Factory Reset Windows 10 Laptop.

[bluemoon1]

Is there a way to restore my laptop to the day I bought it. Over the period of time I have owned my PC I have managed to collect quit a lot of little bugs and stuff and I just want to get back to day one.
I have tried everything I can in settings and have had different levels of success, from it doing absolutely nothing to being in DOS at the UEFI stage.
I could do a factory reset in windows 7 and 8 no problem but this seems impossible in win 10
Any help appreciated.

[Buenchico]

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/reset-windows-10-pc

[bluemoon1]

Thanks Buenchico, been there tried that,didn't work.

I forgot to say I have looked all over the internet and tried everything I could find. Also I have no recovery or set up discs. I know that when I restored 7 and 8 there is a way to do it in DOS but this doesn't work in 10

[CrapAtCryptics]

You can get a cheap version as a download on Ebay I`d recommend the Pro version - but be prepared to spend a lot of hours updating it to the current level.

[fender62]

windows 7 is better, get a copy of that instead, format install

[Guilbert53]

CrapatCryptics - "You can get a cheap version as a download on Ebay"

You suggested this on another topic and you are TOTALLY wrong, you don't need to buy another copy of Windows 10.

Once Windows 10 has been installed on a PC then Microsoft keep details of that computer on their servers.

So all you have to do is download a copy of Windows 10 from the Microsoft web site FOR FREE and do a Windows 10 install.

No need to buy ANYTHING off ebay.

You can download Windows 10 for free from the OFFICIAL Microsoft web site here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

[Guilbert53]

To bluemoon1,

You can only do a factory reset if the company that made the laptop provided a "factory image" on the hard disk when you bought the PC.

So if you bought this laptop with Windows 7 on it there could be a factory image copy of Windows 7 in a hidden area (partition) on the hard disk.

This "factory image" will contain Windows 7 and all the drivers needed plus any programs supplied with the original laptop.

So if you re-install Windows from this factory image you will get Windows 7 as it was when you first bought the laptop.

HOW you reinstall this factory image will vary from company to company so maybe check on the support page of the company who made the laptop.

Of course if you upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10 then there wont be a factory image of Windows 10 on the laptop so you cant go "back" to it as it was never there.

However you can reinstall Windows 10 and I would have thought following the instructions in the first link from Buenchico would work (note this is a reinstall of Window 10 not going back to factory image as no factory image exists).

Or you can download a FREE copy of Windows 10 as I covered above and do a fresh install of Windows 10, but it WONT be like when you first bought the laptop.

[Guilbert53]

bluemoon1, sorry one more thing (see my 2 updates above)

SOME computer companies do supply a "factory image" CD/DVD disk that you can buy off them for a small cost (or download). This will contain the image of the software as it came on the original PC.

Imagine, for example, if a person bought a laptop and the hard disk crashed and you lost all the software on it.

You could buy a new hard disk and put it in the laptop, but you would not have any software (Windows etc)

So the laptop company (Dell, Sony, Asus or whoever) may provide a "factory image" CD/DVD so you can install the software on your laptop.

So contact the company who make the laptop (or go on their web site, maybe "support" page) and see if they offer the chance to buy a factory image CD/DVD or maybe a chance to download the image.

[bluemoon1]

Many thanks for all replies.
After spending what seemed like an age trying the different suggestions, I have finally got to the place I required.
Using the advice from Guilbert53 I now have a shiny new windows 10 and have also been able to keep some personal docs. Many thanks again.