Each PC is different, but you may find an option to reset the PC to factory settings. Restart your computer with the USB drive or DVD inserted, and boot from that device. To ensure it activated correctly, open the Start menu and click on Settings. Track down your software. Select “Remove everything.” This will wipe all your files, so be sure you have backups. Install Windows 10 from the installation media like you would any other operating system. Once done, you can check under Activation and you should now see that the message reads "Windows is activated with a digital licence associated with your Microsoft account". How to Reset Windows 10 If you want to reset Windows 10, and you aren't concerned with losing system data (including personal files), there is a quick and easy way to do so. Click Update Driver in the window that opens and direct it to the drivers you downloaded earlier - you may have to unzip the files if the download had a .zip file extension. The classic method of performing a clean install is still our go-to option with Windows 10. Learn more. Once it’s in the Recovery window, click on the Get Started button. Click Next. You can use the Reset feature to reset your Windows 10 system back to a fresh state. If you installed Windows 10 yourself, this should give you a fresh Windows system in no time. And no, we don't know why it is located in the Windows Security app either! Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows 10 on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Simply follow the instructions and but make sure you choose the correct hard drive and partition on which to install Windows. Either way, you end up in the Recovery section of Settings. All Rights Reserved. RELATED: Where to Download Windows 10, 8.1, and 7 ISOs Legally. Start it up and select the “Create installation media for another PC” option to create installation media. The recovery drive will restore Windows 10, but you will have to re-download all third-party Windows 10 apps and games (Steam, Bethesda Launcher, etc) once the Windows 10 reinstallation is complete. His main beats include VPN services, antivirus and web hosting. Open the Start menu and find the “Windows Defender Security Center” application. (Alternatively, you can try the 'Reset this PC' option, but we recommend using the method described here for a proper clean installation.). Signing in with a Microsoft Account? This can take a while if you have slow broadband, but you can continue to use your PC while the download is happening. Join 350,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, geek trivia, and our feature articles. Read our tips on how to speed up your internet. He's written about technology for nearly a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. To fix that, go to Settings > Accounts > Your Info. This one isn’t quite as critical today as it used to be, as so much of the … Microsoft declared Windows 10 would be 'the last version of Windows' when it launched in 2015, and its gradual culling of older versions of the operating system continues. What this does is to delete everything on the hard drive and copy the hidden version of Windows back on to the hard drive so your computer will be exactly the same as the day it left the factory. Chris Hoffman is Editor in Chief of How-To Geek. 1. 4. Partition your system drive however you like. 1. When Reset this PC opens, select the ' Keep my Files ' … If it’s not activated, you may see information here that can help you activate. You may need to use a working computer to do this if yours won't boot into Windows. To reinstall all the Windows 10 built-in apps which you uninstalled over time, all you have to do is run a specific command. If it's a new drive, it will be blank, so you choose the only option available: the large unallocated space. Click "Sign in with a Microsoft account" and follow the prompts. Store the boot drive in a memorable place where it can be easily retrieved for troubleshooting or reinstalling Windows later. So, search for " PowerShell " in the start menu, right-click on it and select the option " Run as Administrator " Then, select Get started under Reset this PC. Besides, this software also allows you to extend system partition , convert system disk between MBR and GPT style … Learn more. 3. Type or copy-paste the following command inside your PowerShell window: Get-AppxPackage -allusers | foreach {Add-AppxPackage -register “$ ($_.InstallLocation)appxmanifest.xml” -DisableDevelopmentMode} If the status says "Windows is activated with a digital licence" but says no more, then it isn't linked to your Microsoft account. However, you can always install VLC to get DVD playback or use one of the more fully featured Windows Media Center alternatives. As this really is a clean installation, no drivers will be installed for your hardware. Choose Control Panel from the menu that appears after pressing WIN+X or right-clicking on the Start button. Here, you can see that the driver is missing for the network controller. Windows 10 OEM and Volume license holders can attempt to upgrade their motherboard without reinstalling Windows. There are a few caveats, however: this method isn’t ideal for every situation. The above article may contain affiliate links, which help support How-To Geek. Go through the setup process normally until you see the “Which type of installation do you want?” screen. Under Reset this PC, click on Get started. To reset your PC. In addition, some people have reported that it won’t fix some system corruption issues, in which case you’d want to perform a real clean install using Option One above. If you have many partitions, you could delete them all and tell Windows 10 to install itself in the unallocated space. Just make sure any USB sticks are removed from any USB ports which might cause problems at reboots. Considering you'll be downloading new software, it will also take a long time if you're internet connection is slow. The drivers, the applications, the personal changes that you made to settings, and the applications installed by your computer manufacturer will be removed as well. What is Windows 10X? A clean install of Windows is accomplished during the Windows setup process by removing the existing Windows installation (assuming there is one) before installing a new operating system or reinstalling the existing one. Keep in … And to do that just double-click on the downloaded file and choose where to extract the contents. Windows 10 has what we used to call a “repair install” built-in, also known as an in-place installation. Although your files will be kept, it's too great a risk not to make a backup of any documents that you cannot replace. If there are no Wi-Fi networks in the list and a message saying there are no connections available, either wait and see if Windows manages to install network drivers automatically, or install them manually (because you did download them as we advised earlier, right?). In Windows 10, there is a built-in tool that can wipe your PC and restore it to a factory-fresh state. How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. That isn't a problem with Windows 10, as it should be able to automatically install and configure everything automatically - so long as it can connect to the internet. click the Update & Security button, and go to the “Activation” tab. Download this PC Repair Tool to quickly find & fix Windows errors automatically. In the Settings window, scroll down and click on Update & Security. Once that is done, close the device manager. Then check Device Manager (right-click the Windows icon at the bottom-left of the desktop to see it in the menu). This may require you change a setting in the BIOS, access a boot menu, or use the “Use a device” option in the advanced startup options on a modern Windows 8 or 10 device that includes UEFI firmware instead of the traditional BIOS. Select “Install Now” once the Windows installer starts. Join 350,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, comics, trivia, reviews, and more. This tool will download the correct Windows 10 installation files for your system, and help you create an installation DVD or flash drive. A reset on Windows 10 will help you reinstall Windows 10 and removes ALL your personal files. First, turn on your computer and look for any messages which appear before the Windows logo. Keep this drive safe for future reinstalls, too. Once the installation starts, your PC will reboot. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.). You can also try pressing the F8 key to access the advanced boot options menu, which should include a 'Repair Your Computer' option. Windows 7 reached end-of-life in January 2020, leaving Windows 8 as the only alternative. If you’ve ever installed and activated Windows 10 on this computer before, click “I don’t have a product key”. Tap or click Update and recovery, and then tap or click Recovery.. In the Update & Settings window, on the left-side, click on Recovery. You just need to download and create installation media, either on a DVD or a flash drive, and install it from there. tips for fixing Windows 10 activation problems. Previously, Microsoft forced users to upgrade to Windows 10 before they could start fresh and do a clean install–which was annoyingly complicated and time-consuming. Microsoft’s free upgrade offer depends on your PC’s hardware so it may not activate properly if you’ve swapped out hardware inside your PC. Want to see all your apps in Windows 10? First, you'll need the Windows 10 May 2020 Update. RELATED: Windows 10 is Out Today: Should You Upgrade? First, open an Administrator Command Prompt by right-clicking the Start button or pressing Windows Key + X and selecting Command Prompt (Admin). This article provides you with three effective ways to reinstall windows 10 without CD or USB drive and reinstall Windows 10 from a USB drive. Click Yes. He also covers electric bikes, dash cams and smart home tech. Enter your Windows 10 key here. Click the Get started button, and you'll see a warning describing the process and explaining all your apps will be removed. You may already have a backup of those, but since all your apps will be removed, you should also: There's one more job before you start. If you are planning to reinstall Windows 10 from HDD onto SSD, AOMEI Partition Assistant Pro can save you much time and effort. Where is the option to reinstall Windows 10? 4. The Windows boot drive features various repair tools that can be used if Windows 10 will not boot. To reset your Windows 10 PC, open the Settings app, select Update & security, select Recovery, and click the “Get started” button under Reset this PC. Now, things are much easier, since you can activate Windows 10 with a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key. Easy ways to reinstall your Windows 10. | 11 Jun 2020. Visit Get Started with Windows 10 page for instructions. But often, the phone activation process will let you do it anyway, so it’s worth a shot. Head to “Device Performance & Health” in the sidebar, and click “Additional Info” under the Fresh Start section. Before you take action, make a system backup with EaseUS Todo Backup so that you can restore the system even you have reinstalled your Windows 10… Download the Windows 10 media creation tool from Microsoft. This article discusses how to reinstall Microsoft Edge in Windows 10. Windows 10 doesn't necessarily have a product key and if you upgraded from Windows 7 or 8, you certainly won't have one. © Copyright 2020 IDG Communications Ltd. All Rights Reserved. When that's done, you should get a notification that Windows is ready to be reinstalled. After you log into your new, cleanly installed Windows 10 system, it should automatically activate itself after you connect to the Internet. if you see an error message, try rebooting and running it again, wait and run it again, or just wait and let Windows activate automatically. You'll see a pop-up asking if you want to switch apps to Windows Security. Typically there will be a message such as "Press F10 for restore options". This will trigger windows to reinstall the Bluetooth driver. After 20-40 minutes, Windows will be reinstalled and you'll see the login screen. How to do a Clean Install of Windows 10 the Easy Way, use one of the more fully featured Windows Media Center alternatives, activate Windows 10 with a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key, Download the Windows 10 media creation tool from Microsoft, use the “Use a device” option in the advanced startup options, How to Respond Directly to a Specific Message in Instagram, How to Add, Edit, or Delete Saved Passwords in Microsoft Edge, How to Quickly Clear All Notifications on Mac, How to Disable Friend Requests on a Nintendo Switch, © 2020 LifeSavvy Media. Windows will automatically activate once it’s installed. Download Microsoft's Media Creation tool which will create a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 10 on it. Reinstall Microsoft Edge. If you are unable to boot into Windows 10, you will not be able to reinstall the operating system without losing system files. As with so many installation tutorials, the speed of this process will depend on the hardware you're working with. Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. When the Settings utility is shown, click on that to start it. The phone support line can give you an activation code that will allow you to activate Windows 10, even if it won’t activate automatically. Try and remember back to the Windows 10 launch. The simplest way to reinstall Windows 10 is through Windows itself. In Windows 10, the Reset This PC process is an easier-to-do, and equally effective, way to clean reinstall Windows. This is VERY important, as reformatting will delete … This is particularly useful if you’ve purchased a new Windows 10 PC and it includes manufacturer-installed bloatware you don’t want. Start it up and select the “Create installation media … After the clean install, Windows Defender will help keep your PC secure. An SSD will be much faster than a mechanical hard drive for. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Release date, devices and new features, How to access a laptop without the password, Deregister any apps which will need to be activated again after you reinstall them (such as older versions of Photoshop), Research how to back up progress in your games so you don't have to start fresh, Save web bookmarks (or sign into Chrome or Firefox so they are saved to the cloud), Look for any activation keys you might need to reinstall apps once Windows is reinstalled, Download and save drivers for your network adapter (either Ethernet or Wi-Fi) to ensure you can get reconnected to the internet. Internet and whether it is located in the menu ) > Update & Settings window, on name. Once that is done, you should link your Windows 10 built-in apps which you uninstalled over,... Works because of how Windows 10 upgrade their motherboard without reinstalling Windows shown below a fresh install there... 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