Coming to a computer hardware store, the buyer is faced with a large assortment, from which it is difficult to choose a decent computer. But professional consultants will select exactly what you need based on an individual approach. When choosing a computer, consultants install factory settings on the computer or laptop. These are the most basic and simple settings that are available to almost everyone.
Further installation or reinstallation of the Windows system is carried out by the buyer independently or by contacting specialized companies to carry out such a procedure.
General points
A personal computer breakdown can occur due to a wide range of reasons. The very first such reason is the presence of virus programs that not only clog the computer’s memory, but also destroy its files and documents. How can I restore my computer to factory settings?
When this situation occurs, the best and alternative installation of the operating system is to automatically reset Windows to the factory settings that were obtained in the store. This option will simplify the work of restoring the operating system. It will reset it completely, allow you to troubleshoot and install a new operating system. But not all computers have an automatic reset, so some will need to manually reinstall the system.
In the case when the system is reinstalled manually, it is necessary to transfer all available information from the computer to other media, since at the time of reinstallation the information may be lost. It is possible to restore information if this suddenly happens, but not everyone can do this and such a possibility does not always exist.
If you decide to install an autonomous heating system at home, we recommend that you read this article. We talk about the heating convector.
The question of how to return a computer to factory settings also worries users in other situations, not only in case of breakdowns. And here users ask themselves the task of how to reset the computer to factory settings, because this is the best option in many cases.
There are times when resetting Windows 7 will be beneficial for your computer.
The first point is selling a computer. It will be very convenient for the new owner to receive a computer with factory settings, just like in a store.
The second point is the transfer of a personal computer to another employee in the organization.
The third point is the slow operation of the computer, drivers stop loading and some programs stop working.
And in these few moments exactly this attitude is used. And now, having learned several reasons for breakdowns and malfunctions, it is time to study ways to eliminate them. The question arises, how to return Windows 7 to factory settings?
There are three options for restoring your computer to factory settings.
Let's make a reservation right away - a complete system reset is not always required. To save time and effort, you can try simpler options first.
Troubleshooting methods
The very first way to resolve errors is to load a successful configuration.
The next option will work if your computer supports the built-in Windows recovery feature.
And the third way is to use the system boot disk. Most users should know how to use some troubleshooting steps. This article offers a more detailed look at these three methods on how to make factory settings on a computer.
What should be done
So, the first way. Loading the last known known configuration. This method is considered very simple, so even the most insecure personal computer user can master it. Before Windows 7 starts loading, you must use the F8 button and select the phrase “last known known configuration.” At this moment, the system will restore the previous version of the computer, which was the most successful and successful. This action will return all working system files.
If just a regular reboot of a successful configuration does not help, then you can immediately restore the system using restore points. They are recorded at certain moments in any state of the program and, by choosing the most successful point, you can try to restore Windows 7. You can make such restore points yourself or set the frequency of their automatic saving in the settings of your personal computer.
Important! On some computers, the automatic creation of restore points is disabled by default. We recommend enabling it, as it may help in troubleshooting problems in the future.
The next method suggests using the system boot disk. This option is used for more serious problems with the Windows 7 system. Basically, this is a severe infection of the computer with virus files. The only thing that can help here is a disk that will help restore the computer's operating system. When safe mode is enabled on the computer, you need to click on the item from the “computer troubleshooting” menu, after which you need to insert the disk. In the open window, select the “system restore” function. The program will offer different recovery options. They are all almost identical, so the choice is up to the user. The recovery procedure is the same as working with applications. But an important feature of using a disk is to eliminate the impact of viruses on personal software. Disk manufacturers also provide special instructions to help you understand and reset the system correctly. The principle of such programs is almost the same, so one disk will be enough to study how to return your computer to factory settings.
If all else fails
If all of these options described above do not help restore the computer and do not give positive results, then you can do a complete reset of the entire system. Some models of computers and laptops contain system partitions with a copy of their basic Windows 7 software. There is no single recommendation on how to run this procedure. As a rule, when you turn on the computer, a hint appears at the bottom of the screen indicating the main active keys. If there is an item F (digit) for recovery, feel free to press the indicated button and follow the instructions. If there is no such item, we recommend reading the documentation for your computer. It should indicate which keys are used to launch this procedure.
If all the recommendations do not help and the computer refuses to work as before, then we recommend contacting a specialist. Always remember that in the event of a more serious breakdown, there is a risk of causing even greater damage if you do not act according to the instructions at your own peril and risk.
Today we’ll look at how to reset Windows 10 to factory settings and roll back the system to the state of just 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 beauty of the “ten” here is that to implement the procedure described above you do not need an installation disk, a bootable flash drive with software like True Image, or an image of a working system.
Attention, you should proceed to follow the instructions only as a last resort, when the only solution to the problem is to re-install Windows 10. When the instructions fail, simply install the operating system, making sure that no data is damaged in the process.
All emerging and possible problems accompanying the process of rolling back the “tens” are discussed in the last section. If you encounter one of them, move to the bottom of the page.
Before you learn how to reset Windows 10, you should know why you should reset it in the first place. Returning the operating system to its original state is necessary in cases where it is not functioning properly and a return to normal operation is not possible.
The function is also a complete replacement for reinstalling Windows 10, but with some advantage: saving personal files (documents, application settings).
Performing a reset from a running system
This method of resetting the “tens” is only possible when it starts. Everything is done quite simply.
1. Call up the new “Options” menu (this is most quickly done using the “Win + I” combination).
2. Click on the “Update and Security” element.
3. 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 unable to find the files required to perform an operation. In this case, go to the next section of the article.
5. Select the most suitable option from those proposed (the first is recommended, but it all depends on the situation).
Next comes the branching: if you chose the second method, you will be prompted to format the disk or simply clean it. Here too, everything depends on the situation. For example, when you are going to sell a computer, the option of completely wiping the disk is better, but the process can take a long time if the hard drive is large or there are many bad sectors on the surface of the magnetic plate.
6. In the last window, click “Reset” if you haven’t changed 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 with the new operating system.
When you select the option to save personal data, the Windows.old directory will appear on the system partition, where a copy of all files from the previous Windows 10 is stored (for example, the contents of the desktop, the “Downloads”, “My Documents” directories).
Clean installation of "tens" using the Refresh Windows Tool
One of the first Windows 10 August updates for 2016 introduced the Refresh Windows Tool, which allows you to roll back the operating system or reinstall it while saving user documents.
The utility copes with system rollback in situations where the first method did not work for some reason.
1. As before, go to the recovery options.
2. In the last section, click on the icon “Find out how to start over with...”.
3. After this, the Microsoft website will open in the browser, where at the bottom you need to click: “Download the tool now.”
4. After downloading, launch the application, agreeing to the terms of its use.
5. Select the option to save personal information or set the method for deleting it, which we reviewed in the previous section.
All other actions are carried out automatically.
The completion of the process may be delayed due to many factors (computer performance, no fragmentation of files on the system volume, damage to some sectors of the system disk, a significant amount of information has been selected).
After booting your computer with clean Windows 10, it is a good idea to perform the following procedure:
- call the command interpreter Win+R;
- enter “cleanmgr”;
- execute the command;
- Click on the “Clean up system files” icon.
As a result, you can free up to 23 GB or more of disk space.
Resetting the system when it won't start
In this section we will look at how to reset Windows 10 if it refuses to boot. This is where motherboard or laptop manufacturers' tools, or a bootable flash drive or system recovery disk, come in handy.
For devices whose users acquired licensed Windows 10 when purchasing a computer, there is a basic method for resetting it. This is the use of a certain key combination to roll back the device.
In most cases, when a system rollback is required, the computers were not purchased with a licensed “top ten”, so you will need a recovery disk/flash drive. You need to boot from it into recovery mode.
1. Having started in the recovery environment, click on the troubleshooting item.
4. In the operating system selection menu, select Windows 10.
5. If you are confident in your actions, click on the “Return the computer to its original state” icon.
6 Afterwards, we get acquainted with the list of actions that will be performed automatically.
This means deleting applications, resetting system settings to factory settings, and then installing Windows 10.
7. Click “Return to original state” if you are sure of the need to perform the operation.
This will start the system recovery process, which is accompanied by a reboot of the computer.
Tip: if you changed the BIOS settings (changed the priority of boot devices) to boot from bootable media, change their order back.
Possible problems with resetting Windows 10
It happens that when you try to roll back the “ten” to its original state and restart the computer, a window appears with the text “Problem when returning the computer to its original state. No changes were made." The error indicates problems with the resume files located in the WinSxS directory (they are damaged, missing, or have been modified by the author of the assembly). If, after an unsuccessful attempt, the “ten” starts up properly, be sure to check the system files for integrity, and the hard drive for damaged sectors.
If all else fails, perform a clean installation of the operating system, remembering to take care of important information on the system disk.
The second common mistake is asking to insert a CD (flash drive) with operating system installation files. For these cases, the Refresh Windows Tool was developed, which was discussed in the second section of this article. Another solution may be to use a flash drive/disk with Windows 10 installation files of the same bit size and edition as the operating system installed on the computer.
The second option for the action algorithm, if it was not possible to return the operating system to its previous state due to the lack of media with recovery files, is to register your own image with a snapshot of the system to restore it. But at the same time, the “ten” must work properly, because operations are carried out in its environment.
- Download the Windows 10 disk image file.
- 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.
- We launch the command line with administrative privileges and enter a command like “reagentc /setosimage /path “D:\ResetRecoveryImage” /index 1”, where the path to the directory created in the third step is “D:\”.
These actions create and register a recovery image in the system.
After successful completion of the operations, we again launch the automatic reinstallation of Windows 10, having previously called it a backup copy. This will speed up the process of reverting to the current OS state if problems arise.
If you have any questions, other problems or new solutions, do not hesitate to write about it in the comments.
Resetting Windows to factory settings or resetting is a function that allows you to return the hard drive to the “As from the store” state: all personal files and personal settings will be deleted, only the standard operating system with default settings will remain.
Why reset Windows?
It should immediately be noted that this feature is present only 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 resetting Windows to factory settings:
- Sale/transfer of device. In order not to manually delete all personal files on your computer, you can use zeroing. Any buyer will be only happy with a “store-bought” HDD;
- Reinstalling the OS. Resetting the Windows system to factory settings is the best alternative to reinstalling the OS in case of a critical failure;
- Littering the operating system and system directories. If Windows has been used for a long time, then clutter is an inevitable phenomenon in which the OS begins to slow down and work incorrectly;
- Driver installation failed. Windows 7 stopped working after installing a new driver - restoring it to its original state will fix this problem;
- "Rally" of the system. If Windows has crashed 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 the presence of the reset function
The hard drive of the computer on which Windows is installed by default is marked in a special way. There is a hidden or service section here. It stores a backup copy of the original system with all the necessary utilities and drivers. The disk is not visible through Explorer, but it appears in Disk Management. Algorithm:
Comment. The Samsung brand is taken as an example, hence the name of the backup disk Samsung_REC.
The section does not have a letter designation and is not available while the user is working with the system. You can view the contents (it’s better not to do this unless absolutely necessary) only by booting the computer from external media, where you can assign a letter to the drive.
Preparing for a rollback
Some manufacturers integrate a utility for resetting settings into the user Windows shell, which allows you to start the recovery procedure while working with the system. But if the OS does not boot due to a critical error, then this will not be useful, so all proprietary devices are equipped with a factory reset tool that can be launched when the computer starts by pressing a special key.
The image shows a list of common PC models and default system recovery initiation keys:
The preparation procedure includes only two stages:
- Make a backup copy of all key files to any third-party media (preferably a flash drive) from all hard drives, if there are several of them;
- Check the battery charge on your laptop. It must be complete, since an unexpected power outage can cause a lot of trouble to the computer, including the need to take the device to a service center. Owners of stationary systems either must be confident in their station, or connect the computer to an uninterruptible power supply.
Recovery using hotkeys
Pressing one of the keys described above on the screen initiates the launch of the recovery wizard. The entire program is adapted to the Russian language, so even an inexperienced user will not have problems using the utility:
Comment. In some cases, the owner will be asked 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. Once started, the process should complete. The duration depends on the performance of the device. On average it takes 20-30 minutes.
Restoring using the built-in utility
As an example, we chose the HP Pavilion G6 laptop, where the program for resetting the settings was installed by default. To begin the rollback, perform the following steps:
After clicking, the utility will provide the opportunity to create a backup copy of the data to an external storage device. We agree or refuse.
Rollback via recovery environment
If Windows does not boot to the user interface, then the recovery wizard can also be launched through the recovery environment. For this.
Often, to solve software problems with the functioning of modern smartphones or tablets, you should perform a Hard Reset (hard reboot) or factory reset of Android. In many cases, this helps to get rid of device freezes due to incorrect operation of some applications, junk system files, viruses, etc.
Is it possible to return the phone to factory settings?
The ability to reset data is supported by any Andriod device, so every owner of this system can do it. Before you return the factory settings to your Android, you should understand that at the same time you will completely lose all data except for those recorded on the memory card. It will no longer be possible to restore their capabilities; a rollback of such actions is impossible. If you decide to reset the device to its factory state, then you will lose:
- phone book entries;
- applications;
- photographs, music, books;
- saved logins and passwords for accounts.
How to reset settings on Android
Before carrying out this procedure, it is strongly recommended to copy important files and information (photos, videos, music) to the computer via a cord. It is better to make a full backup (copy) of the system, so that if reset is unsuccessful, you can restore the device to functionality. There are 3 main options for how to return Android to factory settings:
- through the phone menu;
- using a combination of buttons;
- service codes.
Reset in phone settings
The easiest way to reset settings on Android to factory settings is through the gadget menu. To do this, the device must work and be able to go to the main section of the system. For all smartphones running Android 4.0 or older, the procedure is as follows:
- Go to the main menu.
- Click on the "Settings" section.
- Find the "Backup and Reset" section.
- Scroll down the page and find the “Reset settings” section.
- The system will inform you that the data will be deleted from the smartphone. Click on the line “Reset phone settings” and confirm the desire to “Erase everything”. The items may vary slightly between different phone models, but the names are always the same.
Using service combinations
This method also requires that the device be turned on and be able to proceed to dial a number. Each manufacturer programs their devices with special combinations that help return them to the factory state. This applies to both global brands (Samsung, HTC, Sony) and Chinese inexpensive models. Codes may change over time, they need to be clarified on the manufacturer’s website, sometimes they can be found in the manual for the smartphone. Below are examples of such combinations for your reference:
- *2767*3855#;
- *#*#7378423#*#*;
- *#*#7780#*#.
Key reset using Recovery
The most radical method of how to reset settings on Android to factory settings is the Recovery menu. This is the best way to return your smartphone to its original state if it freezes on the screensaver with the company logo and does not turn on. Each device model has a standard button combination that switches it to the Recovery menu. Sometimes you have to use recovery if:
- The phone's stuttering has become too severe;
- the system does not allow you to delete, move or change anything.
First, you should completely turn off your phone. Wait until the buttons and screen go out. Next, you need to find a suitable combination for your model (the combination for HTC and Samsung will definitely be different). You can use one of the options:
- “volume down” + “turn on” button, also known as “Power” (the most common combination);
- on some LG phones you need to press the keys described above, wait for the logo, release “power on” and then press it again;
- “volume up” + “volume down” + “turn on”
- "Power" + "Home".
Hold down one of the combinations until you are transferred to recovery mode to reset the device to its factory state. The menu is controlled using the volume up and down buttons. If the Recovery version is touch-sensitive, then you can reboot in the standard way (by touching the screen). To confirm your choice, you need to press the “Power” or “Context Menu” button. Next, to reset the phone to its initial state, you need.
Resetting to factory settings can solve problems associated with instability of the OS or its blocking by malware. However, you should remember that resetting the system will delete all personal data and programs you have installed. Therefore, before starting a rollback, copy all important files, including browser settings and other programs, to an external drive, flash drives or CDs. After reinstalling the system, you can return the necessary settings and data folders.
When you restore your PC to factory settings, you will need a “Recovery” partition allocated on your hard drive to reset the system. To begin the rollback process, restart your computer and click F8. Select “Troubleshoot your computer,” then select your language and sign in to your account. In the recovery menu options, select " Return Windows to original settings". After this, the OS will be reinstalled with the original settings. Windows 8 provides a more convenient way to return to factory settings. Select “Settings” – “Change PC settings”. In the “General” tab, go to the “Update and Recovery” section, then to the “Recovery” subsection. Here you can choose to roll back while saving files or delete all data when reinstalling the OS. Once you've selected an option, click "Get Started." Let us now consider the procedure for restoring factory settings for laptop computers. Asus laptops. After reboot, click the button F9. You will be taken to the boot menu where you will have to confirm the rollback. During the recovery process, the laptop will reboot repeatedly.
- Dell Inspiron – combination Ctrl+F11;
- Sony Vaio – F10 button;
- Rover – Alt button;
- Fujitsu Siemens – F8 button;
- Packard Bell – F10 button;
- LG – F11 button.
Never delete the Recovery partition of your hard drive to increase free space. This partition is responsible for system recovery, and if it is destroyed, you will have to install Windows from scratch. If the manufacturer included a Recovery disk with your computer, use it when booting the system to roll back to factory settings. As a rule, such disks provide the opportunity to choose an installation option with the creation of multiple partitions.
