changes eventually or the storage activity indicator continues working, allow the reset to continue.

• If Windows displays an error, photograph or write down the complete code before selecting any recovery option.

• If the reset returns to the original Windows installation, restart normally if possible, install pending updates, check free storage space, and try the reset again.

• If Windows RE offers Startup Repair after a failed reset, try that tool before repeating the reset.

• If repeated resets fail, use official Windows recovery or installation media, or contact support before forcing additional shutdowns.

A forced power-off is appropriate only when the PC is clearly unresponsive and cannot continue, or when support instructions specifically require it. Interrupting an active reset can leave Windows unable to start.

When should you contact PC or Windows support?

Contact support when the reset repeatedly produces the same error, Windows cannot detect the internal drive, recovery media will not start, or activation remains unsuccessful after reconnecting the PC to the internet.

Signs of a likely hardware problem include unusual clicking from a storage drive, repeated overheating shutdowns, memory or storage diagnostic failures, display corruption before Windows loads, or a drive that disappears from firmware settings. A software reset cannot repair a physically failing component.

Before contacting support, have the PC manufacturer and exact model, Windows edition, error code, recent hardware or software changes, diagnostic results, and a description of when the failure occurs. Also say whether Windows starts, whether Windows RE opens, which reset option you selected, and whether a current backup exists.