Reset This PC

Reset this PC is a system restore tool that helps you quickly reinstall Windows 11 and return it to a pristine, error-free state. You can do so in two ways: a refresh, in which Windows 11 is reinstalled but you keep your existing Microsoft account, its personal files, and any installed Microsoft Store apps, or a reset, in which Windows 11 is reinstalled and behaves as if used on a new PC for the first time.

Find Reset this PC

Like other restore tools, Reset this PC is available from multiple places:

Settings. You can find Reset this PC in the Settings app in Windows 11: navigate to System > Recovery and you will find a “Reset this PC” option under “Recovery options.”

Recovery drive. If you created a USB-based recovery drive, you can use it to boot your PC, choose a keyboard layout, and then select “Recover from a drive.”

Windows 11 installation media. If you created your own Windows 11 installation media, you can use it to reset or refresh your PC. To do so, boot with the installation media, click “Next” on the first Windows Setup screen, and then choose the “Repair your computer” link (instead of “Install now”) on the second screen. In the Windows Recovery Environment that appears, select “Troubleshoot” and then “Reset this PC.”

Windows Recovery environment. Reset this PC is one of the recovery tools available in this offline troubleshooting experience. To get to it, navigate to System > Recovery, find the Advanced startup option under “Recovery options,” and click the “Restart now” button. When the PC reboots, select “Troubleshoot” and then “Reset this PC.”

The most typical way to access Reset this PC is via the Windows 11 Settings app, and so we will focus on that here. But all of these methods work similarly.

Reset this PC can be customized by your PC maker so that it includes their bundled apps and utilities too. But you can override this choice if you’d like to avoid installing those programs, as noted below.

Reset this PC can use a local or cloud-based Windows install image when resetting (or refreshing) Windows 11. The local image—that is, the version stored in a hidden partition on your PC’s primary storage device—is updated to the latest version each time you install a feature update. The cloud-based version is always up-to-date.

Be prepared. Reset this PC is inherently destructive, since it will wipe out your current Windows 11 installation and then reinstall the system from scratch. As such, you should proceed carefully: back up any important documents and other personal files, and prepare to reinstall any desktop applications you use. And make sure you have, on hand, any required product keys: some desktop applications, like Adobe Premiere Elements, use activation schemes to ensure you’re not pirating the software. Be sure to deactivate these applications before you use Reset this PC, or you could lose an activation.

Use Reset this PC to refresh or reset your PC

When you run Reset this PC, you’ll be presented with a choice.

Available options include:

Keep my files. This is the refresh option, where Windows 11 is wiped out and then reinstalled, but your user account and, optionally, its documents and other data are retained, along with any Microsoft Store apps you may have installed. If you choose this option, desktop applications are deleted and will need to be reinstalled manually.

Remove everything. Here, Windows 11 is reset: everything on your PC—your user account, data, settings, applications, whatever—is deleted, and Windows 11 is reinstalled, bringing your PC back to the way it was when you first received it. When it’s done, you will need to sign in with a user account as if it were the first time you’ve ever used the PC and then reinstall any apps you wish to use.

If you recently upgraded the PC from Windows 10 to Windows 11, you may see a third option, “Restore factory settings,” which can be used to reset the PC to your previous Windows version. This option is only available temporarily.

Refresh your PC

To refresh your PC, run Reset this PC and choose “Keep my files.” This option reinstalls Windows 11, keeps your Microsoft account and any personal files, and removes any settings changes you’ve made.

Here, you are asked to choose between a cloud download, in which the latest Windows 11 installation image is downloaded from Microsoft, or a local reinstall, in which case it uses the Windows 11 installation image that is already on your PC. The latter option is faster.

Be sure to click the “Change settings” link here before proceeding as you will see additional options.

They are:

Restore preinstalled apps? If set to “Yes,” as it is by default, Reset this PC will reinstall your PC maker’s bundled apps and utilities as part of the refresh process. If you change this to “No,” those programs will not be reinstalled.

Download Windows? This is another chance to choose between a cloud download and a local reinstall. It should be set according to the choice you made earlier.

Click “Confirm” to continue and then “Next.” Then click “Next” again to begin the restore process, which should take 20 to 30 minutes for a local reinstall or longer if you chose the cloud download. This process typically requires two reboots and includes two distinct phases: a resetting phase in which the screen has a black background and then a longer installing phase in which the screen has a medium blue background.

When completed, you will be presented with the Lock screen, from which you can sign into Windows 11 using your previously configured account. When you navigate to the Desktop, you will find a web document called Removed Apps that will list the desktop applications you previously had installed on this PC and, when possible, hyperlinks so that you can find them on the web and reinstall them. (Your installed Store apps are available as before.)

Reset your PC

To reset your PC, run Reset this PC and choose “Remove everything.” This option reinstalls Windows 11, removes your Microsoft account and any personal files, removes any settings changes you’ve made, and removes any apps and utilities that were installed by your PC maker.

Here, you are asked to choose between a cloud download, in which the latest Windows 11 installation image is downloaded from Microsoft, or a local reinstall, in which case it uses the Windows 11 installation image that is already on your PC. The latter option is faster.

Be sure to click the “Change settings” link here before proceeding as you will see additional options.

They are:

Clean data? If set to “No,” as it is by default, Reset this PC will not fully clean the disk. This is the correct setting if you are simply going to continue using the PC yourself, as it is much faster. However, if you are selling or giving away the PC to others, you should change this to “Yes.” Doing so will make the reset process take longer, but your personal data will be securely wiped from the drive.

If your PC has more than one physical drive, you will also be asked if you wish to remove files from all of the drives. Be careful here, especially if you are using a secondary drive for data that you don’t want to be erased.

Download Windows? This is another chance to choose between a cloud download and a local reinstall. It should be set according to the choice you made earlier.

Click “Confirm” to continue and then “Next.” Then click “Next” again to begin the restore process, which should take 20 to 30 minutes for a local reinstall or longer if you chose the cloud download and/or to clean your data from the drive. This process typically requires two reboots and includes two distinct phases: a resetting phase in which the screen has a black background and then a longer installing phase in which the screen has a medium blue background.

When completed, the PC will reboot again and Windows Setup will guide you through the Out of Box Experience (OOBE)—as described in Step-By-Step: The Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE)—that you use when setting up a new PC.