Select the “Cloud download” option to re-download Windows 11 instead of using the available image. Or select the “Fully clean the drive” option if you plan to get rid of the device (it takes a long time).

Or select the “Keep my files” option to reinstall Windows 11, remove apps and settings, and preserve your files.Ĭlick the “Just remove my files” option if you plan to keep the device. Select the “Remove everything” to wipe out the hard drive and reinstall a fresh copy of Windows 11. If you cannot access the recovery environment, try these other options.

Quick note: Windows 11 includes multiple ways to open the Advanced startup settings. Repeat steps 1 and 2 twice, and in the third restart, Windows 11 should enter WinRE. Immediately after the Power-On Self-Test (POST), press the Power button again to shut down. To reset Windows 11 from boot, use these steps: Factory reset Windows 11 from boot (BIOS) This guide will teach you the steps to reset Windows 11 to the factory settings from the boot process. Also, the feature gives you a choice to preserve your files, settings, and apps, or you can choose to remove everything beyond recovery. You can reset a laptop or desktop computer to the factory default settings using the local image or download a fresh copy of Windows 11 from the cloud using this feature. The option available through the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE or WinRE) is the same “Reset this PC” feature available in the Settings app. The option comes in handy when the device has problems or can’t start correctly, making it impossible to proceed with the reset from the desktop environment.

You can perform a factory reset on your computer to reinstall Windows 11 from the boot environment. To reset a Windows 11 device when it doesn’t boot, start the computer in WinRE, open Advanced options > Troubleshoot, click “Reset this PC,” choose “Keep my files,” click “Just remove my files,” choose “Cloud download,” and click “Reset.”.

Windows 10 factory reset from boot