Today we’ll look at how to reset Windows 10 to the factory settings and roll back the system to the state of only the installed operating system. The topic requires detailed consideration due to the virtual absence of these functions in previous editions of Windows and the concept of storing an image to roll back the state of the operating system. The whole charm of the “tens” here is that for the implementation of the procedure described above it will not be required installation disk, bootable flash drive with software, like True image, or an image of a workable system.
Attention, proceed to the execution of the instruction only in the extreme case, when the re-installation of Windows 10 can only be the solution. When the execution of the instructions fails, simply install the operating system, making sure that no data is harmed in the process.
All emerging and possible problems accompanying the rollback process of the “tens” are discussed in the last section. If you encounter one of them, move down the page.
Before you know how to reset Windows 10, you should know why to reset it at all. Returning the operating system to initial state necessary in cases when it does not function properly, and return to normal operation does not work. Also, the function is a complete replacement for reinstalling Windows 10, but with some advantages: saving personal files (documents, application settings).
Perform a reset from a running system
This method of resetting the “tens” is possible only when it starts. Everything is pretty simple.
1. We call the new menu "Parameters" (most quickly this is done through a combination of "Win + I").
2. Click on the item "Update and Security".
3. We go to the "Recovery" subsection.
4. In the first section of the window that appears, click on the "Start" button.
It happens that the operating system reports that it is impossible to detect the files required for the operation. In this case, we go to the next section of the article.
5. Choose the most suitable option from the proposed ones (the first is recommended, but it all depends on the situation).
Next is the branching: if you choose the second method, it will be offered to format the disk or its simple cleaning. It also depends on the situation. For example, when you are going to sell a computer, the option with a full disk cleanup is better, but the process can take a lot of time with a large amount of hard drive or many bad sectors on the surface of the magnetic plate.
6. In the last window, click "Reset" if you do not change your mind.
The button will start the process of automatic installation of the operating system, during which the PC will restart 2-3 times. As a result, the computer will start up with the new operating system.
When choosing the option with saving personal data, the Windows.old directory will appear on the system partition, where a copy of all files of the previous Windows 10 is stored (for example, the contents of the desktop, the “Downloads”, “My Documents” directories).
Clean dozens installation with Refresh Windows Tool
In one of the first August windows Updates 10 for 2016, the Refresh Windows Tool appeared, allowing you to roll back the operating system or reinstall it while saving user documents.
The utility copes with the rollback of the system in situations where the first method for some reason did not work.
1. As before, go to the recovery options.
2. In the last section, click on the icon "Learn how to start again from ...".
3. After that, the Microsoft website will open in a browser, where you must click at the bottom: "Download the tool now."
4. After downloading, run the application, agreeing to the terms of its use.
5. We choose the option of saving personal information or set a method for its deletion, which we reviewed in the previous section.
All other actions are carried out automatically.
The end of the process can be delayed due to many factors (computer performance, no fragmentation of files on the system volume, damage to some sectors system disk, a significant amount of stored information was selected).
After booting a computer with clean Windows 10, the following procedure will be useful:
- we call the command interpreter Win + R;
- enter "cleanmgr";
- execute the command;
- click on the icon “Clear system files».
As a result, you can free up to 23 GB or more of disk space.
Reset system when it does not start
The section will discuss how to reset Windows 10 if it refuses to boot. Manufacturers ’tools come in handy here motherboard or laptops, or a bootable flash drive or system resume disk.
For devices whose users acquired licensed Windows 10 when buying a computer, there is an elementary method for resetting it. This is using a combination of specific keys to roll back a device.
In most cases, when a rollback of the system is required, computers were not purchased with a licensed “ten”, therefore, the presence of a recovery disk / flash drive is required. You must boot from it in recovery mode.
1. Having started in the resumption environment, click on the troubleshooting item.
4. In the menu for selecting the operating system, select Windows 10.
5. If you are confident in your actions, click on the icon "Restore the computer to its original state."
6 After we get acquainted with the list of actions that will be done in automatic mode.
This is uninstalling applications, resetting system settings to factory settings with the subsequent installation of Windows 10.
7. Click "Restore", if you are sure that the operation is necessary.
This will start the system resumption process, which is accompanied by a computer restart.
Tip: if to boot from bootable media change BIOS settings (change the priority of boot devices), change their order back.
Possible problems resetting Windows 10
It happens that when you try to roll back the “top ten” to the initial state and restart the computer, a window appears with the text “Problem when returning the computer to its original state. No change has been made. ” The error indicates problems with the renewal files located in the WinSxS directory (they are damaged, missing or were modified by the author of the assembly). If after unsuccessful attempt "Ten" starts up properly, be sure to check the system files for integrity, in hDD - for the presence of bad sectors.
If all else fails, perform a clean installation of the operating system, remembering to take care of important information on the system drive.
The second common mistake is to insert a CD (flash drive) with the installation files of the operating system. For these cases, the Refresh Windows Tool was developed, which was discussed in the second section of the current article. Also, the solution may be to use a flash drive / disk with files windows installation 10 of the same capacity and edition as the operating system installed on the computer.
The second version of the algorithm of actions, if the operating system could not be returned to its previous state due to the lack of media with recovery files, is to register its own image with a snapshot of the system to resume it. But at the same time, the "top ten" should work properly, because operations are carried out in its environment.
- Download the disk image file with Windows 10.
- We mount it through the virtual drive emulation tool and copy the “install.wim” file located in the “sources” directory to the “ResetRecoveryImage” folder created on any partition other than the system one.
- Instead of a physical drive emulator, you can use any archiver.
- Run with administrator privileges command line and enter a command like “reagentc / setosimage / path“ D: \\ ResetRecoveryImage ”/ index 1”, where “D: \\” is the path to the directory created in the third step.
With these actions, an image of its recovery is created and registered in the system.
After successful operations, we restart the automatic reinstalling windows 10, previously calling it a backup. This will speed up the process of returning to the current state of the OS in case of problems.
If you have any questions, other problems or the availability of new solutions do not hesitate to write about it in the comments.
Windows rollback to factory settings or resetting is a function that allows you to return the hard drive to the “Like from store” state: all personal files and personal settings will be deleted, only the standard operating system with the default settings will remain.
Why reset Windows?
It should be noted right away that this feature is only present on computers where the operating system was installed by default. As a rule, these are all branded devices that are sold in stores.
There are 5 main reasons for Windows to roll back to factory settings:
- Sale / transfer of the device. In order not to manually delete all personal files on the computer, you can use zeroing. Any buyer will only be happy with the “store” HDD;
- Reinstalling the OS. Rollback windows systems to factory settings - the best alternative to reinstalling the OS in case of a critical failure;
- Littering OSes and system directories. If Windows was used long time, then littering is an inevitable phenomenon in which the OS starts to slow down and work incorrectly;
- Driver installation failed. Windows 7 after installing the new driver stopped working - restoring to its original state will fix a similar problem;
- The "gathering" of the system. If Windows "flew" for unknown reasons, then resetting to factory settings will be the most optimal solution.
Comment. Restoring Windows 7 to standard settings is only possible with a working hard drive.
How to determine if settings are reset
The hard drive of the computer on which Windows is installed by default is marked up in a special way. There is a hidden or service section. It stores a backup copy of the original system with all the necessary utilities and drivers. The drive is not visible through Explorer, but it appears in Disk Management. Algorithm:
Comment. Samsung brand is taken as an example, hence the name of the backup disk Samsung_REC.
The section does not have a letter and is not available at the moment when the user is working with the system. You can view the contents (it is better not to do this without special need) only by booting the computer from external media, where you can assign a drive letter.
Prepare for rollback
Some manufacturers integrate into a custom shell Windows utility to reset the settings, which allows you to start the recovery procedure while working with the system. But if the OS does not boot due to critical error, then this will not bring benefits, therefore, all devices of the company assembly are equipped with a rollback to the factory settings, which can be started at computer startup by pressing a special key.
The image below shows a list of common PC models and the system restore initialization start keys installed by default:
The preparation procedure includes only two stages:
- Do backup of all key files to any third-party media (preferably on a USB flash drive) from all hard drives if there are several;
- Check the battery on your laptop. It should be complete, since an unexpected power outage can cause a lot of trouble on the computer, up to the need to carry the device to a service center. Owners of inpatients should either be confident in their station or connect the computer to uninterrupted power.
Hotkey Recovery
Pressing one of the keys described above on the screen initiates the launch of the recovery wizard. The entire program is adapted for Russian, so even an inexperienced user will not have problems using the utility:
Comment. In some cases, the owner will be prompted to copy the data to another medium. If the information has already been saved, then this item can be skipped.
Do not forget that it will be impossible to interrupt the procedure. After starting the process should end. The duration depends on the performance of the device. On average, it takes 20-30 minutes.
Recovery with the built-in utility
As an example, the HP Pavilion G6 laptop was chosen, where the program for resetting the settings is installed by default. In order to start the rollback, do the following:
After clicking the utility, you will be able to back up data to external media. We agree or refuse.
Rollback through recovery environment
If Windows does not boot before user interface, then the recovery wizard can be launched through the recovery environment. For this:
- After starting the environment, the owner must choose the interface language and account (if there is a password on the PC, then it must be entered);
- In the recovery options, select the item that is located below the command line:
On each device, such a section is called differently, but the principle of launch is always the same.
For clarity, below is a video instruction:
Every PC user was faced with a problem when the operating system started to malfunction and often rebooted. This happens due to the loss of system files, a large number viruses or technical hardware problems.
It is especially unpleasant to get into a situation when Windows stops loading. This can lead to loss of data: valuable documents, music and photos.
Basic System Recovery Methods
In most cases, you can reset the system to factory settings or restore Windows to work with working system files on the computer. For this, it is not necessary to have a special education or in-depth knowledge of software. Just use the tips below. The following methods are considered the most effective:
- Download the last successful configuration;
- Built-in " Windows System Restore»;
- Using a system boot disk.
In different situations, one of the above methods will help to return to the previous state. Each user should be able to debug the system, so let's focus on the ways recovery windows in more detail.
Download last successful configuration
This option is considered the simplest, it allows you to quickly return the working state of the system. First you need to switch to Safe Mode. For this during windows boot you need to press the F8 key and select " Last successful configuration". After which the system will restore the previous working settings and system files, then the download will go again.
In different laptop models, the input to safe mode to further reset or restore the system is carried out using system utilities. The following are combinations to run some of them:
- ASUS - F9;
- Dell XPS - F8;
- Lenovo ThinkPad - F11;
- Lenovo IdeaPad - a special key OneKey Rescue;
- Toshiba - F8 or 0;
- Sony VAIO - F10 or ASSIST key;
- HP Pavilion - F11;
- LG - F11;
- Rover - Alt (hold);
- Samsung - F4.
On the latest PC models with UEFI, in order to switch to safe mode, you will need to change the default values \u200b\u200bwhen choosing an OS. More detailed information can be found in the technical documentation.
With the last successful configuration, you can roll back latest versions drivers that you might have installed incorrectly. Or return working system files affected by malware software. This method of returning to the previous configuration will help with minor bugs and freezes that have appeared with the latest changes in the system. With more serious breakdowns, it may be useless and you will need to try other ways to return the files.
Windows System Restore
It is usually used after the previous method, which did not give results. operating system It has the ability to make several recovery points that fix the status of all programs at a certain point. You can make such points yourself or adjust the frequency of autosaves.
Before creating a recovery point manually, it is better to close running programs. We go to " Control Panel"And select" System". Next, go to the menu " System protection", In the window that opens, select" Create a recovery point"And indicate its name. After the procedure is completed, a system message will be displayed - "The recovery point was created successfully."
To start the recovery procedure, go to the menu " Start", Click on" Control Panel", Go to the item" Recovery “Starting System Restore.” In the window that opens, you can select the last point or see all available. By clicking " Search for affected programs", You will see the entire list of applications that will be changed. It is usually enough to select a point 3-4 days before the occurrence of malfunctions and failures. After selecting a recovery point and confirming it, the computer will restart.
In the same menu, you can restore using a pre-made image. It is pre-stored on a DVD media, flash drive or external hard disk. Today, most often they restore parameters from an image via a usb connection - this is quick and convenient.
For inexperienced users, it is better to leave all the proposed settings to default, after several transitions we confirm the reset process by clicking Finish. It is worth noting that if you created a backup with errors or the media with the image was damaged, then the system startup may be interrupted. In this case, it is better to install a new environment on a computer with a preliminary formatting hard drive.
Using the system boot disk
In case of serious violations in windows operation or strong exposure to viruses may be required boot disk. With it, you can reset the system or roll it back to working condition and the desired settings. In safe mode, select " Computer troubleshooting", After that we insert the disk into the DVD drive and in the window that opens, click on the" "button.
The program offers us a choice of several ways to set default parameters:
- Startup recovery - search for major problems that prevent Windows from starting;
- System Restore - search for a restore point with working settings for reset;
- System image recovery - using a backup made earlier;
- Diagnostics windows memory - check system memory;
- Command line - work with files through a text line.
The recovery process is the same as with the built-in application. But working with a disk, you eliminate the possibility of harmful effects on the operation of viruses and other third-party software.
Full reset to factory settings
If the above recovery methods have not yielded results, you can try to produce full reset to factory settings. For this, some models of laptops and PCs have a hidden system partition with copy of windows in basic condition.
Manufacturers offer users special utilitiesThanks to which the reset process will become simple and understandable. The principle of operation of such programs is similar and even inexperienced users will be able to understand them. You can start the utility using a special key or through safe mode during computer startup. If such a utility is provided by the developer, then its name will be displayed at the end of the list of recovery options.
In the window that opens, we need to select the first item - “ Restore to the state at the time of purchase". After the work is completed, the computer will be rebooted, it will roll back to the factory settings (you will need to select the default language again and create an account).
It is worth noting that all files that were previously on the hard drive will be deleted permanently. Therefore, we recommend that you save everything you need on a flash drive or other medium in advance.
