Returning the computer to its original state: detailed instructions with pictures. Resetting the computer to its original state: detailed instructions with pictures Clean installation of Windows using Advanced recovery options

Learn how to reset Windows 10 to factory settings, reset, roll back, or otherwise automatically reinstall Windows 10 on a computer or laptop. This has become easier than in Windows 7 and even in 8, due to the fact that the way of storing the image for reset in the system has changed and in most cases you do not need a disk or flash drive in order to perform the described procedure. If for some reason everything described does not work, you can simply follow.

Resetting Windows 10 to its original state can be useful in cases when the system began to work incorrectly or even does not start, and you cannot perform a recovery (on this topic :) in another way. In this case, reinstalling the OS in this way is possible with the preservation of your personal files (but without saving programs). Also, at the end of the instructions, you will find a video in which the described is shown clearly. Note: A description of the problems and errors when rolling back Windows 10 to its original state, as well as possible solutions, are described in the last section of this article.

In the latest versions of Windows 10, a new function has appeared in the recovery options - "New Start" (formerly called the Refresh Windows Tool), which allows you to perform an automatic clean installation or reinstallation of Windows 10 while saving files, but removing the manufacturer's pre-installed programs. Using it allows you to reset when the first method fails and reports errors.

Upon completion of the process (which can take a long time and depends on the performance of the computer, the selected parameters and the amount of personal data when saving), you will receive a completely reinstalled and functional Windows 10. After logging in, I recommend that you also press the Win + R keys, enter cleanmgr press Enter, and then click on the "Clear system files" button.

When you clean up your hard drive, you will likely be able to delete up to 20GB of data left over from the system reinstallation process.

How to reset Windows 10 if the system won't start or factory reset won't work

In cases where Windows 10 does not start or a reset in the settings does not work, you can try using the manufacturer's tools or with the recovery environment.

If Windows 10 does not start, but shows a blue screen with an error, then clicking on the "Advanced options" item, you can get into the recovery environment. If the system starts, but you cannot reset the OS, go to Settings - Update & Security and click the "Restart now" button in the "Special boot options" section.

After rebooting, go to the "Troubleshooting" section, and then click on the item "Reset the computer to its original state".

Keep or delete personal files. If you select "Delete", you will also be prompted to either completely erase the disk without the possibility of their recovery, or simply delete. Usually (unless you are giving the laptop to someone), it is best to use a simple delete.
In the Select Target Operating System window, select Windows 10.
In the Reset this computer window, review what will be done — uninstall programs, reset settings to defaults, and automatically reinstall Windows 10 Click Reset.

This will begin the process of resetting the system to its original state, during which the computer may restart.

If your device was preinstalled with licensed Windows 10 upon purchase, then the easiest way to reset it to factory settings is to use certain keys when turning on your laptop or computer. Details on how this is done are written in the article (suitable for branded PCs with a pre-installed OS).

Video instruction

The video below shows both of the ways to run the automatic reinstallation of Windows 10 described in the article.

Windows 10 factory reset errors

The first and easiest methods when you have problems resetting Windows 10 to factory settings consist of the following steps:

Make sure there is enough free space on the system disk partition (drive C). Ideally 10 GB or more.
Uninstall all third-party antiviruses and other protection programs before starting recovery.

If, when you try to reset Windows 10 after restarting, you see the message “Problem returning your PC to its original state. Changes not made ”, usually this indicates problems with the files required for recovery (for example, if you did something with the WinSxS folder, from which files are being reset). You can try, but more often you have to (however, you can also save personal data).

The second error option is that you are asked to insert a recovery disc or installation media. Then there was a solution with the Start over function described in the second section of this guide. Also in this situation, you can do (on the current computer or on another if this one does not start) or a Windows 10 recovery disk with the system files included. And use it as your required storage device. Use a version of Windows 10 with the same bitness installed on your computer.

Another option in the case of a requirement to provide a drive with files is to register your own image for system recovery (for this, the OS must work, the actions are performed in it). I have not tested this method, but they write that it works (but only for the second case with an error):

After that, try to restart the system reset to its original state. By the way, we can recommend it for the future, which can greatly simplify the process of rolling back the OS to a previous state.

Well, if you still have questions about reinstalling Windows 10 or returning the system to its original state, ask. Let me also remind you that for preinstalled systems, there are usually additional ways to reset to factory settings provided by the manufacturer and described in the official instructions.

Windows 10 recovery is the process of getting the OS back to a working state. You can restore the OS to its original state, or you can restore the system to a specific date. In this article we will tell you all the ways to restore Windows 10. There are a lot of ways, but you only need to choose one that matches your problem. Therefore, we have broken down all recovery methods according to the problems that these methods cope with.

Problems appeared after installing a new program

If Windows 10 does not start to perform well after installing new software, then you need to recover from a restore point. This service is only available if you created a restore point. Therefore, before installing suspicious software, we recommend that you manually create a restore point. If you have not done this, and problems have already arisen, then we recommend that you go to the computer recovery options and find the restore point as close as possible by date.

Of course, this method will only help if the problems really started because of the new software. Sometimes it's just a coincidence. And users begin to pay more attention to system behavior and problems in Windows 10 only after installing new software. But in fact, there could have been problems long before that. In this case, it is worthwhile to carry out a full diagnosis, because classic system restore will not help solve the problem.

Computer does not start

If yesterday the computer was still working, but today the device does not start, then the first step is to determine the cause. Perhaps you simply do not have electricity or one of the parts of your computer is out of order. If you are sure that the hardware is okay, or you just don’t know how to check it, then you can resort to revert to the previous state.

To recover a "dead" computer, you need to start from a USB flash drive. To do this, you need a Windows 10 recovery image. You must create this image yourself while the system is running. If you did not create such an image, and the computer does not start, then use a clean version of Windows 10. In this case, you will have to create a bootable USB flash drive and start from it. The system itself will prompt you to restore the OS installed on your computer.

In this case, you can recover without data loss. If the system is so damaged that recovery is not available even from a recovery image, then there is only one thing left - reinstalling the system. Please note, if you cannot even get into the BIOS, this means that you really have hardware problems. In this case, the toolkit available in Windows 10 will not help you in any way, you need to deal with your computer.

Deletion of personal data

One of the types of system recovery is deleting personal data. Do not confuse this tool with a factory reset. In this case, you are not deleting updates or global settings on your computer. You only delete all personal data. To do this, you just need to go to the "Reset this computer to its original state" tab, and there select the "Delete all" item and confirm the deletion of files and disk cleaning.Many files available on the HDD will be deleted, but you will get a clean computer.

This recovery method does not solve computer problems in any way. It only deletes personal data. This is necessary, for example, if you want to give or sell a computer to another person.

An error occurred while resetting the computer

If the error occurred when returning the computer to its original state, that is, at the moment when you were trying to restore the system, then you have only two options:

Recover OS from a clean build of Windows 10;
Reinstall Windows 10;

The difference between these two options is that in the first case, you will save your data. And in the second case, you will lose them. Of course, we are only talking about the system disk. Most often, the C drive. But if you have this the only partition on your hard disk, then you will lose absolutely all information.

Reverting to a previous version of the OS

Earlier we wrote how to delete the Windows.old folder. If you have already taken advantage of our advice and deleted this folder, then the return to the previous OS is available only by a complete reinstallation. If you still have this folder, then you can use the official OS downgrade tool, which is called that, and is located in the OS settings.

Read, how to reset Windows 10 or 8, that is, return the system to its original state or factory settings... Windows 10 has a feature that will quickly return Windows to its factory state. It is faster and much more convenient than a clean reinstallation of the operating system or using the recovery partition written by the PC manufacturer.

Content:

Windows 8 has separate "Reset this PC" and "PC Recovery". "PC Recovery" retains all files and personal settings, but resets system settings and uninstalls applications. removes everything from the computer like a clean installation of the operating system.

It's easier with Windows 10. There is only one tool, "Reset this computer", but during its launch you can choose whether to delete the user's personal files or not.

How system reset works

When you use the Reset PC feature, Windows resets its settings to the state it was set to when the operating system was installed. If the computer was purchased with Windows 10 already installed, then it will be reset to the state that it was at the time of purchase.

During the system reset, you can choose to delete your personal files or not. But in any case, all installed programs and performed settings of the operating system will be reset. It will also reset and fix all errors that were the result of third-party programs, damage to system files, as well as remove all malware.

Sometimes, on computers with a pre-installed operating system, there is also a third function - "Restore factory settings"... Using this function, you can restore the version of Windows that came with your computer. Moreover, if you bought a computer with Windows 8 and then upgraded it to Windows 10, the system will be restored back to Windows 8.

This process is very similar to a clean install of Windows or recovery using a manufacturer-created recovery partition, but much simpler.

Inside the process

Microsoft explains the internals of the process when you reset your computer and delete everything as follows:

The computer boots into Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE)
Windows RE removes and formats Windows partitions before a new system installation
The computer restarts with a new copy of Windows

If the user chooses to reset the computer while saving the files, then everything also happens in accordance with the indicated paragraphs. But before cleaning the system partition, Windows RE scans the hard drive for user files and personal settings. It moves them to a separate location, installs fresh Windows, and then puts the files back in.

Regardless of whether the user chooses to return the computer to its original state with or without saving personal files, the result is still a fresh Windows installation. That is why installed programs are removed in any case.

How to reset your computer from Windows

To return Windows 10 to its original state:

open the menu Options / Update and security / Recovery

"To begin"

"Reset the computer to its original state"

In the case of Windows 8, the computer returns from the same menu.

If you select, Windows will reset to its original state, removing installed applications and settings, but keeping personal files. If the user just needs to refresh the operating system - just choose.
If you choose "Delete everything", Windows will remove everything, including personal files. It is recommended to use the function "Delete everything" before you sell your computer or give it to someone else to use or recover your personal data.

In Windows 8, the option is called "PC Recovery", and "Delete everything" – "Resetting your computer to its original state"... In Windows 10, this process has been simplified a little by combining the two functions in one, giving the user the ability to simply choose.

If you choose "Delete everything", Windows will ask you to confirm whether you really need to clean up the disks. Select and Windows will overwrite all data on the disk, making it harder to recover.

If selected, the system will tell the user a list of applications to be removed.

How to reset your computer from the boot menu (if Windows won't boot)

If the computer does not boot, the system can be reset to its original state using the boot menu. When the operating system has problems with loading (sometimes in the event of a BSoD error), it will try to reboot several times, after which it will automatically go to the boot menu.

Reset the computer to its original state without software preinstalled by the manufacturer

The function of resetting the computer to its original state is very convenient, but if the software is preinstalled by the manufacturer, then it is often restored along with Windows. How can you restore Windows without such programs?

In this case, the user will have to delete the preinstalled programs after manually resetting the system or perform a clean installation of Windows 10, without the preinstalled programs.

Hello admin! Back in the summer I installed Windows 10 on my laptop, and now the OS is unstable and with errors, but yesterday it did not boot at all, it issued a blue screen with some kind of code. I read on one blog that you can not reinstall Windows 10, but simply return it to its original state with the preservation of installed programs and personal files, you can do this even if the system does not boot. Don't you have such an article?

Revert Windows 10 to its original state while keeping personal files, as an alternative to the factory-rollback program built into every laptop

Hi everyone! Yes, everything is correct, if your Windows 10 is unstable or does not load at all, then you can return it to its original state, but only with saving personal files (all programs will be removed). Friends, I believe that this method is practically no different from the usual reinstallation of Windows 10, the only difference is that you do not need to boot the computer from the Windows 10 installation disk. After returning Windows 10 to its original state, almost all of your settings will be reset to their original state. , and the programs are removed, the only thing is that the drivers will remain in place and all your files in the user profile C: \\ Users\\ Your username: Documents, Pictures, Contacts, Music - will remain intact, but again, files on the desktop will be deleted.

Note: Reverting Windows 10 to its original state looks like a good alternative to the program built into every laptop. See for yourself. occupies 15-25 GB on the hard disk of your laptop and there are already 2 or even 3 of them on modern laptops.

When you roll back to factory settings, the same thing happens as when you return Windows 10 to its original state, that is, the state of the operating system is restored to its original state, which means that if you have Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 installed, then hidden partitions with factory settings can be deleted. But I would recommend this primarily to experienced users. For novice users, you can leave hidden partitions with factory settings, because 20 GB with modern volumes of hard drives for laptops: 750 GB - 1 TB, this is not so much and now you will have two one hundred percent opportunities to surely recover a laptop after a severe failure.

And yet, what if you decide to sell a laptop, and the new owner will need hidden partitions.

You can return Windows 10 to its original state right in a running Windows 10. If your computer does not boot, then you need to boot from the Win 10 installation disk or USB flash drive into the system recovery environment and start Windows 10 return to its original state from the recovery environment. Let's take a look at both options.

Note: An inexperienced reader may ask - Where does Windows 10 get its files to return to its original state, because the installation DVD with Windows 10 is no longer needed during recovery? Answer - The Windows 10 operating system takes files for rollback in a folder, this folder is a storage of Windows system files and is located at C: \\ Windows \\ WinSxS.

Returning Windows 10 to its original state directly on a running system

Right click on the Start menu and select Run.

Enter the command in the input field systemreset

If you choose the option with saving files, then, as I have already noticed, all your data in user folders will not be deleted.

If you want to reinstall Windows 10 again, select Remove Everything.

Windows 10 shows a list of programs that will be removed from your operating system (almost all installed software).

We press "Reset"

The process of resetting the computer to its original state begins with three reboots.

Windows 10 is loaded into which you will need to reinstall the programs.

There is a file on the desktop "Remote Applications"with a list of programs that have been removed.

Files in custom folders have not been deleted.

Revert Windows 10 to its original state in case the system does not boot

"System Restore"

On the menu "Select action" select "Troubleshooting"

Resetting is one of the system recovery options in Windows 8.1. It is advisable to use this function:

if you wish to delete all of your data and restore the state of your computer at the time of purchase;
when the computer cannot be restored in any other way.

What is the difference between resetting and reinstalling

It differs in that you do not need to reinstall the drivers and enter the product serial number. The recovery program will only fix problems in the system kernel and delete personal files.

How to return Windows to its original state

Boot from the Windows 8.1 installation disc:

In the window Installing Windowsclick Further:

Select item Diagnostics:

Please select Return to original state:

In most cases, this list will only have one copy of the operating system. If there are several of them, select the desired (or problematic) system that you want to restore:

At this stage, you have a choice: 1) to clear only the system partition; This option will suit you if your OS has become unusable and you want to restore it for further use. For a complete recovery, you only need to restore the system partition. 2) clean up all computer disks if you have several. This option is suitable when you want to sell your computer and clear all data. Also, this option is desirable if you are recovering the system after a virus infection and have already saved all important documents to a USB flash drive.

In most cases, the option Just delete my files... This will give you a chance to recover some files. If you select the second item, the system will completely erase files to protect against recovery. This option will take much longer and is suitable if you are selling or donating your old computer.

Click the button Return to original state to start the Windows restore process to its original state:

After that, wait until the progress reaches 100% and the system will restore its original state:

After resetting the operating system, the computer will behave as if you just installed the operating system on it (or as if you just brought home a new computer with Windows 8.1 preinstalled). Select your region, language, time zone and keyboard layout: