How to Factory Reset HP PC Or Laptop Without Password, by Gauging Gadgets on YouTube. 2 min 45 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 45 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Plug the laptop into its AC adapter and leave it connected for the whole reset. A factory reset can run for an hour, and a flat battery can leave Windows half installed.
Copy anything you still need onto a USB drive or cloud storage. A factory reset deletes every file, photo and app on the drive, and there is no undo.
Unplug printers, USB sticks and external drives so the reset only touches the internal disk.
Restart the machine. At the Windows sign-in screen, hold down Shift, click the Power icon and choose Restart. Keep Shift held until the blue Choose an option screen appears.
Click Troubleshoot, then Reset this PC, then Remove everything. Pick Just remove my files for a quick wipe, or Fully clean the drive if you are selling the computer.
If you cannot reach the sign-in screen at all, restart and tap F11 repeatedly as the HP logo appears. HP Recovery Manager opens, so choose Factory Reset and follow the prompts.
If F11 brings up nothing, make a Windows 11 USB installer on another PC, boot the HP from it, then choose Custom install and follow the prompts for a clean copy of Windows.
When the reset finishes, let Windows run its setup, create a new account, then open HP Support Assistant and Windows Update to put the drivers back.
Tips and common mistakes
Never force the machine off during a reset, even if the progress bar sits on one number for a long time.
Many newer HP laptops no longer carry a recovery partition, so the Windows reset or the HP Cloud Recovery Tool is the reliable route.
If BitLocker is switched on, find the recovery key in your Microsoft account before you reset, or the drive stays locked.
Questions
Will a factory reset delete my files?
Yes. Everything on the drive goes, including documents, photos, apps and saved passwords. Back up first if you can still reach the desktop or a USB drive.
Does this remove my Windows password?
Yes. The reset wipes the old account, so you set up a fresh user and password at the end. A BIOS or UEFI password is separate and is not removed by a factory reset.
What if pressing F11 does nothing at startup?
The recovery partition is probably missing or damaged. Use the Windows reset from the sign-in screen, or boot from a Windows USB installer and do a clean install.
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.
