It's the state that your computer was in when it left the factory. You'd be forgiven for thinking that returning your computer to factory settings is an entirely clean slate. The first time you booted up your new pre-built computer, you entered a system with factory settings. Despite running Windows, the installation isn't exactly the same as if you had built the computer and installed the operating system yourself. This is because most manufacturers will install or customize the system in a particular way.
Sometimes this is done to make it more convenient for the user, like having all relevant drivers installed, but you can get these through Windows Update anyway. Often it's done more for the benefit of the manufacturer than the consumer. Little things like a branded wallpaper can occur, but often you'll also find that some less useful programs have been pre-installed. These programs could be software trials commonly for things like antivirus or manufacturer suites that apparently help get the best out of your system.
The thing is, you didn't ask for these things to be on your computer and it's invasive to have it pushed on you. At best these programs are bloatware that take up valuable drive space, but they could also be a security riskin , Lenovo laptops were found to include malware. As such, while a factory reset will remove all programs and data that you added since getting the computer, it's not ideal. It's rare that returning your computer to factory settings is the right choice.
Here's how you can better refresh your computer. One tactic you could use, if you don't want to start from a fresh system install, is to remove the bloatware that comes with your system. Bear in mind this won't rectify any security vulnerability, like the Lenovo incident mentioned above, but it's a simple way to get rid of the obvious junk.
This will open a list of everything installed on your computer. Here you can select something from the list and click Uninstall to remove it.
You can take this further by using a program like Should I Remove It? Remember, don't remove drivers or other system critical utilities because you could find your system unstable afterward. For more information on removing that excess junk, be sure to check out our guide on how to get rid of bloatware.
Windows 10 makes it incredibly easy to reset your computer. However, not all options are equal. Refreshing your computer keeps your files — though not any installed programs that didn't come with your computer — and reinstalls the Windows operating system.
In comparison, factory resetting your computer reinstalls the operating system but does not preserve any files or installed programs. The only option that does not result in the total loss of either your files or installed programs is system restore. This restores your operating system — files and programs included — to a previous state, called a restore point. Restore points are either automatically created by the operating system or manually created by you. You should try restoring your computer to an earlier point when a recent change, such as an application install or driver update , resulted in unexpected behavior or reduced performance.
Click View by and select either Small icons or Large icons. Select either the Recommended restore or Choose a different restore point and press Next. You can create a restore point from the Control Panel or by searching "Create a restore point" in the search bar.
Click Finish. The computer will then restart and Windows will restore to that previous point. You should refresh your computer if it is showing signs of reduced performance and restoring to an earlier point does not resolve the issues experienced.
Click on Cloud download or Local reinstall. Cloud download downloads a new copy of Windows 10 from Microsoft directly whereas a local reinstall uses the Windows 10 version already on your computer. Click Reset. Resetting your PC like you might do with your Android smartphone ensures optimum performance and stability on a continual basis.
The process is intended to provide a clean Windows OS, but it does offer an option to save some of your data, such as documents, images, etc. Independently installed or third-party installed games will not get backed up. It is always best to back up any valuable game data before resetting your PC, and this will require research and unique methods based on the game saves and settings you need to preserve.
No, a Windows 10 reset does not preserve any drivers. Yes, a Windows 10 reset does not preserve updates, so you will have to reinstall them. It is important to note that the reset option may use the original OEM license if you upgraded your version of Windows 10, such as from Home to Pro. If that scenario applies to you, try to switch the license in the Settings menu. Here are the steps to reset your Windows 10 device.
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