Overview Reset This PC
Reset This PC will reinstall Windows operating system and keeps your personal files, such as photos, music, videos or personal files. However, it will remove apps and drivers you installed, and also removes the changes you made to the settings.
Resetting a PC is usually needed in two circumstances. The first scenario is when a PC will be decommissioned for sale or transferred to another user. The factory reset removes all changes since the PC left the factory, which leaves it in a clean state for sale or handoff. The second scenario is when a PC exhibits noticeable performance, stability or behavioral problems, and an in-place upgrade still won’t restore a PC to normal operation. When that happens, a clean install or a factory reset can take the PC back to its earliest Windows state, possibly fixing whatever ails it.
Steps to Reset This PC on Windows 11
Resetting your computer on Windows 11 is slightly different from previous versions. For details, please refer to the following methods.
- Press Win + I to open Settings, then choose System.
- Scroll down to Recovery in the System menu.
- Click Reset PC next to the Reset this PC option.
- Then there are two options appearing, choose one of them according to your needs. The Keep my files option will keep the files but remove programs and any changes to settings. The Remove everything option gets rid of everything, but note that a data recovery tool might be able to restore your files.
- Pick how to reinstall Windows 11. Here you can select Local reinstall first, and if you cannot reinstall Windows via Local reinstall or any errors occurred, you are able to choose Cloud download to reinstall Windows.
- Approve the settings and click Next.
- Next, click Reset one last time to confirm.
- At this point, your PC will begin to reset and you can see its progress percentage.
When the process finishes, Windows 11 will reinstall and your PC will start from the setup screen. You will have to pick some preferences and then log in with your Microsoft account. Once that’s done, you’ll be back on the desktop and ready to use your PC again.
