How To Factory Reset a Laptop, by HowToBasic on YouTube. 2 min 31 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 31 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Plug the laptop into the charger and keep it connected for the whole reset. A power cut mid-reset can leave Windows broken.
Back up your documents, photos and other files to an external drive or cloud service. The reset deletes everything on the main drive.
Open Settings from the Start menu, then go to System and choose Recovery.
Under Reset this PC, click Get started. Choose the option to remove everything if you plan to sell the laptop.
Pick whether to keep your files or remove them all. For a clean start or a sale, choose Remove everything.
Choose Local reinstall to use the built-in copy of Windows, or Cloud download if the local files are damaged.
Select Change settings and turn on Clean data if you are giving the laptop away, so the drive is wiped securely.
Click Reset and wait. The laptop restarts several times and can take 30 minutes or more. Do not switch it off.
When the setup screen appears, follow the prompts to choose your region, connect to Wi-Fi and sign in or create an account.
Tips and common mistakes
Sign out of apps like OneDrive or your browser account before resetting so your data is not synced back later.
Note your Windows product key or link it to your Microsoft account so activation works after the reset.
If the laptop will not boot, use the advanced startup option to reach Reset this PC from the recovery menu.
Questions
Will a factory reset delete my files?
Yes, if you choose Remove everything. Copy anything you want to keep to an external drive or cloud storage before you start.
How long does a factory reset take?
Usually 30 to 60 minutes, but older laptops or cloud downloads can take longer. Keep the charger plugged in the whole time.
Do I need a Windows disc or USB stick?
No. The Local reinstall option uses the recovery files already on your laptop, so no disc or USB drive is needed.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
