What resetting your computer means and when to do it

A reset clears your computer's operating system and returns it to factory settings, removing all your files, programs, and personal configurations. This is different from restarting, which straightforward shuts down and powers back on without erasing anything. You reset a computer when it has become too slow to use, when malware has infected it deeply, when you are selling or giving it away, or when you have tried every other troubleshooting step and nothing else has worked.

Before you reset, back up any files you want to keep — photos, documents, downloads, anything stored on the drive. Once the reset completes, those files are gone. Most people use an external hard drive, a USB flash drive, or cloud storage like Google Drive or OneDrive to save what matters. The reset process itself takes between 30 minutes and two hours depending on your computer's speed and how much data it has to erase.

Key Takeaways

  • Back up all your files to an external drive or cloud storage before starting a reset, because the process erases everything on your computer.
  • Windows computers use Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC, while Mac computers use System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset.
  • You can choose to keep your files and remove only programs, or erase everything and start completely fresh.
  • The reset process takes 30 minutes to two hours and requires your computer to stay plugged in and powered on the entire time.
  • After reset, your computer will ask you to set up a new user account and choose your language, time zone, and privacy settings.

How to reset a Windows computer

Open Settings by pressing the Windows key and typing "Settings", then click the Settings app. Go to System in the left sidebar, then scroll down and click Recovery. You will see a button labeled "Reset this PC" — click it.

Windows will ask whether you want to keep your files or remove everything. If you choose "Keep my files", Windows removes all your programs and settings but leaves your Documents, Pictures, Downloads, and Desktop folders intact. If you choose "Remove everything", the entire drive is wiped clean. For a computer that is slow or infected, removing everything is more thorough. For a computer you are keeping and just want to clean up, keeping your files is faster.

Next, Windows asks whether you want to reinstall from the cloud or from a local copy. Cloud reinstall downloads Windows fresh from Microsoft's servers — this takes longer but ensures you have the newest version. Local reinstall uses a copy already on your computer — this is faster but may reinstall an older version. Choose cloud unless your internet connection is very slow.

Windows will show you a summary of what is about to happen. Click Reset, and the process begins. Your computer will restart several times. Do not turn it off or unplug it. When it finishes, you will see the Windows setup screen asking for your language, region, and Microsoft account information.

How to reset a Mac computer

Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Settings. Click General in the sidebar, then scroll down and click Transfer or Reset. You will see options for erasing your Mac.

Mac gives you the choice to erase just the data or to erase everything including the operating system. For most people, "Erase All Content and Settings" is the right choice — it removes everything and prepares the Mac to be set up fresh or passed to someone else. If you want to keep macOS but remove your personal files and programs, choose "Erase Data" instead.

macOS will ask you to enter your Apple ID password and confirm that you want to proceed. It will also ask whether you want to keep your recovery key — save this somewhere safe if you think you might need to access your Mac remotely later. Once you confirm, the erase begins. Your Mac will restart and show a progress bar. This can take an hour or more on older machines.

When the erase finishes, your Mac will boot into the setup assistant, asking you to choose a language, connect to Wi-Fi, and sign in with your Apple ID. You can set up the Mac as a new computer or restore from a Time Machine backup if you have one.

How to reset a Linux computer

Linux does not have a single built-in reset tool the way Windows and Mac do, because Linux comes in many versions (Ubuntu, Fedora, Linux Mint, and others) and each one works differently. The closest equivalent is a fresh reinstall of your Linux distribution.

To reinstall Linux, you need a bootable USB drive with your Linux version on it. Go to the official website for your distribution — ubuntu.com for Ubuntu, getfedora.org for Fedora — and read the ISO file. Use a tool like Balena Etcher or Rufus to write that file to a USB drive. Insert the USB drive into your computer, restart, and boot from the USB (usually by pressing F12, Delete, or Esc during startup, depending on your computer's manufacturer).

The installer will walk you through partitioning your drive and choosing where to install Linux. If you want to erase everything, choose "Erase disk and install". If you want to keep a separate partition with your files, choose "Something else" and manually set up the partitions. After installation completes, restart and remove the USB drive. Your Linux system will be fresh and ready to set up.

What to do before you reset

Create a full backup of any files you want to keep. External hard drives are reliable and inexpensive — a 1 or 2 terabyte drive costs between $50 and $100 and can hold years of photos, videos, and documents. Plug it in, copy your files over, and unplug it when you are done. Keep it somewhere safe.

Write down any software license keys or passwords you will need after the reset. If you use Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, or other paid programs, you will need the license key to reinstall them. If you have a password manager like Bitwarden or 1Password, export your passwords to a file or write down the master password. If you use two-factor authentication on any accounts, make sure you have a backup method — a recovery code or a second phone number — in case you lose access to your authenticator app.

Sign out of all your accounts — email, cloud storage, streaming services — before you reset. This prevents your computer from trying to sync or read large amounts of data during setup. It also makes sure you do not accidentally lock yourself out of accounts because the computer is trying to log in from an unfamiliar location.

What happens after the reset is complete

Your computer will boot into the setup wizard for the first time. You will choose your language, time zone, keyboard layout, and whether you want to use recommended privacy settings or customize them. For Windows, you will sign in with a Microsoft account or create a local account. For Mac, you will sign in with your Apple ID. For Linux, you will create a username and password.

After setup, your computer will be empty except for the operating system and a few built-in programs. You will need to reinstall any software you use — web browsers, office programs, media players, games, whatever you had before. If you kept your files during a Windows reset, they will be in your user folder, but programs will not be installed. You will need to read and install them again from their official websites or from the Microsoft Store, Mac App Store, or your Linux distribution's package manager.

Your computer will likely run faster after a reset because it no longer has years of temporary files, cached data, and background programs slowing it down. This speed boost usually lasts several months before the computer gradually slows again as you install programs and accumulate files.

Troubleshooting reset problems

If your reset gets stuck on a progress screen, wait at least 30 minutes before doing anything — resets can take longer than expected, especially on older computers or drives with a lot of data. If it is still stuck after an hour, force shut down by holding the power button for 10 seconds, then try the reset again from the beginning.

If you forget your password and cannot log in to start the reset, you have a few options. On Windows, you can restart in Safe Mode by holding Shift while clicking Restart, then use the built-in Administrator account if it is enabled. On Mac, restart while holding Command-S to enter Single-User Mode, then use the `resetpassword` command. On Linux, restart and select a recovery or single-user mode option from the boot menu. If none of these work, you may need to use a bootable USB drive with a password reset tool, or take the computer to a repair shop.

If the reset fails partway through and your computer will not start, try restarting in Safe Mode or Recovery Mode and running the reset again. If that does not work, you may need to reinstall the operating system from a bootable USB drive, which is more involved but will get your computer working again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will resetting my computer remove viruses?

Yes, a full reset that erases everything will remove viruses, malware, and spyware because it deletes all files on the drive and reinstalls a clean operating system. However, if a virus is on an external drive or USB stick you plug in after the reset, it can infect your computer again. Scan any external drives with antivirus software before connecting them to your freshly reset computer.

Can I reset my computer without losing my files?

Yes, on Windows and Mac you can choose to keep your files and remove only programs and settings. This is faster than a full erase and leaves your documents, photos, and downloads intact. However, it does not remove malware as thoroughly as a full erase does. On Linux, you can manually partition the drive during reinstall to keep a separate data partition untouched.

How long does a computer reset take?

A reset usually takes 30 minutes to two hours depending on your computer's speed, how much data is on the drive, and whether you chose cloud or local reinstall. Older computers and full erases take longer. Do not interrupt the process — leave your computer plugged in and powered on until it finishes and reaches the setup screen.

What if I reset my computer and then realize I needed a file?

If you have a backup on an external drive or cloud storage, you can restore the file from there after the reset is complete. If you do not have a backup, data recovery software like Recuva (Windows) or DiskDigger (Mac) can sometimes recover files from the erased drive, but success is not may provide and costs money. This is why backing up before a reset is important.

Do I need to reinstall Windows or macOS after a reset?

No, the reset process reinstalls the operating system automatically. You do not need to do anything except follow the setup wizard when it appears. The operating system is ready to use once setup completes — you only need to reinstall your personal programs and restore your files from backup.