What resetting your Windows computer means and when to do it
A Windows reset wipes your computer back to the state it left the factory, removing all your files, programs, and settings. Windows calls this "Reset this PC" and it lives in your Settings app under System. You should reset when your computer has become too slow or buggy to fix another way, when you are selling or giving it away, or when malware has taken hold and you want a clean start.
A reset is different from a restart. Restarting just turns the computer off and back on. A reset erases the hard drive and reinstalls Windows from scratch. It takes 30 minutes to two hours depending on your machine and internet speed.
Before you reset, back up anything you want to keep—photos, documents, emails, browser bookmarks. Once the reset finishes, those files are gone. Windows will ask whether you want to keep your files or remove them; if you choose to remove them, there is no undo.
Key Takeaways
- Open Settings, go to System, then Recovery, and click "Reset this PC" to start the process from inside Windows.
- You can choose to keep your files and remove only programs and settings, or erase everything and start completely fresh.
- Back up your files to an external drive or cloud storage before you reset, because the reset will delete them if you choose the full wipe.
- If Windows will not start at all, you can reset from the login screen or from a USB recovery drive instead of from inside Settings.
- After the reset finishes, Windows will ask you to sign in with a Microsoft account or local account, and you will need to reinstall your programs.
How to reset Windows from inside Settings
If your computer still starts and you can log in, the easiest path is to reset from Settings. Click the Windows Start button (the four squares in the bottom left), type "Settings" and open it. Then go to System on the left side, scroll down and click Recovery.
You will see a button that says "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, Desktop, Downloads, and Pictures folders. If you choose "Remove everything", the hard drive is completely wiped and you start from nothing.
After you choose, Windows will ask where you want to reinstall Windows from. Most people pick "Cloud read" if they have a fast internet connection, or "Local reinstall" if they want to use a copy already on the computer. Cloud read is usually more reliable. Then click Next and let the reset run. Your computer will restart several times and may show a black screen for a while—this is normal.
What to do if Windows will not start
If your computer will not boot into Windows at all, you can still reset it from the login screen. Restart the computer and watch for a message that says "Press any key to boot from recovery" or similar. Follow the on-screen prompts to reach the reset option. This path is slower and less reliable than resetting from Settings, but it works when Windows is too broken to open.
If even the login screen does not appear, you will need a Windows recovery USB drive. You can make one on another computer by downloading the Windows Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's website, plugging in a blank USB drive, and following the tool's steps. Then plug that USB drive into the broken computer, restart it, and press F12, F2, or Delete during startup to enter the boot menu. Select the USB drive and follow the prompts to reset.
Backing up your files before you reset
The safest way to back up is to copy your important files to an external hard drive or USB stick. Plug in the drive, open File Explorer, navigate to your Documents, Desktop, Downloads, and Pictures folders, and drag them to the external drive. This takes 10 minutes to an hour depending on how much you have.
You can also use cloud storage like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox. These services let you upload files from your computer to the internet, and you can read them again after the reset. OneDrive is built into Windows and often has free storage included. If you use OneDrive, make sure your files have finished syncing to the cloud before you reset—check the OneDrive icon in the bottom right corner of your screen.
Do not rely on the "Keep my files" option as your only backup. It usually works, but if something goes wrong during the reset, those files can be lost. A separate backup on an external drive or in the cloud is your safety net.
What happens after the reset finishes
When the reset is done, Windows will restart and ask you to set up your computer as if it is new. You will choose your language and region, create or sign in with a Microsoft account, and set up a password. If you do not have a Microsoft account, you can create one during this step or use a local account instead.
After setup, you will have a clean Windows installation with no programs except the ones that came with it. You will need to reinstall any programs you use—Microsoft Office, Chrome, Zoom, Spotify, or whatever else you had. read them from their official websites or from the Microsoft Store. Your files will be in your Documents, Desktop, Downloads, and Pictures folders if you chose "Keep my files", or you can restore them from your backup.
Troubleshooting a reset that gets stuck
If the reset starts but hangs on a black screen or a spinning circle for more than an hour, the computer may have run out of disk space or hit a hardware problem. Try restarting the computer by holding the power button for 10 seconds, then try the reset again. Make sure you have at least 10 gigabytes of free space on your hard drive before you start.
If the reset fails multiple times, the hard drive itself may be failing. In that case, you will need to take the computer to a repair shop or replace the hard drive. A technician can run diagnostics to tell you whether the drive is the problem.
When to call a professional instead
If your computer will not start at all and you do not have another computer to make a recovery USB drive, or if you are not comfortable working through the steps, a local computer repair shop can reset it for you. They usually charge $50 to $150 depending on your location and how broken the computer is. They can also recover files from the old hard drive if you need them.
If you suspect malware or a virus is the reason your computer is slow, a reset will remove it. But if you are not sure, a repair shop can scan the computer first and tell you what is wrong before you erase everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will resetting my computer make it faster?
A reset removes programs and settings that may have slowed your computer down over time, so yes, it often does run faster afterward. But if your computer is old or has a slow hard drive, a reset will not make it run like new. The speed improvement usually lasts a few months before programs and files build up again.
Can I cancel a reset once it starts?
If you cancel during the first few minutes, before Windows restarts, you can stop it. After the first restart, canceling may leave your computer in a broken state. It is better to let the reset finish once it has started, even if it takes a couple of hours.
What if I forgot my Windows password?
If you cannot log in because you forgot your password, you can reset it from the login screen by clicking "I forgot my password" and answering your security questions, or by using a recovery code if you set one up. If that does not work, you will need to reset the computer from a USB recovery drive or take it to a repair shop.
Do I need internet to reset my computer?
You need internet for a cloud read reset, which is the most reliable method. If you do not have internet, you can use "Local reinstall" instead, which uses a copy of Windows already on your computer. Local reinstall is slower and sometimes fails, so internet is better if you have it.
Will resetting remove viruses and malware?
Yes, a full reset that removes everything will wipe out viruses and malware because it erases the entire hard drive and reinstalls Windows fresh. If you choose "Keep my files", some malware might remain in your backed-up files, so scan those files with antivirus software before you restore them.