Windows 10 is, overall, more seamless than its previous iterations – but sometimes things go wrong. A few years ago I made the mistake of not checking to make sure my laptop was securely plugged in when Windows was going through a major update. Battery died in the middle of the update and voila! I am now stuck with what I am sure is a very expensive brick. I was reminded of this the other day when another Windows 10 system decided it didn’t like the latest update and started behaving very badly – so bad that it would stop reacting to the cursor a minute after it started up.
In both cases, I was able to recover a computer that would otherwise be unusable by doing a reset that removed all (or most) of the files and apps on the hard drive and reinstalled Windows 10.
(By the way, you have a backup of your computer, right?)
Resets are also useful if you bought a new system, loaded all your data onto it, and now want to sell/trade/give away/throw your old Windows 10 system. But before you remove the computer you no longer need from your home, you will first want to delete all your data on the hard drive.
There are several ways to initiate a reset in Windows 10, depending on what you need to do. You can do this from the Windows interface or, if you’re in trouble, from the more basic Safe Mode. There is also a different method of reinstalling Windows called “Fresh start” (formerly “Refresh”). Ready? Here we go.
Reset in Windows 10
Even if Windows 10 is running or mostly running, resetting is easy.
- Go to the search field on your taskbar and type “reset” which will bring up “Reset this PC” as the best match. Click on it.
- Alternatively, click the Start button (Windows icon in the lower left corner). Click the gear (setup) icon and go to “Update & Security” > “Recovery”.
- Select “Get started”.
- You will be able to choose one of two options. “Keep my files” removes apps and settings but lets you keep saved files, while “Remove everything” resets the computer to a “new” state. If you are recovering from an update problem or trying to uninstall a bad app, you can try “Keep my files” first. If you are going to get rid of the computer, choose “Remove everything”.
- Depending on what you have selected, the next window will offer additional settings. If you choose “Keep my files”, the default setting will be to restore the apps and settings that came with the PC. If you click “Change settings”, you can turn off “Pre-installed apps” so that the reset does not restore the apps and settings that came with the PC. Click confirm to continue.
- If you select “Remove everything” and choose “Change settings” in the additional settings windows, you can decide how deeply your computer will be wiped. The standard is to only remove files that are faster. If your computer is malfunctioning, this may be what you want to try. If you’re getting rid of your computer or want it completely wiped, turn on data wipe, which will take longer but will be much more extensive. Click confirm to continue.
- After making your adjustments, click “Next”.
- You are almost there. The next window is “Ready to reset this PC”. If you have selected “Keep my files”, you can click “List of applications to remove” to see which applications you may need to replace; this list is not available if you are removing everything. Either way, click Reset to start the process.
- You may need to enter a recovery key to continue. You should be able to find it by signing into your Microsoft account (or the owner’s account) at . aka.ms/myrecoverykey.
Reset in Safe Mode
Sometimes Windows is so messed up that you can’t get to the reset feature. In this case, the next thing to try is to reset it in Safe Mode.
If you’ve been on Windows systems for a while, you can associate Safe Mode with an easily accessible way of restarting your machine without loading any apps and functions that might cause problems. Safe Mode in Windows 10 isn’t as easy to boot, especially if you have serious problems – but it can still save bacon if you can’t get to the regular Reset window.
There are several ways Windows 10’s various Safe Modes can help. For example, it can revert you to a previous version of Windows. It can perform a system restore (assuming you have the foresight to activate the Restore feature, which saves a version of Windows in an emergency). And it can help you reset your system.
Microsoft’s support site It lists three ways to get to Safe Mode: from your settings, your login screen, and a blank screen.
from settings
- Follow the reset instructions above. When you get to the recovery screen, click on the “Restart now” option under the “Advanced startup” heading.
- Your system will reboot and you will see a blue screen that lets you “Choose an option”. These options may vary; I can choose to continue with Windows 10 on my system, boot from an external device, shut down or troubleshoot the computer. If you want to reset your computer, click “Troubleshoot”.
- The next screen allows you to reset the computer, restore from the factory image, or provide additional “Advanced options”. It may be in your best interest to check these options; These include a “Startup Repair” feature that lets you change your startup settings, an option to uninstall updates (which is often the cause of problems), and more.
- If you want to reset your PC, simply click on that option; you are then given the option to keep your files or remove everything. Click either one and the process will begin; again, you may need to fill in your recovery key first.
From your login screen
If your PC crashes after getting past the login screen, you can try to access Safe Mode from the same login screen. These are the instructions on the Microsoft site; it didn’t work for me in three tries, but you can give it a shot:
- Hold down the Shift key and click the power icon in the lower right corner.
- Click Restart while still holding down the shift key.
From a blank screen:
This is the hardest way to access Safe Mode – but this is what you want to try if your computer is not starting Windows. This is what finally worked for me; however, it took a few tries, not a bit of swearing, so be prepared to be patient.
- Make sure your computer is completely turned off.
- Press the power button to turn on your PC. As soon as it restarts (for example, if you see the manufacturer’s logo), press the power button again until the system turns off again (usually about 10 seconds).
- Repeat the on/off operation a second time.
- The next time you turn it on, your PC should enter Safe Mode.
Again, I had to try this a few times before it worked, and even now, I’m not sure what I did right last time. But if your computer won’t boot and you want to try resetting it, it’s worth a try.
fresh start
Before Windows 10, there was a clear difference between resetting and refreshing your Windows PC: the first deleted all your files, settings, and apps, while the second allowed you to keep your personal files and settings. Now, the difference is a little more subtle. Resetting may allow you to keep your personal files, but it will delete your personal settings. Fresh start lets you keep some of your personal settings but removes most of your apps.
If you think a fresh start is better for you, you can find it here:
- Go to the Recovery window in Settings.
- Under “Other recovery options” click “Learn how to start fresh with a clean install of Windows”. You will be asked if you want to switch applications from settings to Windows Security; Click “Yes”.
- You will be redirected to the “New start” page; Click “Get started”.
- You will be asked if you want to allow the app to make changes to your device; Click “Yes”.
- A pop-up window will warn you that all applications and programs will be removed, except those that come standard with Windows or those installed by the manufacturer. Click “Next”.
- You will get a list of all the apps that will be removed (a much longer list than what the reset offers). Click “Next”.
- The next screen is the last one: click “Start” and the process will begin. It may take up to 20 minutes and your system will probably reboot several times.
