How to use refresh and reset in windows 8 or 10 to easily reinstall your pc
Taylor Gibb is a professional software developer with nearly a decade of experience. He served as Microsoft Regional Director in South Africa for two years and has received multiple Microsoft MVP (Most Valued Professional) awards. He currently works in R&D at Derivco International. Read more.
Sick of formatting? Then learn how to breathe new life into your machines without formatting using the new Refresh and Reset features present in Windows 8 or 10.
Refreshing Your PC
After a while your PC becomes slow, and you wish you could format. The problem is that you have to much data, spent hours customizing your Windows installation to meet your needs, as well as downloaded and installed application. Now is the perfect time to do a refresh of your PC. When you do a refresh here is what will happen:
- Your personalization settings as well as all your files will not be removed or changed
- Your PC’s settings will be restored to there defaults
- Any application that were not installed through the Windows Store will be removed, however those that were installed through the Store will remain.
Refreshing your PC can be done either through the new Metro Style control panel or through the classic control panel. We will do it from the Metro Style control panel, as that is that is the new way in which configuration is done. So to get started launch the Control Panel application.
Note: in Windows 10 you’ll need to open Settings from the Start Menu.
Once the control panel has opened scroll through the list on the left hand side, until you can select the “General” category. This will load snap the “General” settings panel in, on the right hand side. Navigate to the bottom of the settings on the right. From here we can refresh our PC. Click the Get Started button to initiate a Refresh.
Once you click the “Get Started” button, a banner will inform you on what will be changed.
After clicking the “Next” button, you will be informed that Windows will reboot your system.
When you ready you can click the “Refresh” button which will restart your PC.
When your PC, boot back up it will start Refreshing your system.
Resetting Your PC
When you breathe new life into your machine using the “Reset” method, think of it as restoring it to the state that you received your PC in when you bought it from the shop. Here is what will happen to your current data and configuration:
- Any personal files will be deleted
- All configuration changes will be reset to defaults
Resetting your PC can be done either through the new Metro Style control panel or through the classic control panel. We will do it from the Metro Style control panel, as that is that is the new way in which configuration is done. So to get started launch the Control Panel application.
Once the control panel has opened scroll through the list on the left hand side, until you can select the “General” category. This will load snap the “General” settings panel in, on the right hand side. Navigate to the bottom of the settings on the right. From here we can reset our PC. Click the Get Started button to initiate a Reset.
Once you have clicked the Get Started button a banner will be displayed across the screen, explaining what will happen to your data and applications. Since we have already explained this you can just click the next button to move on.
If you have more than one drive, you will be asked which drives you want to remove files from. You can choose either all drives, or just the drive which Windows resides on.
You will be prompted for confirmation that you want to reset your PC. Click the Reset button to get started.
Your PC will then reboot.
Once it starts up again Windows will commence the Reset process.
Once it has finished, your PC will reboot once more, this time once it restarts it will appear as you are booting the PC for the first time ever, it will load drivers and appear to be in a generalized state, where you have to create your user account, etc.
Manual Data Recovery Solution
If you are having any problem in the system, then you have different ways to fix that problem such as refresh, reset and restore. Resetting is a process to remove everything such as apps, personal data, etc. and reinstall Windows. Windows is an operating system and till now, it has a number of different versions such as Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10.
In this blog, you will see the easy step by step procedure to reset the Windows 8 and Windows 10. Resting system is an important process, it deletes everything, but, helps you to repair and clean your system. In place of reset, you can also use the refresh or restore feature in Windows.
Note: Always take a backup copy of important data before making any change in the computer system.
Also, learn how to remove shortcut virus from computer system.
How to reset Windows 10?
In Windows 10, there is a feature called “Reset this PC”, which help to reset the computer and fix any error or issue in the system. To reset the system you can use any of the options, i.e. either to use keep your personal files or removes everything.
Step 1: First, go to Start -> Settings and then, select Updates & Security.
Step 2: In Update & security, choose the Recovery tab and there, under Reset this PC section, click on Get started button.
Step 3: Now, you will see two options i.e Keep my files and Remove everything. Select any one from these:
- Keep my files option will remove your apps and settings, but keep your personal files saves.
- Remove everything option will remove everything on your system and make your system fresh.
Step 4: Here, two case exist i.e
Case 1: If you select the option A, then you see the below page. Here, click on Reset button to reset your Windows 10.
Case 2: If you select the option B, then you will see a message “Do you want to clean the drives, too?” Here, you need to select the “Just remove my files” or “Remove files and clean drive”.
Then, a warning message display “This PC was recently upgraded to Windows 10. If you Reset this PC, you won’t be able to undo the upgrade and go back to the previous version of Windows.”
Note: This message displays, if you’ve recently upgraded your Windows (less than 30 days).
If you want to move further the click on Next and then Reset.
Step 5: Now, the system restart automatically and reset.
How to reset Windows 8?
Step 1: First, open the Settings tab from the right sidebar of the screen and then click on Change PC Settings.
Step 2: Now, select the General and then Get Started according to your preferences.
Note: You can even access these options in case your computer fails to boot Windows properly.
If you are facing problem while resetting the Windows, then ping me here on the comment box.
– Last updated on October 30, 2014 by VG
UPDATE: This tutorial has been updated with new information and screenshots. Comparison between Reset and Refresh PC options has also been added.
Almost all Windows users install and test new software, games, etc regularly in their computer systems. There are also many customization lovers who love to install new themes, transformation packs in their computer to change Windows look-n-feel.
Many times when we install such kind of things, our computer system starts slowing down and we start facing problems and random error messages. Sometimes it might be due to a missing or corrupt system file or an incorrect Registry value. Many times we can fix these kind of problems by uninstalling those problematic software or transformation packs as given here and here but sometimes reinstalling Windows might be the last option to do.
Formatting hard disk and reinstalling a fresh Windows is the ultimate solution to fix almost all PC problems but it requires some expertise and valuable time because you’ll need to first install Windows and then you’ll have to reinstall all device drivers, favorite software, games, etc. Oh yeah, you’ll also need to customize all your settings again.
If you are using Windows 8 or later operating system such as Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 , here is something interesting information for you. Although many Windows 8 users might be aware of this built-in feature but there are many people who don’t know about it. So today in this tutorial, we are going to share detailed information about a cool built-in feature of Windows 8 and later which helps you in reinstalling or repairing Windows quickly and easily.
Actually Microsoft has introduced 2 new features in Windows 8 which are called:
- Reset PC
- Refresh PC
Reset PC: This feature is similar to “Reset to Default” or “Restore Factory Settings” feature found in mobiles and tablets. This feature removes everything from your PC and reinstalls Windows from scratch. So if you use this feature, make sure to take a backup of your important data first. Reset PC option deletes everything from your computer including personal documents, settings, 3rd party software and Metro apps. It first formats the hard drive partition and then reinstalls fresh Windows. Once you use this option, you’ll get absolute new Windows as you got it when you purchased your computer or when you installed Windows for first time.
Refresh PC: If you don’t want to reset everything to default in Windows but want to repair Windows, “Refresh PC” option will help you. It doesn’t remove everything from your PC. It reinstalls Windows but keeps your personal files, settings and Metro style apps, so you’ll not lose them if you use this option. It first copies your data to a different location and then reinstalls Windows from scratch. After reinstalling Windows, it restores the copied data. So after using this option you’ll have a brand new Windows OS along with your personal data and settings.
Comparison Between “Reset PC” and “Refresh PC” Options
Refresh PC option reinstalls Windows but keeps your personal documents, files, personalization settings and metro (modern) apps. On the other hand, Reset PC removes everything from your computer and reinstalls Windows. So you’ll lose all files, settings and apps if you choose Reset PC option.
3rd party software such as Microsoft Office, etc are not kept by any of these features. In other words, both Refresh and Reset PC options remove 3rd party software programs from your computer.
Following comparison chart will help you in understanding the difference between both these features easily:
What is a Refresh and Reset in Windows 8?
In Windows 8, two new features have arrived: Windows Refresh and Reset. They both let you restore your Windows PC’s functionality, but both work differently.
What Windows 8 Refresh Does Do
- Re-installs your operating system
- Saves your Wi-Fi and cellular networks
- Saves your user account
- Saves your lock screen
- Saves your settings
- Saves your personal files
- Saves your Windows Store apps
What Windows 8 Refresh Does Not Do
- Restore your computer to an earlier point in time (like System Restore)
Contrary to popular belief, Refresh and Restore are two entirely different things. Refresh is a re-installation of your operating system, and Restore is simply hitting rewind to how it used to be before. Reset is like Refresh, except that it deletes all your personal data and reinstalls the operating system. Refresh actually functions like the Windows Backup of old — except that it actually works as intended.
Refresh and Reset can be seen here. If you want to do a System Refresh, here’s what you do.
Windows Refresh.
Using Windows 8 Refresh
Select the Charms bar. You can do this by dragging your cursor to the top/bottom-right corners, swiping to the left from the right side of the screen, or pressing Windows key + C. The Charms bar is used for many different functions in Windows 8, but the one that you want to go to right now says Settings. Click that, then click Change PC Settings, and then click General on the left side of the screen.
Scroll down until you see Refresh Your PC Without Affecting Your Files. Click Get Started underneath it.
Click Next. This will initiate Windows Refresh. You may or may not be cued for your Windows 8 installation disc — find the DVD, CD, flash storage, or whatever you used to install the OS initially. If you’re cued for this and you don’t have it, you won’t be able to use System Refresh.
Click Refresh, and restart. It’ll take a while for Windows to go through with the process, and while it does that, keep in mind that when it reboots it’ll tell you to reboot from disc if you used your Windows 8 Installation Disc. Don’t do that.
Windows Reset.
Using Windows 8 Reset
Basically, exactly like the above, except that you choose Remove Everything and Reinstall Windows instead of Refresh Your PC Without Resetting Your Files. Keep in mind that if you do this, nothing will be saved and the process will take much, much longer.
Once you’ve decided what you want to do with your PC, good luck!
If you have any other questions about Windows 8, take a look at the related articles below!
Save yourself time by choosing the right recovery method
In Windows 8, you actually have three main options for recovering the operating system: refresh, reinstall and restore. While all of these options can be used to recover Windows, they all operate a bit differently.
Each of the following Windows 8 recover methods performs a specific type of operating system reset:
- Refresh
- Reinstall
- Restore
By choosing the according recover method for your particular scenario, you may be able to save yourself some time and also reinstall Windows properly. Here are some tips for using each of the main recover methods.
Refresh – You can refresh without losing your photos, music, videos and other personal files
The Windows 8 Refresh option allows you to refresh Windows while still keeping your personal files and data that you have saved on your PC. As described in Windows 8, here’s what will happen if you Refresh a PC:
Refresh your PC
- Your files and personalization settings won’t change.
- Your PC settings will be changed back to their defaults.
- Apps from the Windows store will be kept.
- Apps you installed from discs or websites will be removed.
- A list of apps will be saved to your desktop.
To Refresh your PC in Windows 8, start by launching the Charms menu and clicking the Settings listing. Next, select the Change PC Settings option.
Scroll down to the General listing and click the Get started button listed under Refresh your PC without affecting your files.
You can also check out my other post on creating your own Windows backup image, which will allow you to install all of your apps and programs, create your image and then be able to restore to that image instead of losing all your programs.
Reinstall – Remove everything and reinstall Windows
The Windows 8 reinstall option allows you to completely reinstall the operating system without having to manually reformat the hard drive and install using a Windows 8 disc or USB drive. When you reinstall Windows 8 using the Reinstall option:
- All of your files, data, apps, programs and Windows settings will be removed. Windows will completely reinstall itself and your PC will be completely revert to a fresh Windows 8 installation.
- No prior PC data or saved data will be transferred to the fresh install.
To Reinstall Windows 8, start by launching the Charms menu and selecting the Settings listing. Select the Change PC settings option from the menu.
Scroll down to the General listing and select it. From the right-side submenu, locate the Remove everything and reinstall Windows option and click the Get started button.
Restore – Restore Windows from an Earlier Time (System Restore Point)
The Windows 8 Restore option allows you to restore, or roll back Windows to an earlier time when a System Restore point was created. This option reverts Windows to the state of the System Restore point. Here are a few details of how the Restore option operates:
- System restore does not affect any of your documents, pictures or other personal data.
- Recently installed programs and drivers might be uninstalled.
Read my post on how to enable/disable and use System Restore. To restore Windows 8, start by launching Control Panel. From the Control Panel, scroll down to the Recovery listing and click to select it.
From the Recovery window, select the Open System Restore option.
This will launch the System Restore panel, where you can select a System Restore point to revert Windows to.
Those are the three main ways to recover the operating system in Windows 8. Also, check out my other post on how to clean install Windows 10. Enjoy!
Founder of Help Desk Geek and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications. Read Aseem’s Full Bio
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Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community.
I understand your concern, and we in Community will try to help you in the best possible way we can.
I suggest you to follow the below steps and check:
In order to retrieve Desktop programs follow the steps given below:
1. Enter this PC in the search box, and then tap or click this PC in the search results.
2. Double-tap or double-click the drive that Windows is installed on (typically, the C: drive).
3. Double-tap or double-click the Windows.old folder.
4. Double-tap or double-click the Users folder.
5. Double-tap or double-click your user name.
6. Open the Favorites folders that contain the information you want to retrieve.
7. Copy and paste the files that you want from each folder to a folder in Windows 10.
To prevent data loss, we highly recommend backing up your files and settings to an external drive before resetting, refreshing, upgrading, or reinstalling Windows.
You have only 28 days to retrieve most files from the Windows.old folder, beginning from the time you install, upgrade to, refresh, or reset Windows 10. After that time, most of the content of Windows.old is automatically deleted.
Files and settings stored in the Users or Documents and Settings subfolders of Windows.old (including the default My Documents folder in Windows XP) might still be available in Windows.old after 28 days, but other files, including Windows installation files, will be deleted. If you reinstall, reset, or refresh Windows, the previous Windows.old folder is replaced by a new Windows.old folder.
Hope the information helps, if you have any further queries, feel free to post. We are here to assist you.
Regards,
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- How to perform a clean install of Windows 8 using Reset your PC
How to perform a clean install of Windows 8 using Reset your PC
Lawrence Abrams
- October 18, 2012
- Read 399,239 times
When throwing out a computer or giving it to someone else it is important to prepare it properly so that your data is not accessible to another person and so that the computer remains usable. Windows 8 provides a new feature that makes this process incredibly easy by erasing your data, reformatting your hard drive, and reinstalling Windows 8 at the press of a button. This new feature will allow you to erase your data by overwriting it numerous times with random patterns that make it very hard to recover any information off of your hard drive. Once the data is removed, it will format your hard drive and install Windows 8 onto it. When the process is finished, you will be left with a computer that is set to how it was when Windows was first installed. The best part about it is that all of these steps are done without any interaction by you once you get the process started.
Please remember, though, that unlike Refresh your PC, this feature does not save your data. Therefore it is imperative that you backup and store your data in a safe location as once you start this process your data will be lost forever.
How to remove all of your data and reinstall Windows 8
Before you begin the process of deleting your data and reinstalling Windows 8, please make sure these conditions are met:
- You have backed up and saved your data to a safe location.
- You are logged in as a user that has administrative permissions.
- No one else is logged into the computer.
Then go to the Windows 8 Start Screen and type Reinstall. When the search results appear click on the Settings category as shown below.
Now click on the option labeled Remove everything and reinstall Windows, which will start the Reset process.
If you are sure you want to reset your PC and erase all of your data, please click on the Next button. Windows 8 will now start preparing the Reset process. When Windows is ready it will display a prompt asking how you would like to clean your data.
The Just remove my files option just deletes your files. The Fully clean the drive option, though, will overwrite all of your data numerous times with random information so that it is not easily recovered. This option is best suited for situations where you plan on throwing out or giving the PC to someone else.
With this said, if this is your computer and you will be using it again after, then you can choose the Just remove my files option. On the other hand, if you are resetting the computer to give to someone else or are throwing it out, then you should select the Fully clean the drive option.
Once you select how you wish to clean your data, Windows will display a final confirmation as to whether or not you wish to continue with the reset.
If you are sure you wish to continue, please click on the Reset button. Windows will now restart your computer and begin the process of deleting your data and reinstalling Windows 8.
When Windows is done reinstalling Windows 8, it will perform another restart and then bring you to the post-install process.
If you wish to continue setting up the computer, you can continue with this process. Otherwise, you can shut down the PC as your computer has been fully reset and reinstalled.
Users who read this also read:
How to create a bootable USB Flash Recovery Drive in Windows 8
Windows 8 has the ability to create a bootable USB flash recovery drive that can be used to troubleshoot a Windows 8 computer that is unable to start. A recovery drive is the same as a startup repair disk, but instead of being on a CD/DVD it is on a bootable USB drive. Once you boot up a Windows 8 computer with a Recovery Drive you will have access to a variety of diagnostic and troubleshooting .
How to reinstall Windows 8 while keeping your data using Refresh your PC
Over time as you install new programs, install new hardware, and use your computer, Windows can start to become slower and encounter problems that are hard to fix. These problems could be unable to print, crashes, freezes, or hardware not working. In the past, to resolve these types of issues you would need to backup your data, reinstall the operating system, and then restore your data to the .
How to access the Advanced Startup Options menu in Windows 8
The Advanced startup options menu allows you to specify various options for how you would like Windows 8 to start or to provide access to repair and diagnostic tools in the event that Windows is unable to start. In previous versions of Windows you were able to access the advanced startup options menu by clicking on the F8 key when Windows started. In Windows 8, though, they removed this capability .
How to use the Windows 8 System Recovery Environment Command Prompt
When Windows is no longer able to start it is typically because of a problem in the Windows Registry, a driver conflict, or malware crashing the computer. Windows startup issues can be one of the most frustrating issues to deal with because you do not have easy access to the file and data we need to fix these problems. Thankfully, we can use the Windows 8 Recovery Environment Command Prompt to .
Windows 8 System Restore Guide
System Restore is a recovery feature in Windows 8 that allows you to restore your computer to a previous state. This is useful if your computer starts to function poorly or crashes and you cannot determine what the cause is. To resolve these types of issues, you can use System Restore to restore your computer back to a previous state that was saved before your problems started occurring. This will .
Technical Level : Basic
If you have been running Windows 10 for a while and you would like perform clean or you plan to recycle a PC (giveaway to a friend, charity or resell), you should use the Reset this PC function. Previously we looked at using the Recovery Drive function which provides the same functions but it is intended more for situations where your PC might not be functioning or if you want to reinstall Windows 10 on a new hard disk. If your Windows 10 PC is working just fine, the Reset this PC function is all that you need in most cases. In this article we take a look at using it to perform a clean install.
Note: No product key is required when using the Recovery Drive to reinstall Windows 10. Once the recovery drive is created on a computer that is already activated, everything should be ok.
To find out your Activation Status: Click Start > Settings > Update & security > Activation
Click Start > Settings (or press Windows key + i) > click Update & security
Click Recovery then click Get Started under Reset this PC
Since we are performing a clean install, I will be selecting the option Remove everything, if you don’t want to do that, you can click Keep my files
Reset offers two types of clean installs:
Just remove my files – this option is quicker and recommended if you just want a fresh start and you plan to keep the computer.
Remove files and clean the drive – if you plan to giveaway or resell your computer, this option ensures the computer is cleaned properly. Its takes a bit longer, but it is recommended if you plan to no longer use this computer.
Since I will be using this computer, I will choose the first option.
Click Reset to begin
Windows 10 will restart
Preparing to perform a reset
Resetting – this might take some time depending on the amount of data
Windows will check the drive for errors and fix them.
Windows 10 performs a clean install again
Out of Box Experience (OOBE)
The Out of Box Experience assist with personlizing your Windows experience such as creating a user account, connect to a wireless network and adjust privacy settings.
Choose your country, language, keyboard layout and time zone then click Next
Read and accept the End User License Agreement
If you want to customize your privacy settings, you can do so now. Please note, you can always do this after setup (Start > Settings > Privacy). For now, lets use Use Express settings
Wait while Windows 10 restarts
Don’t be alarmed, this is just temporary
Setup your username, password and a hint then click Next
This too shall pass
There you have it, a clean installation of Windows
Just curious, I want to reset my windows 8.1 settings after updating without refresh or reinstall? Is that possible?
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What exactly do you mean by reset windows 8.1 settings without refresh?
For reference: How to restore, refresh, or reset your PC
Please reply to us with more information to be able to help you in a better way.
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I mean reset settings is to keep your personal files but reset all settings to default settings.
I read your link, now I have 8.1 in my desktop. If I do a refresh, would it go back to 8 or 8.1? It says doing refresh would require DVD, but the DVD I have is 8, not 8.1
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If you refresh Windows 8.1 using Windows 8.1 disc, you will remain the same Windows version.
If your PC came with Windows 8 and you have updated to Windows 8.1 you might be able to restore it back to Windows 8 by refreshing your PC. Your personal files won’t be affected, but apps that didn’t come with the PC will need to be reinstalled.
Doing refresh using Windows 8 DVD will go back to Windows 8 operating system.
Hope this information helps. If you have any concerns, please let us know.
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One of the best features of Windows 8 is Refresh PC. The Refresh PC feature comes in handy when Windows isn’t behaving as expected or if it’s not performing as well as it once did. The feature can solve all Windows issues in a few minutes like a magic wand.
The Refresh PC feature lets you reinstall your Windows without loosing your personal files, customization settings, apps included in Windows 8, and also apps installed from Windows Store. Software that you have downloaded and installed from websites will be removed during the Refresh PC operation. But it will create a list of removed software on your desktop so that you can easily download and install your favourite software after refreshing your PC.
Users who would don’t want to loose third-party applications installed from websites can follow our how to create custom refresh PC image in Windows 8 guide or use RecImg Manager software to crate a custom image right after installing your favourite application from websites.
How to refresh your Windows 8:
Step 1: Move the mouse pointer to the upper or lower-right corner of the screen to see the charms bar. Touch-screen users need to swipe from the right edge of the screen to bring up the charms bar. Click or tap Settings on charms bar to bring up Settings charm.
Step 2: On the settings charm, click Change PC settings to open PC settings.
Step 3: On the left-pane of PC settings, click (or tap) on General to view all available settings on the right-hand side.
Step 4: Here, under Refresh your PC settings without affecting files, click or tap Get started button. You will see a screen showing what happens during the Refresh PC operation.
As we have mentioned earlier, your files and personalization settings won’t change, your PC settings will be changed back to their defaults, apps from Windows Store will be kept, apps you installed from discs or websites will be removed, and a list of removed apps will be saved on your desktop.
Click Next button to continue. If you’re asked to insert your installation media, please do so.
Step 5: Once the system is ready for the operation, you will see the following screen:
Click Refresh button to restart your PC and start refreshing Windows.
Step 6: Once Refresh PC completes its business, you will see the lock screen (if your account is protected by a password) or Start screen. Good luck!
