How To Factory Reset Windows 11 - Restore Factory Settings

Your PC is freezing, crashing, or running so slowly that it feels unusable, and you've run out of ways to fix it. A factory reset is the nuclear option to get you back to a clean slate, but you need to make sure your data is handled correctly before the process starts.

Two ways to reset

You can use the 'Keep my files' option to strip out corrupted apps and settings while saving your personal documents, or choose 'Remove everything' for a total wipe when selling the device.

Before you start

Verify that all your important documents and photos are backed up to an external drive or cloud service. Once the 'Remove everything' process starts, there is no way to recover your data.

Steps

1. 01
   Press the Windows key + I to open Settings, navigate to System, then Recovery, and click the Reset PC button.
2. 02
   If Windows is too broken to open Settings, hold the Shift key while clicking Restart on your power menu, then select Troubleshoot and Reset this PC.
3. 03
   Choose 'Keep my files' if you are troubleshooting performance issues or 'Remove everything' if you are preparing the PC to be sold or given away.
4. 04
   Select 'Cloud download' to pull a fresh copy of Windows from Microsoft, or 'Local reinstall' to use the files currently stored on your hard drive.
5. 05
   Review the list of apps that will be removed on the summary screen and click Reset to begin the process, which will automatically restart your machine.
6. 06
   Wait for the installation to finish and complete the initial Windows setup screens once the system reboots.

Still not working?

If the reset process hangs or fails with an error message, your hard drive may have physical bad sectors or deep file system corruption. In this case, you should create a bootable USB installer using the official Windows Media Creation Tool to perform a clean install from scratch instead of using the built-in reset feature.

Frequently asked questions

Will a factory reset delete my personal files?

It depends on the option you choose. 'Keep my files' saves your documents and photos, while 'Remove everything' deletes everything on the drive.

Should I choose Cloud download or Local reinstall?

Cloud download is better if your current Windows installation is corrupted, as it pulls fresh system files. Local reinstall is faster but relies on your existing, potentially broken, system files.

Can I stop the reset once it starts?

Once the reset process begins after you click the final Reset button, you should not interrupt it. Doing so can leave your Windows installation in an unbootable, corrupted state.

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