HOW CAN I RESTORE MY HP LAPTOP TO FACTORY SETTINGS

HI,

The operating system provides a number of options that let you restore your computer to an earlier state. Here's how to reset your PC in Windows 10.

1. Navigate to Settings. You can get there by clicking the gear icon on the Start menu.
2. Select "Update & security".
3. Click Recovery in the left pane..

Windows presents you with three major options: Reset this PC, Go back to an earlier build and Advanced startup. Reset this PC is the best option for starting fresh. Advanced startup lets you boot off a recovery USB drive or disc and "Go to an earlier build" is made for Windows Insiders who want to roll back to a previous version of the OS.

4 Click Get started under Reset this PC..

5. Click either "Keep my files" or "Remove everything," depending on whether you want to keep your data files intact. Either way, all of your settings will return to their defaults and apps will be uninstalled.
6. Select "Just remove my files" or "Remove files and clean the drive" if you chose to "remove everything" in the prior step. Cleaning the drive takes a lot longer but will make sure that, if you are giving the computer away, the next person will have a hard time recovering your erased files. If you are keeping the computer, choose "Just remove my files."
7. Click Next if Windows warns you that you won't be able to roll back to a prior version of the OS.
8. Click Reset when prompted.

Windows will then restart and take several minutes to reset itself.

9. Click Continue when prompted.

I hope it works.

Best Regards,

Diego R.

Hi Cyril,

Press the Shift Key and click Restart

Your PC will boot into the Windows Recovery Environment

Go to Troubleshoot - Advanced Options - Reset this PC

Choose to keep your files and apps, just your files or to keep nothing

Then start the Reset

Hi Cyril. I'm Greg, an installation specialist and 8 year Windows MVP, here to help you.

See here for the Factory Recovery that restores all the HP bloatware that most enthusiasts won't run: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04758961

HP makes great hardware but the factory install is the worst in the industry, larded with bloatware like utilities that duplicate and cause issues with better versions built into Windows. You can get a much leaner install that runs better by instead doing the automated Fresh Start: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-use...

If you want the best install of all see these steps to do the Clean Install which should get you past all difficulties as it has hundreds of thousands of others who have followed the steps in this link and never come back to report another problem: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

Click Start > Settings (or press Windows key + i) > click Update & security

Click Recovery then click Get Started under Reset this PC

Since we are performing a clean install, I will be selecting the option Remove everything, if you don't want to do that, you can click Keep my files

Reset offers two types of clean installs:

Just remove my files - this option is quicker and recommended if you just want a fresh start and you plan to keep the computer.

Remove files and clean the drive - if you plan to giveaway or resell your computer, this option ensures the computer is cleaned properly. Its takes a bit longer, but it is recommended if you plan to no longer use this computer.

Since I will be using this computer, I will choose the first option.

Click Reset to begin

Windows 10 will restarT

Preparing to perform a reset

Resetting - this might take some time depending on the amount of data

Windows will check the drive for errors and fix them.

Windows 10 performs a clean install again

Out of Box Experience (OOBE)

The Out of Box Experience assist with personlizing your Windows experience such as creating a user account, connect to a wireless network and adjust privacy settings.

Choose your country, language, keyboard layout and time zone then click Next

Read and accept the End User License Agreement

If you want to customize your privacy settings, you can do so now. Please note, you can always do this after setup (Start > Settings > Privacy). For now, lets use Use Express settings

Wait while Windows 10 restarts

Setup your username, password and a hint then click Next

There you have it, a clean installation of Windows

Its possible this might not work, if it does not, try either of the following options:

Press Control + Alt + Delete

Click Sign out

Hold down the shift key on your keyboard while clicking the Power button on the screen.

Continue to hold down the shift key while clicking Restart.

Continue to hold down the shift key until the Advanced Recovery Options menu appears.

Click Troubleshoot

Click Reset this PC

Click Remove Everything

Fully clean the drive

Click Reset

Option 3:

When you upgraded from a previous version of Windows or receive a new computer preinstalled with Windows 10, what happened is the hardware (your PC) will get a digital entitlement, where a unique signature of the computer will be stored on Microsoft Activation Servers. The Windows 7 or Windows 8 genuine license you were previously running will be exchanged for a diagnostics key.

Anytime you need to reinstall Windows 10 on that machine, just proceed to reinstall Windows 10. It will automatically reactivate. You will prompted to enter a product key a couple times through the installation, click I don't have a key and Do this later.

There is no need to know or get a new key, but if you have issues with Digital Licensing or the Activation Troubleshooter, you can utilize an existing Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 product key you already own to reactivate if necessary. or use the reset function in Windows 10.

Go to a working computer, download, create a bootable copy, then perform a clean install.

	Step 1: How to download official Windows 10 ISO files 

	[http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...](http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-windows_install/how-to-download-official-windows-10-iso-files/35cde7ec-5b6f-481c-a02d-dadf465df326)



	Step 2: How to: Perform a clean install of Windows 10

	[http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/wiki...](http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/wiki/insider_wintp-insider_install/how-to-do-a-clean-install-of-windows-10/aef0ae63-2117-41ee-a8ea-4a3181625b08)

Review the following guide for instructions and details about configuring your BIOS or UEFI boot settings for DVD, CD, USB or SD Card.

a

BIOS/UEFI Setup Guide: Boot from a CD, DVD, USB Drive or SD Card

https://www.groovypost.com/howto/bios-uefi-setu...

Once your computer is set to boot from the DVD, you should see this option. If you are installing from a retail Windows 10 USB thumb drive, you will be asked to select either 32 or 64 bit Windows 10. Learn more here https://www.groovypost.com/howto/choose-windows...

The Windows logo will appear on screen, this might be here for a while, as long as you see the animating dots, everything should be ok.

Select your Language, Time and Keyboard method then click Next.

Click Install now

Windows 10 setup will prompt you for a product key during installation a couple times. If you originally upgraded from Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 click the option 'I don't have a key' and 'Do this later' . If you have a Windows 10 product key, you can proceed to enter it.

Setup will also prompt you to select the edition you have a license for - Home or Pro. Please make sure you choose the right edition. If you choose the wrong edition, your only option will be to perform a clean install again.

The copy of Windows 10 you download and upgrade from will correspond with the edition of Windows you have installed, if it does not, this is why you might be experiencing problems activating:

Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Windows 8.0 Core, Windows 8.1 Core should install Windows 10 Home 



Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 8.0 Pro, Windows 8.1 Pro should install Windows 10 Pro

Wait while setup prepares to copy files

Accept the license terms then click Next

Click Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)

NOTE: Sometimes Windows 10 setup can become confused if it see's a thumb drive. You might get a driver missing error or something to that effect. If you do, restart setup, but this time, when you arrive at the following screen, disconnect your thumb drive then go through Custom options. When setup is ready copy files, it will prompt you to reconnect the installation source (your USB).

Select the drive then click New

NOTE: If you have multiple partitions listed, select each one (starting at the bottom), then click delete until there is only a single (one) unallocated drive displayed in the window.

Select the unallocated drive listed, click New, click Apply then OK

This will split the drive into multiple partitions, select the Primary partition then click Next.

NOTE: The System Reserved partition is where recovery files are kept for diagnostics and repairing damaged Windows 10 files; or even reinstall Windows 10.

Wait while Windows installs

When this phase of setup is complete, Windows will automatically restart then reboot into setup again.

Windows is detecting and installing your hardware. After this is complete, Windows will restart one last time.

Out of Box Experience

The Out of Box Experience page is where you get to configure detailed settings in Windows, which includes creating a user account, configure privacy, sync PC settings and install modern applications.

Hi,

I am Sumit, an Independent advisor and a Microsoft MVP here to help.

First of all, eliminate all useless files on C:/ by using Disk Cleanup.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3012-open-u...

Make sure you have checked System files option after the first scan.

Also,

Treesize should tell you which files and folders are taking up the space.

https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free/

It is worth checking the Users folder and its subfolders with it.

Please let us know if you need any assistance.