There are several different ways to reset your computer depending on the type, age, and operating system you are running.
Permanent Reset
If you are looking to do a permanent reset of your computer, the best way to do that is by reformatting your hard drive. Reformatting is a process which erases all of the data stored on your computer’s hard drive, including any software or applications you may have installed. In order to do this you will need to have your original system disks, an external hard drive, or DVD/CD’s containing the operating system you are using. Once you have the proper discs you need to follow these steps:
1. Back up all important data from your computer onto an external storage device such as a USB drive, SD card, or an external hard drive.
2. Create a bootable CD or USB drive with the OS (Operating System) installation files.
3. Shut down your computer and insert the bootable CD or USB drive into the computer’s optical drive or USB port.
4. Turn on the computer and press the BIOS key during the boot up process (usually this is F2, F10, Delete or something similar).
5. Navigate to the Boot menu, set boot order to CD/DVD drive and restart the computer.
6. Follow the on screen instructions to install the OS.
7. When prompted, choose “Custom Install” and format the hard drive.
8. Choose the “Reformat” option to completely clean the hard drive.
9. Follow the remaining instructions to complete the reinstallation.
Once the installation has finished, your computer will be reset to its original factory settings.
System Restore
If you only want to reset some of your computer’s settings, another option is to do a system restore. A system restore will restore your computer to a previous state without damaging your files or applications. In order to do this, you will first need to create a restore point. A restore point is a saved version of the computer’s settings at a specific date and time. To create a restore point, follow these steps:
1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Navigate to ‘System and Security’ and then select ‘System’.
3. Select ‘System Protection’.
4. Select the ‘Create’ button.
5. Type a name for your restore point in the ‘Description field’.
6. Click ‘Create’ when you are finished.
Once the restore point has been created you can use it to restore your computer. To restore your computer, follow these steps:
1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Navigate to ‘System and Security’ and then select ‘System’.
3. Select ‘System Protection’.
4. Select the ‘System Restore’ button.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restoration process.
The restoration process may take several minutes to complete. Once it is finished, you will have restored your computer to a previous state without deleting any of your files or applications.
Factory Reset
Finally, if your computer is running Windows 8.1 or higher, you can also do a factory reset. This process wipes all of the data and settings off the computer, restoring it to its original factory settings. To do a factory reset, follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings window.
2. Select ‘Update and Security’.
3. Select ‘Recovery’.
4. Under the Reset this PC section, select ‘Get started’.
5. Select the ‘Keep my files’ or ‘Remove Everything’ option depending on whether you want to keep your personal files.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reset process.
Once the reset process has been completed, your computer will be reset to its factory settings.
No matter which type of reset you are doing, it is important that you back up any important data before proceeding. This will ensure that you do not lose any important files or applications during the reset process.