In this post, you can know about How To Factory Reset Windows 10 easily. If your Windows 10 machine is acting up, running Microsoft’s Refresh Windows tool or uninstalling a recent update might do the trick.

You can even run your own diagnostic tests to make sure your hard disc is healthy. But if your PC is sluggish, or you’re getting worrying error messages, it might be time to back up your files and reset your PC to its factory settings, this article guides you through the reset process, and it works on any Windows 10 device.

Using the ‘Reset Your PC’ Option in Windows 10

It is important to note that the reset option may use the original OEM license if you upgraded your version of Windows 10, such as from Home to Pro. If that scenario applies to you, try to switch the license in the Settings menu.

If that process doesn’t work (most likely won’t), you’ll need to perform a clean install/upgrade using the newer license and software. Here are the steps to reset your Windows 10 device.

• Start by clicking on “Start Menu → Settings.”

• Then, select “Update & Security.” Alternatively, type “Reset” without quotes into the “Cortana search box.”

• From the “Update & Security” menu, select “Recovery” on the left-side of the screen.

• Recovery will bring up a new page with additional options. For restoring your PC, you’ll want to select “Reset this PC.”

• Now, you’ll have two options: (1) Keep my files, (2) Remove everything. The first choice will keep your personal files and is suitable for generally refreshing settings and removing installed apps. The second choice will remove all files.

• If you decide to use the “Keep my files” option above, you’ll get presented with a list of apps that will get erased and then asked to confirm the reset. If you choose the “Remove everything” option, skip to the next step.

• When removing everything, you get asked to confirm the wiping of personal data and if you want to wipe all data on the OS drive or all drives.

• For Windows with May 2022 Update or later, you’ll get two choices to reinstall Windows 10: Cloud Download and Local Reinstall. The cloud option reinstalls Windows 10 with the latest version. The local option uses existing installation data from your device.

Finally, you’ll be given a breakdown of what will happen to your laptop if you restore it to factory settings. If you’re happy with this, click “Restore” and the process will begin.

After the reset is complete, you’ll see one or more HTML files on your Desktop, listing all deleted applications. You can decide what to reinstall from scratch.

Also, Windows 10 stores all old data in the “Windows.old” folder, so you always have that option to extract data from there if needed. Just remember that most applications won’t have license information in Windows Explorer, but you can still search for valuable data.

Depending on your choices, and the speed of your system, the reset will take up to an hour. You’ll know the process is finished when you’re prompted with the license agreement.

If you’re not ready to reset yet but will be in the future, you can set Windows 10 to back up your files and automatically keep them updated, between now and when you want to factory reset your laptop. However, the backup option is not for licenses and programs; it is for personally saved data. Some third-party backup programs offer independent file picking that allows you to restore installed programs (and licenses in some cases).