How To Factory Reset Windows 11 - Restore Factory Settings

Your PC is likely freezing, crashing, or running so slowly that you've run out of patience for troubleshooting. A factory reset is the nuclear option to get your system back to a clean, usable state or to prepare it for a new owner.

Why this happens

System instability is often caused by corrupted OS files, bloated background applications, or driver conflicts that are difficult to pinpoint. A reset clears out these software-level issues by reinstalling the Windows environment.

What you'll need

Before you begin, ensure you have backed up all personal documents, photos, and files to an external drive or cloud storage. If your PC cannot boot into Windows, be prepared to use the recovery environment method.

Steps

1. 01
   Press the Windows key + I to open Settings, navigate to System, then Recovery, and click Reset PC.
2. 02
   If your PC cannot open Settings, hold the Shift key while selecting Restart from the power menu to enter the recovery environment.
3. 03
   Select Troubleshoot, then Reset this PC.
4. 04
   Choose Keep my files if you want to fix performance issues while retaining personal data, or Remove everything for a complete factory wipe.
5. 05
   Select Cloud download for a fresh copy of Windows from Microsoft, or Local reinstall to use your current system files.
6. 06
   Review the list of apps that will be removed and click Reset to begin the process.