In a move that bothers many users, Microsoft has disabled the ‘Fresh Start’ option With the Windows 10 May 2020 Update. As noted in many reports, users trying to access the feature after the update were redirected to the ‘Reset your computer’ option. Again, Unlike Fresh Start, the Reset option does not remove third-party antivirus and all 3rd-party OEM applications. Naturally, many complain that Microsoft has given up on a more comprehensive method to get rid of all bloatware in one go.
However, as it turned out, the Fresh Start option has not completely disappeared from Windows 10. Apparently, it’s only hidden from the GUI, but still accessible from the PowerShell window. It is believed to have been first seen by the Italian blog, HTNovoFresh Start can still be enabled in Windows 10. It should enable users to cleanly reinstall the operating system by removing all third-party apps while preserving user data.
How to Enable ‘Fresh Start’ in Windows 10 After May 2020 Update
- Right Click on Start Button and select Windows PowerShell (administrator) from the dropdown menu
- If you have not turned off UAC notifications, you must grant the necessary UAC permission (click ‘Yes’) to access the PowerShell Window.
- Now, type the following command: system reset -cleanpc and press ‘Enter’
- While the process should keep all your data, best practice requires that you do a full backup before doing a Fresh Start.
Microsoft started rolling out the Windows 10 May 2020 Update late last month. It brings many new features for Cortana, including a chat-based UI, updates to Virtual Desktops, and more. However, just days after its launch, the company began blocking updates on a large number of devices after discovering a number of critical issues.
If you’ve already updated to the new version and everything is working as expected, that’s great. However, if you haven’t updated yet, it’s best to wait a while until the version becomes more stable.
