How To Factory Reset an HP Laptop Running Windows 11
All Windows 11 computers have a feature called Reset This PC that restores the device to factory settings. Here’s how to use it:
How To Factory Reset an HP Laptop Running Windows 10
The main method of resetting an HP laptop that has Windows 10 installed is basically the same as on any other computer running Microsoft’s OS. Here’s the simplest way.
Keep my files is a “reinstall-in-place” option that preserves the files you’ve saved on your computer.Remove everything deletes everything, including your photos, documents, and anything else you’ve saved to the hard drive.
For a full factory reset, select Remove everything.
Cloud download grabs the most recent version of Windows from the internet.Local install uses the installer from your hard drive to replace Windows.
How To Factory Reset an HP Laptop Using Windows Recovery Environment
If your laptop isn’t starting up properly, it may be better to use the Recovery Environment in Windows to reset. This process is the same for Windows 11 and 10, but the menu options may look a little different.
Keep my files is a “reinstall-in-place” option that preserves the files you’ve saved on your computer.Remove everything deletes everything, including your photos, documents, and anything else you’ve saved to the hard drive.
For a full factory reset, select Remove everything.
How To Restore an HP Laptop Using HP Recovery Manager
If your laptop is from 2018 or earlier, it probably has an HP tool called Recovery Manager that you can use to restore the system. This option works for Windows 8 and 7.
Cloud download grabs the most recent version of Windows from the internet.Local install uses the installer from your hard drive to replace Windows.
Keep my files deletes all of the apps you’ve installed and resets all of Windows 10’s settings, but it keeps all of your documents, images, and other personal items.Remove everything deletes apps, returns all settings to their defaults, and removes all of your files.
First, choose which drives to delete. Your choices are Only the drive where Windows is installed and All drives. The second option is more thorough and secure, but the process will take longer. Choose the second option if you’re not keeping the PC, but the process will take at least an hour to complete.
Windows System Reset is a “restore in place” option that replaces Windows without affecting your files.Windows Recovery Environment lets you completely wipe your laptop’s memory and install a fresh version of Windows.
