How to reset Windows 10 to factory settings - step by step instruction

The reset of the operating system to a pristinely clean state was invented not in vain. Sometimes the computer starts to terribly brake, buggy and generally behave inadequately. If this does not help any utilities to clean the PC of various trash, then there is one way out - "reset" settings. The Web has enough information on how to reset Windows 10 to its factory settings. The trouble is that all these "manuals" are scattered, inconsistent and fragmented. Our task is to combine all these tight "guides" into one complete instruction, when reading it you will not have to search for clarifying information.

A Little Bit about Windows 10

"Ten" - the latest OS from Microsoft. The latter in the sense that there will be no new version, there will only be global updates for the current one. Opinions about the tenth version are ambiguous. Some users praise its speed and appearance, while others testify to the heinous optimization and a bunch of spy functions. To each his own, and we will not list the pros and cons of this OS (although the fact of espionage is obvious). Our task is to understand how to reset Windows 10 to factory settings.

However, bypassing the innovations of the "dozens", which directly relate to our topic, we can not. The first in this list is the updated component "Recovery and Security". For those who recently migrated with Windows 7, this menu item will become a bit unusual. And it's not just in appearance. The item "Recovery" has two sub-items: "Restore the computer to its original state" and "Special boot options". Now more about them. Having analyzed all the functions of these components, we will understand how to reset Windows 10 to the factory settings.

Restore default settings (Windows utility)

So, in order to find the item "Restore", you should refer to the "Start" menu and select the "Parameters" tab in it. After the required window is opened, go to the "Update and Security" tab. And already there we select the item "Recovery". There are two sub-paragraphs. They allow you to restore the original state of a PC or laptop, but have different parameters and properties. The repair utility itself works by extracting the saved image of the system located in a special system partition on the HDD. Now for each method of recovery in more detail.

Return to the original state (general information)

"Restore the computer to its original state." Based on the name, it is clear that this item gives us the original state of the computer, which he had immediately after the installation of the operating system. The mechanism is simple. The fact is that the "dozen" after the installation of the system creates a control point. It is the state of the computer from this point that is recreated. However, all installed programs will disappear. You will simply have a bare system with some device drivers. After the rollback to the system control point, you have to restore everything from scratch.

Other options

"Special options for downloading." This item allows you to boot Windows with specific settings necessary to restore or modify system files. This option allows you to restore the working state of the system using a medium with the system image recorded on it. But this method is used only in the most extreme cases. In the meantime, we are interested in how to reset Windows 10 to the factory settings. So, this method does not suit us, because when you use it you can lose all your data.

Return to initial state (step by step)

Step 1. Start Menu next to "Options", "Update and Security".

Step 2. Click the "Start" button in the "Return the computer to the initial state" item.

Step 3. A window appears showing the recovery options: "Save my files" and "Delete all". We are interested in the first option, because it saves our data. We choose it.

Step 4. After some waiting, a list of programs that will be deleted during the recovery process will appear. Since we have nowhere to go, click "Next".

Step 5. Next, the notification about the recovery time will pop up and that our computer will be rebooted. Do nothing, click "Reset".

After a successful reset, you will see a window in which you will be asked to configure the basic system settings (account, time zone, etc.). This means that everything went as it should. Now you have a completely clean system without any garbage. After you reset the settings of Windows 10 to the factory settings it turned out, it remains only to "tune" the freshly installed OS.

If the system does not boot

There are times when the OS is so "killed" that it refuses to even boot. What to do in this case? How do I reset the "Windows 10" settings to the factory settings on my computer in this case? There is an exit. We only need a boot disk (or USB drive) with a "ten".

The method of such a discharge is in many respects similar to the way on a functioning system. Only instead of the "Start" and other tabs will require several other actions. So, let's describe all this step by step.

Step 1. Insert the disk (or USB flash drive) into the PC and Boot Menu BIOS set the download from this media.

Step 2. Loads the same way as during the installation of Windows. Only when a window with a proposal to install the system appears, click on the item "System Restore" in the lower left corner.

Step 3. Go to the "Diagnostics" and press the button "Return the computer to its original state".

And then everything happens according to the scenario described above. Same warning, the same buttons for clicking. After the reboot your iron friend will be cheerful and cheerful again. Though somewhat empty. Many also ask how to reset Windows 10 to factory settings via BIOS. We answer - it does not always work out. The BIOS itself should support such a function, but there are not many of these. So it's better to use the usual way.

Reset on mobile "ten"

Microsoft quickly released an updated version of the OS for mobile devices on Windows. They also sometimes need to roll back to a perfectly clean state. That's why we'll look at how to reset Windows 10 settings to the factory settings on the phone. Here everything is simple. By the way, there are several ways to reset.

The first method is suitable if the smartphone is locked. To reset, you should alternately press the mechanical keys of the device in this order: volume +, volume -, on, volume -. After that, the gadget will reboot and the rollback will be completed.

The second method is used if everything is working fine. You need to go to the setup menu, select the "Device Information" tab and click the "Reset Settings" button. That's all. After the reboot, you get a pristine pure device.

The third method I use very rarely, because in his process I need to climb into the engineering menu of the device. And this does not always end well. But still this is another answer to the question of how to reset Windows 10 settings to the factory settings in the mobile version. So, on the dial pad enter the combination ## 777 # and get into the engineering menu. Here we select the "Reset" button and the device restarts. That's all.

Conclusion

Summing up, I want to say that the rollback of the system always involves some risks. For example, a saved image may be "wiped", and then a brick will be obtained from the device. But try in any case worth it. Especially since now you know how to reset Windows 10 to the factory settings. So why not try it? Still, it's better than installing the system from scratch.

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