4 Ways to Factory Reset Your Windows Computer.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Apr 25,  · A Windows 7 factory reset deletes the operating system and restores it to the way it was when you first bought it. Here are your factory reset options. If your computer has a Dell Factory Image Restore partition, you can factory reset Windows 7 to reinstall the operating system and restore all the default files and programs that came with. Nov 11,  · Tip: Before factory reset, you had better first back up the important data stored on your laptop since restoring factory setting will delete all the user data and programs you have downloaded since you got your laptop. To back up your computer, we advise you to use MiniTool ShadowMaker. Here is a useful article: How to Backup Computer to External Hard Drive in . Method 1: Factory Reset Windows 7 without Disk (CD, DVD, USB) If you need to factory reset or reinstall Windows 7 for your computer, this tutorial will help you a lot. It will show you how to factory reset Windows 7 or reinstall Windows 7 system without any disk: CD, DVD or USB. It is very easy! Just do this on desk of your Windows 7.
 
 

Factory Reset Windows 7 without a CD ( Guide) – Driver Easy.Restore To Factory Settings – Guide for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10

If you want to carry out a reset and return Windows 7 to its factory settings, you have a few options. The Windows system allows you to reset it without losing your personal data , to return to the factory settings , or to reset using a download manager. When you reset, you have the option of simply resetting the system files or of taking Windows back to system recovery points defined in advance.

And finally, the system can also be returned to the exact state it was in when it was brand new its factory condition. That will also mean losing all files and programs , though, unless you have already backed these up.

Below we will go through the options above step by step. Microsoft discontinued its official support for Windows 7 on January 14, Technical support and security updates are no longer available for the product. Professional support for companies, which includes a fee, is an exception to this and will remain valid until You can find out more about this in our extensive article on the end of support for Windows 7.

It is only possible to truly reset the Windows 7 operating system by re-installing it. Harmful software, hardware problems or performance issues often make a complete reset necessary. At the same time, important files should be kept. In this case, the system and your personal files can be very easily backed up using a tool provided by Windows. Ideally, you should make these back-ups at regular intervals so that the desired files can be secured and you can refresh your operating system at any time you need to.

Resetting with this back-up tool works as follows:. Windows 7 will then automatically secure the selected files. Should you have to reset the system in an emergency, you will be able to recover this back-up at any time. To do this, follow these instructions:.

Another way of maintaining files is with manual back-ups on external hard drives or USB sticks. The Windows Media Creation Tool does make it possible to reset the operating system, but at present, it is only available for Windows 10 and Windows 8. The program may not be developed by Microsoft itself, but nonetheless uses officially licensed downloads from Microsoft.

With the help of this tool, it is possible to create a copy of Windows 7 that can be transferred to a data carrier or played using a VirtualBox installation.

Follow these instructions to reinstall the Operating System using the Dell Factory Image Restore partition, to a state that came on your computer, from the factory. For more information about how to back up your data, refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base article, ” Back up and restore your PC. Review the Things to consider and What you will need tabs, before preceding to the How to manually reinstall Windows 7 tab.

If you have an Intel Kaby Lake processor, installation of Windows 7 is not supported. Restoring your computer to its original factory settings takes less time than reinstalling Windows 7 manually.

When you have not done so, refer to the Using the built-in Dell Factory Image Restore partition section before installing Windows 7 manually. When your notebook does not have an optical drive, refer to the Using the built-in Dell Factory Image Restore partition tab first.

When that does not work, refer to the Dell Knowledge Base article How to create and use the Dell Windows recovery image. When your computer has more than one hard drive and a RAID configuration setup, refer to the user guide or manual for your computer for information about the type of RAID configuration your computer supports.

You will find instructions on how to configure it for reinstallation. Dell Operating System Installation Disks when you no longer have your Installation Disks, refer to Dell Knowledge base article How to create and use the Dell Windows recovery image to get information about how to download an image online. Any install discs for external devices such as a printer and internal devices added to your Dell computer after purchase.

When you did not receive installation media disk with your Dell computer, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to create and use the Dell Windows recovery image. You may also be asked for a product key for your version of Windows.

Dell recommends backing up your files and data to an external hard drive, DVDs, CDs, or other removable storage media on a regular basis. Except for the monitor, keyboard and mouse, disconnect any nonessential external device, including:. For each external or internal devise you added to your computer after purchasing from Dell, refer to the documentation that came with the device for reinstallation instructions. Some devices require you to install the associated software before connecting the device to your computer.

For information about how to restore your data, refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base article, ” Back up and restore your PC. Here is how to access the recovery partition for the most popular brands:. Another way to factory reset your computer is by reinstalling your Windows 7. To do this, the easiest way is using the installation disc which comes with your computer. If you have the disc, see how to reinstall Windows 7 using the installation disc. Then, select Recovery.

Follow the instructions below:. Or insert the CD into the drive. Then, before the Windows logo appears, repeatedly press the function key on your keyboard to enter Boot Menu. The function key to enter Boot Menu may vary depending on different computers. Here is how to access the Boot Menu for the most popular brands:.

Reimage specializes in Windows repair.

Windows 7 factory reset partition free

If everything goes according to plan after a software reset, your computer will feel as it did when you first bought it. Devoid of any personal files.

Read on to find out how. Unfortunately, even a successful data recovery after a factory reset may not bring back all your files. The second option is helpful if you want to ensure nobody will access your current files after a reset.

Did you specifically choose this option and forgot to take a backup? This way, you will minimize write operations on the storage device, which could further reduce the chances of a successful recovery. Read the detailed guide below. You can take three possible paths to get your data back after a Windows 10 factory reset. With each of them, both the journey and the destination, the process and its results vary significantly. Backups are the best option for restoring lost data since they offer guaranteed results.

Finally, professional data recovery services can help you get your precious data back, but that comes with some waiting time and at a price. Then, click on it to run it. File History will scan your computer for compatible storage devices and present you with a list. Right under, you will see which folders File History backs up, to which device, and how much free space it has left.

To restore your files after a Windows 10 factory reset, connect the device used by File History to your computer. If you scroll down, you will find more options to stop using the current backup drive for File History and restore files from existing backups.

Almost every time we need to use specialized data recovery software, we find ourselves turning to Disk Drill Data Recovery. We find that Disk Drill, for which you can read our comprehensive review here , offers an optimal combination of ease of use, features, and cost.

Download the application and install it on your computer. The larger your storage device and slower your computer, the longer the scan process will last. You can check out what Disk Drill has located at any time.

Still, we suggest you allow enough time for the scanning process to complete to find as many files as possible. Look into all the folders and subfolders Disk Drill presents, and place a checkmark on the left of the files you wish to recover. Are you unsure a file is worth saving?

Preview it by right-clicking on it and choosing Preview. Choose where you want to store the recovered files. Note that choosing a different device than the one you are trying to recover from increases the chances of a successful recovery.

As with the scanning process, you will have to allow Disk Drill some time for the recovery to complete. Disk Drill will inform you when the recovery process completes and offer a shortcut to open the target folder with the recovered files in File Explorer. Disk Drill will have created a logical structure of folders, approximating how your files were stored before their deletion. Look inside those subfolders to find your files. Although we like Disk Drill and find it perfect for our needs, you might disagree.

Your attempts to get your lost data back were fruitless? We have already reviewed some of the best — and affordable — data recovery services that can help you get your precious data back. However, depending on your data loss scenario, a recovery service can end up being a pretty expensive option.

Most modern laptops come with a hidden partition on their primary storage device. Even in such cases, you might be able to recover some files from your laptop using specialized recovery tools or a professional recovery service.

Can you recover photos after performing a factory reset on a laptop? Yes, by using specialized photo recovery tools. They can help you get back all types of files, including photos.

Is there a way to recover data after a factory reset if you don’t have backups? Alternatively, if you can afford the cost and wait, you can send your storage device to a professional data recovery service. Is it possible to undo a Windows 10 factory reset? There are ways to revert the OS to a previous state, but any such changes only affect the OS itself, not user data.

Windows 10 might offer the option to undo the last Windows Restore operation. Is it possible to recover files from a previous installation after reinstalling Windows 10? You can use specialized data recovery software or send the storage device to a professional recovery service. Conclusion As we saw, getting your files back after a Windows 10 factory reset is more challenging than if you had just sent them to the Recycle Bin.

You might get back only a handful of files, or almost all of them. Usually, though, the results will be somewhere in the middle, leaning more towards a positive outcome. This decreases the chances of newer data overwriting your files and increases those of a potential recovery.

Still, the need to recover files after a factory reset is a relatively rare scenario compared to all the other ways your data could evaporate.

Thus, we suggest you bookmark our essential guide to restoring data and recovering files under almost any situation imaginable. You never know when it might come in handy. Odysseas Kourafalos started playing with technology over thirty years ago, with a Commodore Instead of gaming with it, he ended up trying to learn what made games – and tech, in general – tick. Since then, he’s used thousands of applications, from music trackers to video editing suites, on multiple platforms, and lived to write about them.

Andrey is a software engineer expert with extensive expertise in data recovery, computer forensics, and data litigation. Andrey brings over 12 years of experience in software development, database administration, and hardware repair to the team. Press ESC to close. Table of Contents. To maximize your chances to successfully recover your files after a Windows 10 reset, stop using the reset storage device. Instead, disconnect it from your primary PC. Then, connect it as a secondary device on another PC from where to try recovering your data.

Wait for the scan process to finish. Choose a recovery destination and confirm. You will have to use a secondary storage device as its storage. We must stress that you should keep your expectations relatively low. Getting your files back after a Windows 10 factory reset is much harder than recovering data from a formatted hard drive. Does a factory reset delete everything on a laptop?

Odysseas Kourafalos. Andrey Vasilyev.