How to Factory Reset Your Windows PC and Laptop

04-Feb-2024

If you have a PC or laptop that you intend to sell or give away, then you’ll need to perform a factory reset on it to wipe all of your personal data before passing it on. By the same token, if your computer is having performance problems due to a software issue, a factory reset is also a good idea, as it can help to resolve the issue.

Having never carried out a factory reset on your computer, you might be unclear on where to start. If so, you’ve come to the right place, as we’ve got all the information you need right here.

In this guide, we’ll give you a simple step-by-step walkthrough for factory resetting your PC or laptop so that you can get your device back into pristine day-one condition with ease.

Factory resetting your PC or laptop through Windows OS

All machines running Microsoft’s Windows OS can be rebooted via the settings menu. However, the steps will vary depending on the exact version of Windows you’re using:

How to factory reset Windows 11

To factory reset Windows 11, you can do the following:

Click “Start”, then select “Settings”.
Select “System” in the pane on the left-hand side of the screen, then scroll down and the choose “Recovery” tab.
Under “Recovery options”, select “Reset this PC”.
Select “Remove everything”, then follow the on-screen prompts to complete the process.

How to factory reset Windows 10

To factory reset Windows 10, you can do the following:

Click “Start”, then select “Settings”.
Scroll down and choose “Update & Security”, then click “Recovery” in the pane on the left-hand side.
Under “Reset this PC”, click “Get started”.
Select “Remove everything”, then follow the on-screen prompts to complete the process.

How to factory reset Windows 8

To factory reset Windows 8, you can do the following:

Open the Charms Bar by pressing the “Windows” key and the “C” key.
Select “Settings”, then choose “Change PC settings”.
Go to “General”, then scroll down to the recovery options.
Select “Remove everything and install Windows”, then follow the on-screen prompts to complete the process.

How to factory reset Windows 7

To factory reset Windows 7, you can do the following:

Click “Start” and open the Control Panel.
In the Control Panel, go to “System and Security”, then click “Backup and Restore”.
Click “Recover system settings on your computer”, then select “Advanced Recovery Methods”.
Choose “Return your computer to factory condition”, then follow the on-screen prompts to complete the process.

How to factory reset Windows XP or Vista

If you’re running an unsupported OS like XP or Vista, you won’t have access to a built-in reset function. That means you will need to follow these steps:

Insert your Windows installation CD into your CD drive.
Restart the PC and boot from the CD. You can do this by pressing “F12” before Windows loads, then selecting the “CD-ROM Drive” option.
Follow the on-screen prompts and choose the fresh install option to reset your PC to its factory default state.

Factory resetting your laptop without a password

If you’ve forgotten the login details for your laptop, then you won’t be able to perform a factory reset via your device settings. In that case, you’ll need to use an alternative method. The steps below will allow you to perform a factory reset without a password on modern Dell, Acer, HP, ASUS, Toshiba, and Lenovo laptops that are running Windows:

Boot up your device, then press the “Shift” key and click “Restart” on the screen.
Continue holding start while the device boots, then choose “Troubleshoot” when the boot menu appears.
Choose “Reset this PC”.
You will see an option named “Remove everything” or “Clean the drive fully”, depending on your device. Choose this option and follow the prompts to complete the process.

Once the device restarts, you will see the setup screen, meaning the process is complete.

That’s all you need to know to perform a full factory reset on your Windows PC or laptop. If you’ve followed the instructions correctly, you should have erased all or your local data on your machine and reverted its OS to its clean factory default state.

With your computer now reset, you can go right ahead and sell it, give it away, or set up a new user account to have a fresh start with it.