Shift + Restart not giving me the Reset option...

Kelemvor · 30 Mar 2017

Howdy,

I have a brand new Dell XPS13 that I need to do a Reset on as we can't login. I did the Shift+Restart option but don't get the same options I'm used to. This is Win 10 Pro if that matters.

Boot to Advanced Startup Options in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

After I click the Troubleshooting box, instead of getting Reset and Advanced for options, I get UEFI Settings and Startup Settings. When I choose Startup Settings, I get the prompts for F1 - F9 but there's no option for F10 for more options and nothing in F1-F9 is a reset.

I also tried the Power Button power off thing and eventually got that to come to the Error screen but that also doesn't ever seem to give me a Reset option anywhere.

Anyone have any other ideas on how to reset this thing?

dalchina · 30 Mar 2017

If it's brand new, can you access the manufacturer's recovery partition and use that?

ArazelEternal · 30 Mar 2017

Its possible that the reset option was disabled in light of having the recovery partition. On every Dell Ive had the boot options menu comes up with F12. Start spamming F12 just a soon as the machine powers on and enter the boot menu. I cant remember for certain (Its been a while since Ive had to do it) but that may give you an option to boot to the recovery partition.

Bree · 30 Mar 2017

Dell's Reset instructions are here...

http://www.dell.com/support/article/...?lang=EN#WinRE

Kelemvor · 30 Mar 2017

I was actually just reading that article. It says to use Recovery Media but I don't have any recovery media. I have never been able to log into this computer far enough to create any recovery media.

I guess I'm going to try just using a Win10 flash drive to boot from that and see if it will reinstall.

dalchina · 30 Mar 2017

Amazingly, it seems you have to be able to log in to use the recovery partition in Win 10 with a Dell.

Surely that can't be so... Hmm.

If you end up reinstalling Win 10, could I suggest you start using disk imaging routinely immediately? E.g. Macrium Reflect (free) - and create a recovery medium.

Kelemvor · 30 Mar 2017

This is a one-off computer. I'm reinstalling Windows 10 on it right now.
Thanks.

Bree · 30 Mar 2017

dalchina said:

Amazingly, it seems you have to be able to log in to use the recovery partition in Win 10 with a Dell.

Surely that can't be so... Hmm.

Seems so, and not just for Dell. Settings>Update & recovery>Recovery>Advanced startup will ask for an account and password too. You won't get asked for one if you boot from a recovery drive, or get to WinRE through a Hard Reboot.

If users boot to advanced startup from within Windows and select a Windows RE tool, they must provide the user name and password of an administrator account on the local PC.

Boot to Advanced Startup Options in Windows 10