When the PC starts giving you software problems , there are times when we have no choice but to take drastic solutions. Formatting the PC is always an option, but before that you can always try to restore the system or, as we will see today, restore the system to factory settings .
It may be that your PC is already running too slow, that a virus or malware has entered you and you do not see a solution that does not mean starting from scratch, a solution that always works is to reset the system to factory settings, as long as you use Windows operating system . Next we are going to teach you how to do it in the easiest and fastest way possible, but before doing so make sure to make a backup of all the files that you do not want to lose, since the entire system will be erased and only the operating system will be left.
Factory reset using operating system
Within the Windows operating system itself there is a way to restore the system to the factory settings, which is the simplest option but obviously it is necessary for the PC to continue “working”, or at least to be able to start the operating system.
To do this, we must go to Settings -> Update and security -> Recovery. Under the “Reset this PC” section, you have the “Start” button that will start this process.
When you start the wizard, it will give you a choice whether you want to keep your files or instead remove everything. Since we want to restore the PC to the factory settings, the option we should choose is to delete everything, since in this way we will have the equivalent of formatting the PC, only with Windows installed.
Once the corresponding option is selected, the system will restart and we will only have to follow the usual wizard to finish the process. When it finishes, as we said, we will have the PC only with Windows installed.
Factory settings with “Start from zero”
Another option that we have is to reinstall Windows, something that we can do automatically from the same operating system. To do this, we must go, as before, to Settings -> Update and security -> Recovery, but we must select the option at the bottom that says “More information on how to start from scratch with a clean installation of Windows”. A message will appear saying that if we want to switch to Windows Security, to which we must answer yes.
A new window will open, where we must click on the “Start” button. This process will return to a wizard to choose the options we want in order to completely reinstall Windows.
Compared to the previous option, “Start from scratch” will always keep personal files. Also, it will automatically download and install the latest version of Windows 10, making this option ideal for users who have problems with the operating system.
Reinstall Windows with a bootable USB pen drive
The most traditional option: if you have a USB pen drive with Windows, you can always start from it and reinstall Windows from scratch, an option similar to formatting (and in fact you can do it).
Just boot the computer from the USB pen drive and follow the wizard to reinstall Windows the way you prefer (overwrite, format, keep files, etc.). If you have doubts you can always consult our guide to format the PC.
Restore your computer with advanced Windows options
Finally, the other option that we have left to restore the PC to the factory settings, we can use the advanced Windows boot options. To access it you can enter through Configuration -> Update and Security -> Recovery and select the option “Restart now” under the “Advanced Start” section.
The computer will restart. Once you start the advanced Windows startup, you must select the “Solve problems” option (or Troubleshoot if it comes out in English) and then the “Reset this PC” option.
This will start the same process that we have already seen at the beginning of the article, so you will only have to follow the same steps.
