- #How to factory reset windows xp how to#
- #How to factory reset windows xp install#
- #How to factory reset windows xp Pc#
- #How to factory reset windows xp windows#
Go to the Control Panel and click on Recovery. If you have the original DVD, then we can start the process from within Windows.
#How to factory reset windows xp windows#
If you are running Windows 7, you’ll need to have the DVD for the OS or create your own bootable USB device to perform a clean install.
#How to factory reset windows xp install#
If you need to fix corrupted or missing Windows system files without losing any data, it is recommended you try a repair install of XP (scroll down to the bottom of the article). Again, it’s important to note that you will lose all your data in this process. It’s a fairly straight-forward process and you can read this excellent tutorial for step by step instructions. A clean install basically consists of booting from the original XP CD, deleting all partitions, recreating new partitions, and then installing Windows XP from CD. Windows XPįor Windows XP, you can really only do this using a CD/DVD. Depending on your version of Windows, the process will be different. Your last and final options for restoring Windows to factory settings is to perform a clean install or repair install. Restore Factory Settings – Clean/Repair Install Windows
#How to factory reset windows xp Pc#
The only reason I don’t recommend this option is because all of the PC vendor recovery images include additional third-party software, which slows down your computer significantly. Just follow the links above for detailed instructions. If you have one of these, you can access the recovery partition from within Windows or during startup. This is true for most Acer, Asus, HP, Dell and Lenovo machines nowadays. Most computers come with either a recovery CD/DVD or a recovery partition that is hidden on the computer. Restore Factory Settings – Recovery CD/DVDs
#How to factory reset windows xp how to#
If system restore is disabled, you can read my post on how to enable system restore again. You can read my previous post on how to restore your computer using the System Restore feature. You can use system restore to get rid of spyware, but if system restore does not fix your problem, you’ll have to resort to either a clean install of the OS or to the recovery DVD/partition. It will also uninstall any applications that you might have installed after the restore point was created. Note that it only “ restores” previous settings in the registry and Windows system files. System Restore is a built-in tool in Windows that allows you to roll back the system to a previous state. Restore Factory Settings – System Restore System Restore is the safest, but usually can’t fix major malware infections. If you’re scared to lose some data with a clean install, go for a repair install. My recommendation is to perform a clean install, which is better than restoring the factory image that you either get on DVD or that is located on a hidden partition in the hard drive. I’ll try to explain how you can perform each one of these methods in the article below.įor the most part, if you’re at this stage, your computer must be really in bad shape. Windows and all apps will be wiped, but your data will be kept. This is a good option if your system has become infected with a virus or malware you can’t remove, but your data is clean. Lastly, there is a repair install, which basically replaces all of the Windows system files, but keeps your data intact. The difference between a clean install and restoring to factory settings is the fact that the former does not include any junk third party software.Īlternatively, performing a system restore reverts the OS to a previous state, which is not exactly like a clean install, but could help you get your system working properly. Another way to think about it is to perform a clean install of the operating system, so that you are working with a bare bones version of the OS.