reset computer

This is a very important choice, so we want to make sure you completely understand what you're doing before you move forward: Reset disk to reset the entire machine. How do I reinstall these apps? If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant.Jason is PCMag's how to content generator. Back up all personal files you want saved to an external disk, flash drive, or cloud storage system. Just a few more things and you'll be back to using your computer! The easiest way to start the Reset This PC process is from the Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis, LLC and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. Wait While Reset This PC Removes Everything From Your Computer Wait While Windows 10 (or Windows 8) Is Reinstalled How to Access Advanced Startup Options in Windows 10 or 8How to Fix the 'There Was a Problem Resetting Your PC' ErrorError Code 0xc000000f: What It Means and How to Fix ItWhat to Do When Windows 10 Action Center Won't OpenHow to Fix a Clock Watchdog Timeout Error in Windows 10 Choose this option if, after the Reset This PC process is over, you plan on giving the computer away, If you don't use an email address, or that doesn't work, you have a short list of other options, all of which are explained in detail in  One of the reasons for that option is to address this specific problem of finding an old machine that you forgot the password to, and you want to just reset the PC and start over clean. Immediately after making your Keep my … Source: Windows Central You He writes troubleshooting content and is the General Manager of Lifewire. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. During this first stage, all the data on your computer (technically, all the data on your primary drive) is being removed. That's a time consuming task that's well worth it if it means your computer is back to working order but a huge waste of time if all you needed to do was clear your browser's cache.

Once Reset This PC is loaded, you'll see this screen, hopefully with your account name clearly available as an option, much like you see ours here. In this guide, we'll show you three ways to complete this task on Windows 10. Enter the password for this account in the field provided and then press or click  During this process, your computer will restart a few times by itself and this "Installing Windows" screen may flicker or flash in and out...all normal behavior during the Windows installation process. You can either choose to keep your personal files and only remove downloaded apps and settings, or you can wipe everything and start from scratch. Skip to Step 4 of this tutorial after making that choice in Windows 8 or check out Step 3 (even though it's for the Windows 10 folks) if you're not sure which one to choose or are confused about what might happen.

From the Troubleshoot screen in Advanced Startup Options, choose the  The location of your recovery partition and instructions for resetting your PC vary depending on your computer’s model and manufacturer.All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Is there any other way to restore my computer to its previous system configuration before this latest automatic upgrade? The process will depend on the method you chose to create the file backup.If you created a copy of your files on an external drive, connect the drive to your computer, and use these steps:Once you complete the steps, you may need to repeat the steps to restore additional files.Finally, make sure to reinstall any app that was previously available on your computer (if applicable).The fresh start option is similar to the reset preserving your files option with "Reset this PC." Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.Refer to your computer manufacturer’s user guide if using Windows 7 or Windows Vista to identify the exact steps for resetting your PC.

Reset This PC removes all of your software, meaning a follow-up task on your part will be to reinstall that software.

Next up is a screen like the one shown here. Windows 10 will erase everything on the drive and then return your computer back to the exact state it was in when you first purchased in. If you chose to keep your personal files, you may have a