How to reset Windows 10 (Reset PC)

One of the most important improvements of Windows 10, over previous versions, is the recovery procedure, which allows you to recover the functioning of the PC when something does not work well or even in case of serious errors. Whenever you find a problem to fix on your computer, instead of manually formatting or reinstalling the system as you are forced to do with Windows 7, you can use the reset and recovery tool included in Windows 10, called Reset PC.
Windows 10 reset is very convenient because it is all automatic. Furthermore, you can choose whether to keep your personal files or whether to delete everything and start from scratch and whether to return the PC to its initial state (after purchase) or whether to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch.

READ ALSO: How to format Windows 10.

PC Reset Options and Operation

The Windows 10 reset option it is found from the Start menu, in the Settings, to section Update and Security. From the Start menu you can search Settings or press on the gear. Under Update and Security, click on Restoration in the side column, to find the function on the right Reset PC.
Press on It begins to begin the Windows 10 reset and recovery procedure. Before starting, Windows 10 will ask if keep personal files or if remove everything. For sure the settings will be reset and all installed programs and apps will be deleted.
Below, starting with the Windows 10 2004 version (May 2020 Update), you are asked whether to do the Download da Cloud or Local reinstallation.
The difference between the two options is as follows: Cloud download re-download the very latest version of Windows 10 from Microsoft’s servers and removes any pre-installed applications from the PC manufacturer. . In this way you do a complete cleaning of the PC (still keeping the files if this option was chosen or removing everything if you prefer a total reset)
Local reinstallationinstead, it returns the computer to the initial configuration, as it was bought at the store, thus keeping the pre-installed apps and programs from the manufacturer.
Also, once you have made your choice, you can click on Change Settings to change some options. To make a summary and synthetic picture, let’s see what the various options mean.
– In the case of Download da Cloud you are always asked whether to download Windows 10 or not.
– If you choose Remove everythinginstead, by changing the settings it is also possible to activate the options: Clean up the data, to delete everything in order to make the files no longer recoverable (this option allows you to reset the computer in case you want to give it to someone) and to delete the files from all drives and, therefore, delete the files both from the disk where ‘Windows 10 is installed, and also from the other disks of the computer.
In any case, you will not need to use a Windows 10 installation disc. In case the PC was pre-installed, the Reset PC function will return to the initial configuration.

Then take into account that by logging into the Windows 10 PC with the same Microsoft account used before, the customized settings can still be recovered and automatically restored as before, if the synchronization of settings and data in Windows 10.
READ ALSO: Reset Windows 10 Settings to initial values.

Use Reset PC if Windows 10 does not start

To use the Windows 10 reset and restore function when a major error prevents the system from booting properly, the recovery console should be used. In another article, the guide for open the Windows 10 recovery console.
From the recovery console, go to Troubleshooting and press on Reset PC to find all the options above.
The recovery console can also be accessed from the login screen, by pressing the shutdown button at the bottom right and then pressing on Restart, while holding the button Shift.

Conclusions

Until version 1909 of Windows 10, it was possible to reset Windows 10 with another slightly different function, that of the installation from scratch explained in the guide on how clean up your Windows 10 PC from installed programs. In Windows 10 from version 2004 this feature is removed and replaced by Reset PC> Cloud Download.

Windows 10 reset works in a radical way and here, for some people, a problem has arisen regarding the removing drivers to make peripherals work. In fact, if you had a PC, for example an HP or an Asus, with Windows 7 or Windows 8 pre-installed on which you have upgraded to Windows 10, and can no longer use the recovery partition, the Reset PC option (using the Cloud option) will delete any programs that don’t belong to Windows 10, including drivers and programs. But this is actually a false problem.
Meanwhile, Windows 10 automatically installs device drivers, so your PC will work fine. Regarding the programs pre-installed by the manufacturers, in the vast majority of cases they are garbage and useless that do nothing but burden the system.
No longer having their footprint will therefore be a welcome incentive to do the reset which becomes an easy and automatic solution to have a new PC without junk and adware.
However, if there was some program that you wanted to keep because it made work, for example, the special keys on the keyboard or the fingerprint detector, then you will have to look for it on the manufacturer’s website (depending on whether the computer is from HP, Asus, Acer or other), download and install it.
Also note that after the reset you will not be able to go back to the previous version of Windows.