Windows · Troubleshooting
Reset This PC
Windows Reset allows you to reinstall the operating system while choosing whether to keep your personal files or remove everything. This option is useful when your PC is experiencing serious performance issues, system corruption, or persistent software problems.
How to open Windows Reset
- Open Settings → System → Recovery.
- Under 'Reset this PC', click 'Reset PC'.
- Choose 'Keep my files' or 'Remove everything'.
- Select Local reinstall or Cloud download.
- Follow on-screen instructions to complete the reset.
What you should know
- You can choose between 'Keep my files' or 'Remove everything'.
- Reset reinstalls Windows using local files or cloud download.
- All installed applications will be removed during the reset.
- The process may take 20–60 minutes depending on your system.
Although you can choose to keep personal files, all installed applications and custom settings will be removed. Always back up important data before performing a reset.
Why it matters
Resetting Windows is often the fastest way to recover from deep system corruption, malware that survives normal removal tools, or a PC that's become unbearably slow after years of software buildup — without needing a USB recovery drive. Because it reinstalls the OS from a recovery image or the cloud, it gives you a clean slate while optionally preserving your personal files. This makes it a powerful last resort before a full reinstall or a costly repair shop visit.
Best practices
- Back up personal files to an external drive or OneDrive before starting, even when using 'Keep my files'.
- Note down your installed applications and license keys beforehand, since all apps are removed regardless of which option you choose.
- Choose 'Cloud download' when your local recovery image may be corrupted or outdated.
- Keep your laptop plugged into power for the entire process to avoid an interrupted reset.
Common problems and fixes
- Reset fails with 'There was a problem resetting your PC'.
- Try the alternate reinstall method (switch between Cloud download and Local reinstall) or run the reset from Advanced Startup (Shift+Restart) instead.
- The process gets stuck at a percentage for a long time.
- Wait at least 1-2 hours before assuming it's frozen; if it truly stalls, force a shutdown and retry using a bootable Windows installation USB.
- Cloud download option is unavailable or grayed out.
- Confirm you have an active internet connection and at least 4GB of free space, since cloud reset downloads a fresh Windows image.
Tips and tricks
- Access Reset from the login screen (hold Shift while clicking Restart, then Troubleshoot) if you can't get into Windows normally.
- Use 'Remove everything' with the 'Clean data' option before selling or donating a PC so files can't be recovered with data-recovery tools.
- Check available disk space first — Cloud download needs more free space than Local reinstall.
Frequently asked questions
Will 'Keep my files' really keep everything I need?
It keeps files in your user profile folders like Documents and Pictures, but it removes all installed apps, drivers, and most settings, so back up anything outside those folders separately.
How is Reset different from a clean install using installation media?
Reset uses a built-in recovery image and requires no external media, but a clean install from USB gives you more control over partitioning and lets you resolve issues Reset can't fix, like a corrupted recovery partition.
Do I need my Windows product key after resetting?
No, if Windows was already activated on this device, it will reactivate automatically after the reset using its digital license tied to your hardware.
Related settings
- Windows UpdateWindows Update allows you to download and install the latest security patches, feature updates, and performance improvements. Keeping your system updated helps protect against vulnerabilities and ensures optimal performance.
- Storage SettingsStorage Settings let you view how much disk space is being used by apps, system files, temporary files, and media. You can free up space automatically using Storage Sense or manually remove unwanted files.
- System RestartSystem Restart allows you to safely reboot your PC, clearing temporary files and refreshing all running processes. This can resolve many common issues such as slow performance, unresponsive applications, and minor software glitches.
More Troubleshooting guides for Windows
- Network ResetNetwork Reset restores all networking components to their factory default settings. This includes removing all saved WiFi networks, resetting TCP/IP stack, and clearing DNS cache. Use this as a troubleshooting step when other network fixes have not resolved your issue.
- RecoveryRecovery brings together the tools for fixing a Windows PC that won't start correctly or is having serious problems, including Advanced startup (for Safe Mode, Startup Repair, and command-line recovery tools), System Restore, and Fix problems using Windows Update. It's a broader troubleshooting toolkit than Reset This PC alone, covering scenarios where a full reset is more than you need.
- TroubleshootTroubleshoot gathers Windows' built-in automated diagnostic tools in one place, covering internet connections, audio playback and recording, printers, Bluetooth, Windows Update, and more. Each troubleshooter runs a scripted sequence of checks against the specific feature it targets and applies a fix automatically wherever it safely can, instead of requiring you to already know the underlying cause.
- Get Help AppOpens the Get Help app, Microsoft's built-in support tool that provides guided troubleshooting for common Windows problems and can connect you to a live support agent when self-service steps don't resolve an issue.
- Feedback HubOpens the Feedback Hub app, which lets you report bugs, log performance problems with diagnostic traces, and upvote or suggest new features that Microsoft's Windows engineering teams review.
- Task Manager Performance MonitoringOpens Task Manager, which shows real-time resource usage across CPU, memory, disk, GPU, and network, lets you end unresponsive processes, and manage which apps launch automatically at startup.