Reset data on windows 10. Automatic clean install of OS

This article is intended for those users who have purchased or are planning to buy a computer / laptop with a pre-installed Windows 10 operating system. Of course, the following actions can be performed by those who installed the OS on their own, but the pre-installed systems in this case have one advantage, which we will discuss below. Today we are going to tell you how to return Windows 10 to factory state, and how the described operation differs from a standard rollback.

We go to the official download page of the utility. If you wish, you can familiarize yourself with all the system requirements and learn about the consequences of such a recovery. At the very bottom of the page, you will see a button "Download the tool now"... Click on it.

The download of the required software will start instantly. At the end of the process, open the download folder and run the saved file. By default it is called "RefreshWindowsTool".

Next, you will see the User Account Control window on the screen. Click on the button in it "Yes".

After that, the software will automatically extract the files necessary for installation and launch the installation program. Now you will be prompted to read the license terms. We read the text at will and press the button "Accept".

The next step is to choose the type of OS installation. You can keep your personal information or delete everything completely. In the dialog box, mark the line that matches your choice. Then press the button "Begin".

Now you have to wait. First, the preparation of the system will begin. This will be discussed in a new window.

This will be followed by downloading the installation files for Windows 10 from the Internet.

Next, the utility will need to check all downloaded files.

After that, an automatic image creation will begin, which the system will use for a clean installation. This image will remain on your hard drive after installation.

And after that, the installation of the operating system will start directly. Exactly up to this point, you can use a computer or laptop. But all further actions will be performed outside the system, so it is better to close all programs in advance and save the necessary information. During installation, your device will reboot several times. Don't worry, this is how it should be.

After some time (about 20-30 minutes), the installation will be completed, and a window with preliminary system settings will appear on the screen. Here you can immediately select the type of account you are using and set the security settings.

After completing the configuration, you will be taken to the desktop of the restored operating system. Note that two additional folders will appear on the system drive: "Windows.old" and ESD... In folder "Windows.old" the files of the previous operating system will be located. If, after recovery, the system will fail, you can return to the previous version of the OS again thanks to this folder. If everything works flawlessly, then you can delete it. Moreover, it occupies several gigabytes on the hard disk. We talked about how to properly uninstall such a folder in a separate article.
Folder ESD, in turn, is the same image that the utility automatically created during the Windows installation process. If you want, you can copy it to external media for future use, or simply delete it.

You just have to install the necessary software and you can start using your computer / laptop. Please note that as a result of using the described method, your operating system will be restored exactly to the build of Windows 10 that was laid down by the manufacturer. This means that in the future you will have to start searching for OS updates in order to use the current version of the system.

Method 2: Built-in Recovery Function

By using this method, you will receive a clean operating system with the most recent updates. Also, you will not need to download third-party utilities in the process. This is how your actions will look like:

Click on the button "Start" at the bottom of the desktop. A window will open in which you should click on the button "Options"... The keyboard shortcut performs similar functions. Windows + I.

Next, you need to go to the section Update and Security.

On the left, click on the line "Recovery"... Next, on the right, click LMB on the text, which is marked with a number in the screenshot below "2".

A window will appear on the screen in which you need to confirm switching to the program "Security Center"... To do this, press the button "Yes".

Immediately after that, the desired tab will open in Windows Defender Security Center... Press the button to start recovery. "Beginning of work".

You will see a warning on the screen that the process will take about 20 minutes. You will also be reminded that all third-party software and some of your personal data will be permanently deleted. Press to continue "Further".

Now you need to wait a little while the preparation process is complete.

At the next stage, you will see a list of the software that will be uninstalled from your computer during the recovery process. If you agree with everything, then press again "Further".

The screen will display the latest tips and tricks. In order to start the recovery process directly, click the button "Start".

This will be followed by the next stage of preparing the system. On the screen, you can track the progress of the operation.

After preparation, the system will reboot and the update process will automatically start.

When the update is complete, the last phase will begin - installing a clean operating system.

After 20-30 minutes everything will be ready. Before you get started, you only need to set a few basic parameters such as account type, region, and so on. After that, you will find yourself on the desktop. There will be a file in which the system has carefully listed all the remote programs.

As in the previous method, on the system partition of the hard disk there will be a folder "Windows.old"... Leave it as a safety net or delete it - it's up to you.

As a result of such simple manipulations, you will receive a clean operating system with all activation keys, factory software and the latest updates.

This concludes our article. As you can see, restoring the operating system to factory settings is not that difficult. These steps will be especially useful in cases where you do not have the opportunity to reinstall the OS using standard methods.

Hello admin! My laptop won't boot Windows 10 build 1607 ... I wanted to reset the operating system, booted from the Win 10 installation flash drive, but there is no Reset Computer in the Select Action menu and then Troubleshoot. What then is the way to reset Windows 10 to a normal working state so that it works as before. All important data from the drive (C :) I copied to the USB portable hard drive. What to do next?

How to reset Windows 10

Hello friends! This process can be called a Windows 10 reset or a rollback. They produce it in cases where nothing of your actions can make the operating system work normally. In previous versions of Windows (7, 8.1), this process was called, the hard drive of the laptop contained a special hidden section on which the WIM image with Windows files was in a compressed state, if necessary, the user could run the rollback program built by the laptop manufacturer and a brand new one was deployed to the hard drive operating system. In Windows 10, there is no longer a hidden partition with the factory Windows (we save disk space), but you can reset the operating system to its original state. Windows 10 reset files are now taken into Windows system file storage, or rather -in the WinSxS folder (address C: \ Windows \ WinSxS).

Unfortunately, in the latest build of Windows 10 build 1607, the reset can be done in one way - only in a working operating system. In the previous build of Windows 10 (Version 1511) it was possible due to some errors.

Well, or in very clever words, in the latest build of Windows 10 build 1607, the reset can be done in only one way - in Windows RE(Windows Recovery Environment - Windows recovery environment (file winre.wim)), located on the first hidden partition of the hard disk, size 400-500 MB.
In the previous build of Windows 10 (Version 1511), it was possible to reset by booting from bootable media (DVD, USB flash drive with Windows 10) into the Windows Preinstallation Environment - Windows PE(boot.wim file).

How to reset Windows 10 build 1607 on a running system

Left-click on the "Start" menu and select "Options".

Update and Security

Select "Recovery", then "Reset the computer to its original state" and click "Start"

If you want to reinstall Windows 10 again, then select "Remove everything".

We read what consequences the reset will have on our operating system.

We often face the problem of freezing and jams of the system, and when there are too many errors and the computer quite often does not respond to our actions, the only optimal choice is to roll back the system to the factory settings. A large percentage of PC users have the Windows 10 operating system, and we are faced with the question: how to return Windows 10 to its original state, that is, reset the settings?

What are the benefits of a reset?

The biggest plus is that Windows 10 settings allow you not to reinstall the system or use third-party flash drives or disks. , if you wish, also runs without deleting personal files such as documents or application settings.

Windows 10 rollback process from a running system

The first step is to understand if you can get your computer to start normally, and if so, the steps below will fix your problem.

Expand the Start menu and click Settings (Win + I combination).
Open the "Update and Security" tab, then "Recovery". You will see the heading "Reset the computer" and the button "Get started" - that's what you need.
Choose whether to keep personal files or delete everything. After everything is ready, you just have to click on "Reset".

Windows 10 rollback process from boot disk

When Windows 10 refuses to start (for example, if a virus is caught or system files are damaged), you can restore the system from the boot disk. First, you need to get into BIOS and set your disk / flash drive as the main one for loading.

To enter the BIOS, immediately after turning on the device, you need to press the F2 or Delete button, depending on your device. On different versions of a dozen, the BIOS menu can be called up by different keys if you can't find them,.

After you have entered the BIOS, you need to enter the BOOT section. Using the F6 key, your removable media (flash drive or disk) is moved to the very top. Now your media is in the first boot queue, press the F10 key to save the settings.

Immediately after rebooting, you will see a message in English "Press any key to boot from ...". That is, to boot, you need to press any key. After loading the menu, the Windows 10 installation window will appear on the desktop, instead of the "Install" button, click "System Restore".

Next, the "Select action" menu will open, in which there are three items: "Continue", which will return you to the desktop, "Diagnostics" and "Shutdown". We need a second item.
Click Reset Computer.

After that, you will find the already familiar choice between a complete rollback of the system with the removal of all files, or saving your personal documents and then using them. We select the desired option and begin to restore the system.

Refresh Windows Tool

Another best way to restore your system is with the Refresh Windows Tool. Go to recovery options and click "Learn how to start over with a clean install of Windows." After that, the Windows site will open for you, you will need to download this application.

If for any reason your computer becomes slow, glitches, or stops loading altogether, resetting Windows 10 to factory settings can help you. This option allows you to restore the system in an automatic (sometimes semi-automatic) mode without losing important files. We will look at all the methods of such a reset and point out possible problems and errors.

When you might need to reset Windows 10 to factory settings

You may need to reset the OS in the following cases:

In previous versions of Windows (7th and 8th), it was much more difficult to reset the system than in the new 10th. Now you can try to solve virtually any problem with a reset. It will definitely not harm, because as a result only programs will be removed, your personal files will remain intact.

How to reset Windows 10 to factory settings

There are several ways to reset Windows 10 to factory settings. We'll look at each of them in order of complexity. If the next reset method does not solve the problem, or fails, try the next one.

Fast system rollback

If the old version of Windows (8.1 or older) has recently been updated to the 10th version, then it is possible to roll back to the previous OS. The user is given a 30-day period for "testing" Windows 10, after which the rollback files are deleted (see below how to prevent this). To revert to a previous version of Windows, do the following:

By default, the OS will delete recovery files after a month of using Windows 10. However, you can prevent their deletion. To do this, you just need to rename the recovery folders or reset them to a USB flash drive / hard drive:

Please note that you cannot use someone else's reset folders this way. They contain unique information about the system version and product key.

Video: how to rollback from Windows 10 to a previous version of the system

System reset via Windows 10 interface

If the OS does not stop loading, you can reset it directly in the Windows interface:

Enter "Options".
Go to Update / Security, select Recovery.
Click on the "Start" button
Click on "Get Started" under "Reset PC".
Windows will offer to save the user's personal files or delete them. Choose the option that suits you.
Specify what to do with the user's personal files
If you choose to delete, the system will also offer to completely format the hard drive. This will delete absolutely all files from the computer.
Press the Reset button when the system indicates that everything is ready to be reset.
Click "Reset" to start rolling back the system to factory settings

The computer will restart several times during the reset process. If you see any errors at any stage, go to the next option.

Video: how to reset Windows 10 to factory settings via the OS interface

Using the Refresh Windows Tool

Microsoft is aware that a standard system reset does not always work. Therefore, in 2016, a utility was released that allows you to reset the system if the standard method did not work. To reset the system using the Refresh Windows Tool:

Open the "Recovery" tab via Windows options.
Find the link "Learn how to start over ..."
The default browser will open the Microsoft official website page. Read the information provided and click Download Tool Now.
Read the information about the utility and download it
Run the downloaded program.
Follow the instructions.
Choose what to do with the user's personal files and click "Start"
The automatic reset process will begin, which may take quite a long time. As a result, you get a "clean" system.

Recovery data can take up to 20 GB of free space, which can be used for other purposes.

Reset Windows 10 if the system won't start

If due to some malfunction you are unable to log in to automatically reset, use the methods below.

Resetting laptop to factory settings

Laptop users of any manufacturer can perform a full system reset through the BIOS. This feature is built into all laptops by default. However, it will only work if you had a licensed version of Windows 10 installed.

Disable the "Quick Start" option before proceeding to reset the laptop. To do this, enter the BIOS (by pressing the appropriate key for your device when you turn on the computer, usually F2 or Del) and find the Boot Booster parameter in the Boot section. Set the value to Disabled and restart your computer while saving the settings.

Disable Boot Booster option via BIOS menu

Depending on your laptop model, press the following keyboard shortcuts when restarting:

for ASUS models - F9;
for HP - F11;
for Acer - Alt + F10;
for Samsung - F4.

This action will open the reset program. Follow the instructions: eventually, all parameters will be automatically reset. The data on the C drive will be completely erased.

By pressing the F4 key on a Samsung laptop during restart, you can call the factory reset program

Video: how to reset your Acer laptop

Reset Windows 10 using a flash drive / disk

You can reset the system using a flash drive / recovery disk (how to create it on another working computer with the same OS is described below):

Go to BIOS and select the desired boot option (from a USB flash drive or disk).
Select your recovery stick from the BIOS boot menu
After rebooting, the recovery program will open. Enter "Troubleshooting".
Click on "Troubleshoot" when the recovery program asks you to choose an action
Select "Return to original state".
Click on "Reset PC"

After that, the system will be reset to its original form. If you choose to keep your personal files, they will be in the Windows.old folder.

Creating a reset disk on a USB flash drive

To create a reset disk on a USB flash drive, do the following:

Enter the "Control Panel". Turn on icons, not categories. Find the item "Recovery".
Click on "Recovery" in the "Control Panel"
Select "Create a recovery drive".
Click on "Create a recovery drive"
In the window that opens, you can select the backup option. Then about 8 GB of memory on the flash drive will be occupied, but it will be much easier and faster to restore the system.
Back up your system files to speed up the system restore process in the future
Select the USB flash drive on which the recovery disk will be created. It will be automatically formatted.

Wait for the process to finish.

The USB flash drive can now be used to reset the Windows 10 system.

Please note that the free space on the flash drive can be used for your own needs. It will not harm the recovery program.

Video: how to create a Windows 10 recovery image on a USB flash drive and restore the system from an image

Creating a disc to be discarded to CD / DVD

Before proceeding directly with the reset, consider creating a recovery CD / DVD:

Open Control Panel and go to Backup and Restore.
Click on the button "Create a system recovery disc"
Select the drive with the inserted disc in the window that opens and click "Create disc".
Click "Create Disc"

You can now use this drive to reset Windows 10.

Video: How to create a Windows 10 recovery drive without using additional media

Possible problems with resetting Windows 10

Despite the fact that the procedure for resetting Windows 10 looks pretty straightforward, there is a possibility of errors occurring. Let's consider the most common ones:

Return to original condition problem. If during the system reset process you see the message "Reset problem", most likely the recovery files were corrupted. In this case, you can try to start the reset again, as the error may be accidental. If that doesn't work, you'll need to reinstall Windows. Please note that even if you reinstall your system, you can keep your personal files.
The error "Problem returning the PC to its original state" occurs due to damaged recovery files

I need a recovery disc. If the system displays such a message during the reset process, it may be missing some files or recovery libraries. Insert the recovery disk / flash drive or use the Refresh Windows Tool to fix this problem.

Insert a recovery disc or installation media to resolve the error

If you encounter other problems while resetting Windows 10, go to the next method described above. If none of them helped, you will have to reinstall the operating system.

Resetting Windows 10 to factory settings yourself is not difficult. In most situations, the programs and utilities offered by Microsoft do an excellent job of doing this. If not, you can use a recovery disc / flash drive. One way or another, you can reinstall the OS, having previously saved your personal data.

You can treat the Windows 10 operating system in different ways, but it has one distinct advantage over its predecessors - it's a faster and easier way to reset the OS to factory settings. This method is a kind of panacea that can solve many system errors and malfunctions without having to reinstall the operating system. In addition, after reinstalling Windows, all files stored on your system drive will be deleted, and when you reset the settings, they will be saved (only installed programs are deleted).

Resetting the system to factory settings can solve the following problems:

the system works with freezes, lags, and so on;
you are unable to perform a system restore;
Windows does not work correctly or does not start at all (for this case, you will need to create a recovery disc, but more on that later).

If your operating system boots, then you can implement a factory reset in just a few clicks. To do this, follow the steps described in the instructions:

Open the menu "Options"... The easiest way to do this is by first left-clicking on the menu "Start".
Select item Update and Security.
Now go to the tab "Recovery"... On the right, you will see a menu that is responsible for returning the computer to its original state. Press "Begin" to initialize the restore to factory settings.
Next, you will see a modal window that will prompt you to delete files or keep them. Choose "Save my files".
When you have completed all the steps described above, the system will notify you that it is ready to perform a factory reset. Click on "Reset" and wait for the process to finish. It will be accompanied by repeated reboots of your computer and may take a long time.

Method number 2. Factory reset using the built-in Refresh Windows Tool

Unfortunately, in Windows 10, restoring settings through the standard interface does not always work correctly, as even Microsoft confirms. Therefore, as an alternative, the company created a special utility Refresh Windows Tool, which is able to reset the system settings. To do this, follow the further instructions:

When you have restored the system to factory settings, first of all, it is recommended to clean up the system disk from temporary files that take up a lot of space. To do this, follow these steps:

These files take up a lot of hard disk space (in this example, about 18 gigabytes), and deleting them will improve the performance of your computer.

Method number 3. Resetting settings via BIOS (for laptops)

If your operating system refuses to boot, then you will not be able to reset the settings either through the standard interface or through the utility. Here you will need to resort to a more complex method, which requires a BIOS. This method is suitable only for laptops on which a licensed version of Windows is installed. So, follow the further instructions:

First go to the BIOS itself. To do this, restart your computer and immediately after the splash screen, when the system has not yet booted, press the key "F2" or "Delete"... For different laptop models, a different key is provided that is responsible for entering this menu, so you can press them at the same time, if you do not know which one you need - nothing will happen from this.
When you entered BIOS, go to the tab "Boot" and set the value "Disabled" opposite the parameter "Boot Booster"... Navigation through the BIOS is carried out using the arrows, but in newer versions you can do this using the mouse.
Exit BIOS by saving the changes in the settings. In this case, the key is responsible for this. "F10"... If you do not know the required key, then pay attention to the BIOS interface - usually the purpose of each key is described there. Just find the one signed as Save and Exit("Save and Exit").
After restarting the computer, a program will open to restore the system to factory settings. Different laptops have different programs. For Samsung notebooks, this is "Samsung Recovery Solution", for Acer it is "Acer eRecovery Management", and so on. They have a different design and interface, but the functionality is similar. After the program starts (in this example it is "Samsung Recovery Solution"), click on "Restore" and wait for the automatic reset process to finish.

Method number 4. Factory reset using removable media

So we smoothly moved on to a more complex way of resetting the settings - using a flash drive or disk. If your system does not boot and there is no built-in factory reset utility, this method will help you. For it, you will need a free flash drive or disk with at least 8 GB of memory, as well as another computer with a running operating system.

Creating a bootable USB drive

To be able to restore the system settings to the factory settings using a USB flash drive, plug it into a free USB port on your computer and follow these steps:

Click on the menu "Start" right click and select "Control Panel" by clicking on the appropriate menu.

On a note! If this menu does not appear, press the "Win + X" buttons on the keyboard at the same time.
Now select the menu "Recovery"... To make it easier to find, set the view mode to icons rather than categories.
Go to the menu "Create a recovery disc".
You will be prompted to back up. Accept this offer by checking the box and clicking "Further"... Although the backup will take up more memory on your flash drive, it will help you reset the settings much faster.
Select your USB flash drive (it will be displayed in the list of available drives) and click "Further"... After that, it will be automatically formatted and can be used as a factory reset tool. We will analyze the process itself a little later.

Create a boot disk

The same procedure can be done with a CD / DVD disc. First, insert it into the drive of your system unit, then do everything as described in the instructions:

Reset

So, you have written all the data necessary for the factory reset to your disk or flash drive. Now it's time to go directly to the process itself:

Go to BIOS, then to the tab "Boot"... Earlier in the article, there were instructions on how to get there.
Please select "Hard Disk Drives" and press the key "Enter".
You will see a menu in which you can customize the boot order. You need to move your removable device from which you plan to launch the factory reset to the first place. To do this, move to "1st Drive", click "Enter" and select your media.
Then click on the button responsible for the parameter Save and Exit.
After your computer has restarted, the recovery program will start. Now you need to choose Troubleshooting.
Next, select the menu item that corresponds to returning the computer to its original state. Then wait for the restore process to complete and the job is done.

Quick rollback as an alternative method

If for some reason you are unable to complete, then you can try to make a quick rollback of the system to the previous version. This method will also help you solve a number of system problems. However, it can only be used if you've recently upgraded your operating system to Windows 10.

Important! If thirty days have not passed since the update, then you can make a quick rollback to the previous version of the operating system.

To do this, follow the further step-by-step instructions:

Solving problems with factory reset

It would seem that restoring factory settings is a fairly simple process, but even it can be difficult and lead to various system errors. Let's consider the two most common ones:

Perhaps the most valuable advice that can be given in this case is to use an exclusively licensed version of the Windows operating system. This will help you minimize the likelihood of system errors, including those related to factory reset. Many pirated assemblies are of frankly poor quality - they sometimes lack the necessary system files, drivers, and so on. So it is better not to spare money and purchase the licensed version, than then spend a lot of time on fixing system errors, which are teeming with "pirates".

So now you know how to reset Windows 10 to factory settings. This process is uncomplicated and rewarding - it can help you troubleshoot many system problems. If you managed to reset the settings, but your problem persists, then refer to the guide on reinstalling Windows.