Clean & Restrore my software

Question

I was downloading some applications that changed my microsoft settings. How can I clean and restore my system to it's orginal program?

Answer 1

Hi Tom Plating,

It sounds like some installed apps changed system behavior or settings. The safest approach is to undo those changes step‑by‑step before deciding on a full reset, so you avoid unnecessary data loss and save time.

Here are some recommended checking steps that you can try at this point:

1, Check and disable unwanted startup changes

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager > Startup apps
• Disable anything unfamiliar or recently added

2, Remove leftover system changes

• Press Win + R > type msconfig > Enter
• Go to Services tab > check “Hide Microsoft services”
• Disable suspicious third-party services

3, Verify system policies (if you're on Windows Pro version)

• Press Win + R > type gpedit.msc > Enter
• Review sections like: Administrative Templates > Windows Components

4, Clean registry startup entries

• Press Win + R > type regedit > Enter
• Check:
  • HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
  • HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• Remove entries only if clearly related to unwanted apps

5, Run a deeper security scan

• Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection
• Run Full scan or Offline scan

If the system still behaves unexpectedly after these checks, a reset is a reliable fallback to get everything back to a stable state.

Let me know if you need any further help. Feel free to ask by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Reply" if you are unable to add a comment, so that your reply is visible. I appreciate your effort.

---

Note: Follow the instructions in our documentation to enable email notifications if you wish to receive notifications about this conversation.

Answer 2

No one here knows what your computer's original program was.

It's a good practice to backup your computer every night by making a backup image, which is an exact copy of your computer. When you restore a backup image, your computer goes back in time to the moment the image was made.

Answer 3

To return Windows 11 as close as possible to its original state and undo unwanted changes from recent apps, use the built‑in recovery and repair tools in this order:

1. Try System Restore (keeps personal files) System Restore rolls system files, settings, and installed programs back to an earlier point in time.

• Open System Restore:
  • Press Windows key + R, type rstrui.exe, press Enter
  • Or open Control Panel → Recovery → Open System Restore
• Select Next and choose a restore point dated before the unwanted apps/changes.
• Optionally select Scan for affected programs to see what will be removed/changed.
• Select Next → Finish and let Windows restart and apply the restore.

System Restore does not change personal files but can remove apps and drivers installed after the restore point.

2. Repair or reset affected apps If specific apps are misbehaving after the changes:

• Go to Start → Settings → Apps → Apps & features.
• Select the app → Advanced options → choose Repair. If that doesn’t help, choose Reset.
• For classic desktop programs:
  • Open Control Panel → Programs → Programs and Features.
  • Right‑click the program → Repair (or Change and follow on‑screen instructions).

3. If malware or unwanted software was involved If the downloads were unsafe and may have been malware:

• Run a full scan with Windows Security.
• If the system still behaves abnormally or malware caused irreversible changes, consider resetting Windows (next step).

4. Reset this PC (reinstalls Windows, optional keep files) If problems persist and you want a near‑factory state:

• Go to Settings → System → Recovery.
• Under Recovery options, select Reset PC.
• Choose:
  • Keep my files (removes apps and settings, keeps personal files), or
  • Remove everything (full wipe – only if comfortable losing apps/data on the device).
• Choose Cloud download (recommended for a fresh copy) or Local reinstall.
• Follow the prompts; Windows will reinstall and return to a clean state.

Before resetting, back up important files to an external drive or cloud storage. After reset, reinstall needed apps from trusted sources only.

---

References:

• System Restore
• Repair apps and programs in Windows
• Troubleshoot problems with detecting and removing malware
• Troubleshoot problems updating Windows