Restore With System Restore
System Restore can restore your Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 to a working condition. To access any of System Restores created snapshots, you must load the utility by any of these methods:
- Access it from within Windows 8, if you can boot into Windows 8
- Access it using the original Windows 8 installation DVD or Windows 8.1 installation USB
- Access the snapshots created by System Restore with Easy Recovery Essentials
Method #1: Access System Restore from within Windows 8/8.1
Method #2: Access System Restore at boot using the installation media.
Windows Setup CD/DVD Required!Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.
To access the snapshots, you need the installation media: original Windows 8 DVD or original Windows 8.1 USB drive. Its the media you used to install Windows.
The steps are:
How To Recover Files After A Factory Reset
This section is not for learning how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password but for finding out how you can recover your files after a factory reset. After all, there is quite a huge chance that you will lose your files permanently if you donât do anything. That is why I recommend FoneDog Data Recovery.
Data RecoveryRecover deleted image, document, audio and more files.Get deleted data back from computer and hard drives.Recover loss data caused by disk accident, operation system crushes and other reasons.
FoneDog Data Recovery is a tool that allows users to quickly recover files of all kinds. Plus, it is available on Windows 10, so there shouldnât be any compatibility issues. Nonetheless, try to look at this software up on the internet.
Restore To Factory Settings Guide For Windows Xp Vista 7 8 10
Factory Settings or Factory Defaults usually refers to performing a restore or a reset of your computer to its original configuration as it first was when it was purchased.
A restore to factory settings is also known as a reset to factory settings or as a restore to factory defaults.
Restoring a computer to its factory settings will delete all personal files: music, movies, pictures and any installed software applications or drivers that were not included in the original configuration of that computer.
Contents
Your computer can be restored to its factory settings if any of the following are applicable to you:
- You have a recovery partition installed on your computer. This partition is usually installed by the PC manufacturer and can be used to restore a computer.
- You have a set of recovery discs for your computer. These discs usually come with your computer purchase and can be used to perform a restore.
- You have the original Windows installation disc. This is the original disc that has Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 or 10. You can use this media to reinstall Windows.
If none of the above are applicable to you, you still have these options to restore or repair your computer:
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Scenario # 5 If Nothing Else Works A Fresh Windows Install Will Do The Trick
If you cannot start your PC at all and also cannot get into the repair wizard, the only thing that will help is a fresh installation. To do this, switch from another device to the official Microsoft website and download the Media Creation Tool. You can then use the tool to create installation media for Windows 10. Either burn it to a DVD or drag it to a USB stick with sufficient storage capacity. Then insert the DVD or insert the stick into the USB port. During the boot process, press the F key specified by the PC or laptop manufacturer. Then select the appropriate drive in the boot menu. In the advanced startup options, click Troubleshoot, then select Reset this PC.
If reinstallation using the Media Creation Tool does not work, you can also reinstall Windows 10 using an ISO file. To do this, download the Windows installation file. The disadvantage of this method is that it will lose all of your data. Once the ISO file is downloaded, you can easily start the new installation with a double click.
One way to deal with problems starting Windows 10 is what is known as Safe Mode. You can find out how to get into Safe Mode in our advisory article.
Cloud Download Vs Local Reinstall

On modern versions of Windows 10, you’ll next have to choose how you want to reinstall Windows. There are two ways: Cloud download or Local reinstall.
Local reinstall uses files on your current system to construct a fresh copy of Windows. While it saves you from having to download any files from the internet, it also won’t work if your Windows installation is corrupted.
With Cloud download, the process will instead download a fresh copy of Windows 10 from Microsoft over the internet. This reinstalls the version of Windows 10 you’re currently running , so it won’t upgrade you to a newer feature update.
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How Does Reset This Pc Work In Windows 10
Windows 10 Reset This PC feature resets itself to its factory default state. You may feel bad when you read this, but it’s a lot smarter than you think. It provides users two options, namely, Keep my files and Remove everything, so users can choose whether to keep data on the disk. Note that it will remove all the installed apps while keeping only the preinstalled. Then, let’s get details.
Keep my files: Your computer will boot into Windows recovery environment , scan and place all your files and personal settings aside, install a fresh copy of Windows with Windows recovery image, and then put your personal files and settings back where they were found.
Remove everything: Similar to the previous option, but this one will erase and format your C: drive in the WinRE and then install Windows from scratch.
How Do You Wipe A Computer Clean To Sell It Windows 10
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Can A Computer Be Restored After A Factory Reset
In the event of a factory reset, the original manufacturer settings are restored. It is usually done to fix an issue/problem with a device by restoring the computer to factory settings. Suppose that users are using Windows 10 and they do this mistake by mistake, they will lose all the data on the computer.
How To Factory Reset Windows 10 Without Password With Advanced Startup
The Advanced startup section has a lot of features to offer. However, the highlight of this is that it can help you learn how to factory reset Windows 10 without password.
This is because once you access Advanced startup, you can do things without even having to log in to your Windows 10 PC. However, there will be consequences if you happen to make a mistake when trying to use this feature.
With that said, you have to be careful when using this method. Also, you have to prepare the system image first:
This should create a system image on the said USB drive. With that system image, youâd be able to learn how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password now. So letâs proceed with the actual steps:
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How To Get A Fresh Windows 10 System Without The Bloatware
RELATED:How to Easily Reinstall Windows 10 Without the Bloatware
The Reset this PC option is convenient, but theres one big problem with it: if your PC manufacturer installed a lot of junk software you dont want at the factory, resetting your PC will bring all that junk back.
Thankfully, with Windows 10s Anniversary Update, theres now an easy way to get a fresh-from-Microsoft Windows 10 system. Just click the Learn how to start fresh with a clean installation of Windows link on the Settings > Update & Security > Recovery screen.
The new Give your PC a fresh start tool will download a Windows 10 image straight from Microsoft and install it on your system, giving you a fresh-from-Microsoft system with none of that factory software installed. The hardware drivers you need should be automatically downloaded from Windows Update after youre done. If you need a hardware driver or utility that isnt automatically installed from Windows Update, youll find them on your PC manufacturers download site.
Windows 8 allowed you to create a custom refresh image. Whenever you refreshed or reset your PC, it would use your custom image instead of the default one. For example, you could uninstall bloatware that came with your PC, install important software, or change system settings and then create a refresh image with the current system state. However, this option is no longer present in Windows 10but the bloatware-less option is at least a nice consolation prize.
How To Factory Reset Windows 10 From The Login Screen
If you dont have the admin password for a Windows PC, you can reset Windows 10 to factory settings pretty easily from the login screen.
- In the bottom-right corner of the login screen, youll see options to change your network settings, access Windows accessibility options, or power down your PC. To begin resetting your PC, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard. With the key held down, press the Restart option under your power menu.
- This will reboot Windows 10, but rather than loading the operating system as normal, youll be presented with the boot options menu. Click the Troubleshoot option to proceed.
- In the Troubleshoot menu, click the Reset this PC option.
- You can choose to save your files or reset Windows 10 completely, removing all files and settings. To save your files, click the Keep my files option. Otherwise, click Remove everything instead.
This will begin the reset process, and you may need to follow further on-screen instructions to proceed. Once the process is complete, youll be able to set up your Windows PC with a new user account, bypassing the old admin password entirely.
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How Do You Do A Hard Reset On An Hp Laptop
Turn on your HP laptop, then immediately press the F11 key repeatedly until the Choose an option screen appears. Select an option, Keep my files or Remove everything. If you want to keep your data, click Keep my files, then click Reset. Your computer will then re-install the operating system and restart.
Restore With Installation Cd

If System Restore isnt available for your Windows XP , use the original installation disc to perform a repair or reinstall Windows XP again.
To perform a Repair Install, follow these steps:
. You dont need access to Recovery Console, but the Repair Install.
C:\Windows "Microsoft Windows XP Professional"
To repair the selected Windows XP installation, press R
To continue installing a fresh copy of Windows XP without repairing, press ESC.
If you dont have the press R option, you cant perform a Repair Install.
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How To Factory Reset Windows 10 Using Keep My Files Option
To reset Windows 10 to its factory default settings without losing your files, use these steps:
Under the “Reset this PC” section, click the Get started button.
Click the Keep my files option.
Click the List of apps to be removed option.
Click the Back button.
Once you complete the steps, the device will reset to the factory settings preserving your files during the process.
Using Windows Installation Media To Reset Or Reinstall Windows
The easiest method to factory reset your Windows 10 PC without the admin password is to use the method above. If your PC is having problems, however, you could decide to wipe the hard drive entirely, using Windows installation media to reinstall or reset Windows.
You can from the Microsoft website. This can be burned to a fresh DVD or flashed to a USB flash drive. If you have a second Windows 10 PC available, you can flash this ISO file to your USB drive using the Rufus flashing tool.
Linux users can WoeUSB to do this, while macOS users could use the official Boot Camp Assistant app, which is installed on all Mac devices.
- If you have the Windows 10 ISO file and Rufus tool downloaded, open Rufus on your second Windows PC. Make sure your USB flash drive is selected in the drop-down menu, then click the Select button to select your ISO file.
- Select your Windows 10 installation ISO file from the file selection menu, then click Open.
- Rufus will automatically change its settings to match the requirements to flash a bootable USB Windows installation drive. Once youre happy with the settings, press the Start button to flash your drive. This will wipe it, so be sure to backup any important files saved on it before you begin.
- Click the Install now button to start the installation process.
- If the option is available, select the version of Windows 10 you wish to install, then click the Next button.
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Restore Without Installation Cd/dvd
Fix #1: Run System Restore from Safe Mode
System Restore may also be available via Safe Mode without a need for the original Windows Vista installation CD.
System Restore will not work if it has been turned off!
To access System Restore via Safe Mode, follow these steps:
Method #3: Use Easy Recovery Essentials
Easy Recovery Essentials can be used to repair or restore a Windows Vista system:
- Find and fix errors automatically with Automated Repair
- Recover your PC from infections with the built-in antivirus
- Restore your PC to a working state
- Access and backup your most important data
What Causes There Was A Problem Resetting Your Pc Error
Having this error appear on your screen makes resetting or booting your device impossible, depending on where you see the error. Here are some other variations of the error message on different builds of Windows 10:
- There was a problem refreshing your PC. No changes were made.
- Cant reset your PC.
- There was a problem resetting your laptop or computer.
A variation of the same error can be seen in the screenshot above, where instead of the reset, errors come up when trying to refresh the Windows 10 system.
If you see any of these messages at the end of your resetting process, you must troubleshoot in order to properly reset your operating system. Continue reading to find the steps necessary to restore your computer.
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Back Up Windows 10/8/7
Step 1: After opening your laptop and installing MiniTool ShadowMaker, you can enter an interface to choose to manage the local computer or another computer on the same LAN.
Step 2: In Backup page, by default, you know MiniTool can choose the system drives used to boot the laptop to back up. .
Then, click the Destination to choose the storage location for the system image. You had better choose an external hard drive which can be connected to your laptop via USB cable.
Step 3: Please perform the system backup image operation by hitting Back up Now button. Then you need to wait for a few minutes until the backup operation is completed.
From the Backup interface, you can see Schedule option which enables you to perform backup task regularly. Four modes are here, including Daily, Weekly,Monthly and On Event. Just choose one.
Besides, this software offers you Scheme feature, helping create differential backups and incremental backups, as well as disk management when backing up.
System Restore for Laptop
In the case of system crash, you can use the system backup created before to restore your laptop to earlier settings.
How can you do this work with system image? Look at the steps as shown below.
In order to do a system restore, you are required to create MiniTool ShadowMaker Bootable Edition to do a system restore in WinPE. Here the Media Builder feature enables you to create a bootable CD/DVD or USB drive to boot your laptop.
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