How to Reset Windows 10 Laptop, PC or Tablet without Logging in

If you can at least reach the login screen, click on Power icon on lower right corner, then hold down the SHIFT key and then select Restart.

Windows 10 will reboot and ask you to select an option. Click Troubleshoot.

On the next screen, click the Reset this PC button.

You’ll see two option: “Keep my files” and “Remove everything“. The former will keep all of your personal files but it requires you to provide current admin password later on. If you’ve forgotten your password, you have to pick the latter option to erase everything.

Keep My Files

If you’ve selected the “Keep my files” option, the next screen will prompt you to choose an existing administrator account on your PC to continue.

Next, enter your user password. If you can’t remember the password, you’ll have to go back to the previous step and choose “Remove everything”.

Click on Reset. The computer will reboot itself several times and begin the factory reset process.

Remove Everything

If you’ve selected the “Remove everything” option, you’ll next be asked if you want to wipe all the drives, or only the drive where Windows 10 is installed.

Next, you’ll get another two options: “Just remove my files” and “Fully clean the drive“. If you are keeping this computer, select the former option which is faster. If you are recycling the computer, select the latter option to wipe the drives and make your files completely unrecoverable.

Click on Reset and just wait for the factory reset process to complete. This might take an hour or more.

That’s all there is to it.

How to Factory Reset Windows 10 from Settings App

Press the Windows + I keys to launch the Settings app, then click Update & Security.

In the left pane, select the Recovery tab. In the right pane, click Get started under the “Reset this PC” heading.

You’ll see a blue dialog box that gives you two choices:

• Keep my files – This option will remove all apps and settings but keep your personal files intact.
• Remove everything – This option will format / erase your hard drive so you’ll lose all files and apps.

Keep My Files

If you’ve chosen the “Keep my files” option, it will not only remove all your apps installed from Windows Store, but also uninstall the programs shown on the screen. Click Next to confirm.

The final step is to click on Reset. Your PC will then reboot automatically and begin the factory reset process.

Remove Everything

If you’ve chosen the “Remove everything” option, the next screen will let you choose to remove everything from the drive where Windows is installed, or all drives connected to your PC.

After choosing the drive, you will be asked to “Just remove my files” or “Remove files and clean the drive“. The second option will securely erase your drives and make your files unrecoverable, and it’s a good option if you plan to sell or give away your PC. If you keep the computer, choose the first option for speed.

This is your last chance before your computer is wiped. Click on Reset and Windows will then restart and begin the factory reset process immediately.

That’s it!

Method 1: Reset Windows 10 PC to Factory Settings After Logging in

After logging in to Windows 10, you can reset your computer to factory default settings using the Settings app. Follow these steps:

1. To open the Settings app, you can click the Start button and then click Settings, or press Windows key + I keyboard shortcut.
2. Click on Update & Recovery.

   

3. Select Recovery in the left-hand menu. Under Reset this PC, click on Get Started.

   

4. A new window will appear with two options: Keep my files or Remove everything. The former option will keep your personal documents, photos and music files intact. But both options will remove all your apps, programs and settings.

   

5. if you chose “Remove everything” in the prior step, you now have the option to “Just remove my files” or “Remove files and clean the drive.” In most cases, select “Just remove my files”. If the computer is going to be recycled or given to someone else, select “Remove files and clean the drive”.

   

6. Click on Reset. Your PC will reboot automatically and begin the factory reset process. This might take an hour or more.

   

Method 2: Reset Windows 10 PC to Factory Settings from The Login Screen

If you forgot Windows 10 password and couldn’t log on to your computer, you can also perform a factory reset from the login screen. Here’s how:

1. When you’re on the login screen, hold down the SHIFT key, click the Power button in the lower-right corner and select Restart.

   

2. The computer will reboot and take you to the Choose an option screen. Click on Troubleshoot.

   

3. On the next screen, click on Reset this PC.

   

4. You’ll be presented with two options: Keep my files or Remove everything. If you’re not concerned about your personal files, click on the latter option.

   

5. If you choose to remove everything, you’ll also see a new option asking if you want to clean the drive, which means it will not only delete everything, but will try to securely erase everything so that data cannot be recovered.

   

6. Click on Reset button to start restoring Windows 10 to factory settings.

   

Method 3: Reset Windows 10 PC to Factory Settings Using Install Disc

When your computer becomes crashed or unbootable, then you’re unable to perform a factory reset using the above methods. In this case, you need to use your Windows 10 installation DVD to access the Factory Reset option.

1. Boot your computer with Windows 10 installation DVD. You may have to change the boot sequence in your BIOS if booting from a CD/DVD is not enabled.
2. On the Windows Setup screen, select your keyboard layout and language, and then click on Next.

   

3. On the next screen, click “Repair your computer“. Do NOT click “Install now“.

   

4. When the Choose an option screen appears, click on Troubleshoot.

   

5. Click on Reset this PC.

   

6. Click either “Keep my files” or “Remove everything,” depending on whether you want to keep your personal files untouched.

   

7. You’ll then be prompted to choose the target operating system.

   

8. If you want to restore only the drive on which Windows 10 is installed, you should click on “Only the drive where Windows is installed“. If you want to factory reset all the drives on your Windows 10 computer, you should click on “All drives“.

   

9. Now you’ll be presented with two options: Just remove my files and Fully clean the drive. If you choose “Fully clean the drive”, it will erase your files and data thoroughly.

   

10. Click Reset and the factory reset process will begin.