A computer that has slowed down over years, picked up junk software, or had its settings scrambled does not need replacing. The cheaper answer is to bring Windows back to a clean state, and there are two built-in routes, Reset this PC, which is a reinstall that can keep your files, and System Restore, which goes back to an earlier restore point. Neither needs a USB drive. They differ in how much you lose.
This article covers which one to pick, how to run each, and what to watch for.
If the machine is only slow and not beyond saving, try the software-layer steps in Windows Computer Running Slow or Taking Long to Boot? A Complete Speed-Up Guide from Software to Hardware first. That often avoids this whole process.
1. Choosing between reset and System Restore
| Situation | Use | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Slow, infected, or a mess of software, and you want a clean start without losing photos and documents | Reset this PC, Keep my files | Removes all installed apps and settings, keeps personal files |
| Something broke right after an update or driver, and you want to go back to before | System Restore | Reverts system files and settings only, personal files untouched |
| Wiping it to sell, or a full disk clean-out | Reset this PC, Remove everything | Personal files go too |
For the cleanest possible result, a fresh install from USB is more controllable than the built-in reset.
2. Reset this PC
The path is Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC > Reinstall now. On Windows 10 the entry point is Settings > Update and Security > Recovery, and the options are otherwise the same.
The two options that matter
- Keep my files, the recommended one. It removes the applications you installed and every setting, and keeps documents, pictures, the desktop, and downloads. This is the one for a slow machine or junk software.
- Remove everything. Personal files go as well, for selling the machine or a full wipe. It asks for confirmation several times and offers data erasure, which is thorough but slow.
The two sources for the reinstall
- Cloud download. Fetches the latest image from Microsoft's servers and installs from that. Cleanest result and newest build, but it needs a connection and takes longer.
- Local reinstall. Reinstalls from the files already on the machine. No connection needed and faster, but it can fail if those system files are already damaged.
Keep my files plus cloud download is the safest combination. Before resetting, go through your WeChat and QQ files and anything important on the desktop once more, and do not lean on the keep my files option alone as your backup.
What a reset keeps and what it loses
- Keeps, personal files such as documents, pictures, music, video, the desktop, and downloads, plus the signed-in Microsoft account.
- Loses, every installed application including WeChat, Office, and games, and drivers need reinstalling too, plus system settings and personalisation and browser bookmarks, so sync those first. If BitLocker is on, the reset may ask for the recovery key afterwards.
- The first boot afterwards looks like a new machine, and you reinstall software and sign in again.
3. System Restore
This suits the machine that was fine yesterday and broke after an update or driver. It rolls system files, the registry, and settings back to a restore point created earlier. Personal files are untouched, though software installed after that point may be removed.
Turn protection on and create a point
- Right-click This PC, choose Properties, then System Protection, select the C drive, press Configure, choose Turn on system protection, and set the maximum usage to 5% to 10%.
- Press Create to make a restore point by hand. Doing this before a large piece of software or a driver is worth it, and put the date in the name.
Roll back to a restore point
- On the System Protection page press System Restore, pick a point, and use Scan for affected programs to see what would be removed, then Next and Finish. The machine reboots and rolls back.
- You can restore even when Windows will not start, by choosing System Restore at the sign-in screen or from advanced startup, covered in section 4.
One thing to keep in mind, System Restore is not a backup of your personal files, and anything that matters still needs its own copy. It is not a file recovery tool either, so deleted files cannot be brought back with it.
4. Resetting or restoring when Windows will not start
If you are stuck at a blue screen or the sign-in screen, use advanced startup to reach the recovery environment. Windows Won't Boot, Blue Screen, or Black Screen? A Step-by-Step Self-Recovery Guide (SFC/DISM/System Restore) covers how to get in and what else to try.
- You can reach the sign-in screen. Hold
Shiftwhile clicking Power, then Restart, or press Restart now under Settings > Recovery > Advanced startup. - It is completely stuck. Force a shutdown and power on again two or three times, and Windows enters Automatic Repair, then Advanced options.
- Once inside, the path is Troubleshoot, then Reset this PC or System Restore, and the options in sections 2 and 3 apply.
- If the reset itself fails or hangs, install fresh from USB.
5. When reset or restore fails
- The reset is stuck at a percentage. If nothing moves after 1 to 2 hours, a forced restart is usually safe and it tends to roll back. Repeated failure means going to a USB install.
- It says the recovery environment cannot be found. The recovery partition is usually damaged, so use USB installation media directly.
- On a BitLocker machine, write down the recovery key before resetting, or the reset may ask for it afterwards.
Questions
What is the difference between Reset this PC and reinstalling Windows? Reset reinstalls Windows from the local files or from the cloud, and the keep my files option leaves personal data alone. A fresh install from USB also lets you repartition and wipe the disk completely, which is more controllable but means making your own boot media.
If I pick Keep my files, is nothing at all lost? Documents, pictures, the desktop, and downloads under your user folders survive, but every installed app has to be reinstalled, and data some programs keep under AppData can go. Keep a separate copy of anything you care about.
Are System Restore and File History the same thing? No. System Restore only covers system files, the registry, and settings. File History is what backs up personal files, and the two are enabled separately.
How long does a reset take? A local reinstall usually runs 30 to 60 minutes. Cloud download depends on your connection and can take 1 to 3 hours. Do not cut power part way through.
Summary
For a clean system that still has your files on it, Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC, then Keep my files with cloud download, is the safest combination. When something broke after an update or driver, System Restore gets you back to beforehand faster. Neither needs a USB drive, though a reset clears installed software and you reinstall it afterwards. If Windows will not start, reach the recovery environment through advanced startup, and if that keeps failing, move to a fresh USB install. Back up your BitLocker key and anything important such as WeChat data before you begin.