Can't factory reset Windows 10.


  1. Posts : 5
    Windows 10
       #1

    Can't factory reset Windows 10.


    Hey guys.

    Upgraded my laptop to Windows 10 today, but it didn't ask me about whether or not I wanted to keep anything or not.. it just automatically kept my files.. but I wanted it to wipe everything clean with this install. So I'm on Windows 10 now and I want to do a factory reset, and I've gone to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC.. But clicking the "Get Started" button does absolutely nothing. I've tried doing the Advanced Startup > Troubleshoot > Reset this PC too.. but it doesn't ask me how much I want to keep, or do anything actually, that just goes to a black screen and resets my laptop.

    Don't really know why this is happening. Help would be appreciated.
    Thanks.
    -DreadAlert
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 18,421
    Windows 11 Pro
       #2
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 3,367
    W10 Pro x64/W7 Ultimate x64 dual boot main - W11 Triple Boot Pending
       #3

    Hello there! DreadAlert Welcome to the Ten Forums!

    NavyLCDR is quite correct to point you to the Clean Install guide and you may want to go even one step further if you are looking to see a total wipe of everything! You will however need to booted live from the 10 media if you have that made up? If 10 came preinstalled on the laptop then you would need to download the 10 iso for the edition you have there either Home or Pro using the Media Creation tool. Windows 10 ISO Download

    Once booted live either by usb flash drive or by using the burn dvd option in case that laptop lacks the F11 or F12 boot device menu where you would choose the USB HDD option as some laptops do lack this unfortunately where optical media is then required in the drive for the "press any key" screen you can simply go into the Drive Tools option to select the delete option there once the 10 installation has begun or instead go into the Repair Tools option first to open up the command prompt to run the DiskPart tool and nuke the drive clean using that command "clean" to wipe the drive once selected by first typing "diskpart" followed by the "list disk" command and then you would enter the "select disk 1" if not seeing 0 instead to follow that with the clean command.

    The "Clean All" command will nuke everything in case that particular allows two drives and you have a second one so you have to be careful since there's no going back once either of those two are used! And once the drive is 100% unallocated the clean install proceedure outlined in the guide will see the best results unless you prefer not seeing the System Reserved partition created and simply create the new primary using the "new" option in yellow shown in the guide there not allowing the Windows installer to see that done automatically as it has been doing since Vista.
      My Computers


 

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