# How to Factory Reset Windows 11

URL: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-factory-reset-windows-11/
Published: 2026-05-15 | Updated: 2026-08-10 | Author: Ankit Kumar
Tags: Windows 11, Maintenance, System
Summary: Reset Windows 11 to factory settings the right way—keep your files or wipe everything, choose cloud or local reinstall, and reset even if the PC won't boot.
Recommended app: RecoverPro — https://www.mytechnician.tech/apps/data-recovery-pro/ (Microsoft Store: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9MZ613NS5TNN?hl=en-us&cid=mytechnician-web). Optional; every step below uses built-in Windows tools.

## What a Factory Reset Actually Does
**Reset this PC** reinstalls Windows 11 and lets you either **keep your personal files** or **remove everything**. It is the fastest cure for deep corruption, a machine that has been fought over for years, or preparing a PC to hand on.

Be clear on one point: **applications are always removed**, in both modes. The choice is only about your documents, pictures, and other personal files.

| | Keep my files | Remove everything |
|---|---|---|
| Personal files | Kept | Deleted |
| Installed apps | **Removed** | Removed |
| Settings and accounts | Reset | Reset |
| Drivers | Mostly kept | Reset to defaults |
| Good for | Fixing your own PC | Selling or giving it away |

> **Selling or donating the PC?** Use the proper wipe procedure in [wipe a PC before selling or donating](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/wipe-pc-before-selling-donating/). **Want a genuinely fresh OS instead?** See [clean install Windows 11](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-clean-install-windows-11/).

## Before You Start
1. **Back up anyway.** "Keep my files" is reliable but not guaranteed—see [back up your PC with Windows Backup and File History](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/backup-pc-windows-backup-file-history/).
2. **Save your BitLocker recovery key** from `account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey`.
3. **Write down software licence keys** for anything you paid for, and note which apps you will need to reinstall.
4. **Note your Wi-Fi password**—a reset forgets saved networks.
5. **Sign out of apps with device limits** (Adobe, some games, streaming apps) to free a slot.
6. **Plug a laptop into AC power** and leave it there.

## Method 1: Reset From Settings
1. **Settings** → **System** → **Recovery**.
2. Next to **Reset this PC**, click **Reset PC**.
3. Choose **Keep my files** or **Remove everything**.
4. Choose the reinstall source:
   * **Cloud download** — pulls a fresh copy (about 4 GB) from Microsoft. Best when your current files are corrupt, and it produces a more up-to-date result. Needs a stable connection and enough data allowance.
   * **Local reinstall** — rebuilds from files already on the PC. No download, but useless if those files are the corrupt part.
5. If you chose **Remove everything**, click **Change settings** and decide on **Clean data**. Off is fast; on overwrites the drive and takes hours—only necessary when the machine is leaving your hands.
6. Review the summary and click **Reset**.

Expect 30–90 minutes and several restarts. Do not interrupt it.

## Method 2: Reset When Windows Will Not Boot
1. Force-shutdown at the logo three times. On the next boot you reach **Automatic Repair** → **Advanced options**.
2. Alternatively boot from a Windows 11 USB and choose **Repair your computer**.
3. **Troubleshoot** → **Reset this PC**.
4. Follow the same prompts as Method 1.

If the recovery environment itself is missing or broken, a clean install from USB is the fallback: [clean install Windows 11](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-clean-install-windows-11/).

## After the Reset
1. **Run Windows Update repeatedly** until it reports nothing pending—a reset restores an older build and there will be several rounds.
2. **Install chipset and GPU drivers** from your PC maker or the component vendors. Windows' generic set works, but not well: [how to update outdated drivers](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-update-outdated-drivers/).
3. **Check Device Manager** for anything with a yellow warning triangle.
4. **Reinstall your applications** and sign back in.
5. **Restore your files** from backup.
6. **Set up backups again** before you forget: [set up automatic backups](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/set-up-automatic-backups/).
7. **Re-enable BitLocker** if you use it.

## When a Reset Is the Wrong Tool
* **Malware you want to be certain is gone** — a reset that keeps files can preserve infected documents and scripts. Use **Remove everything**, or better, a clean install: [remove a virus or malware](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/remove-virus-malware-windows-11/).
* **Hardware faults** — a reset does nothing for failing RAM or a dying drive. Test first: [check SSD or hard drive health](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/check-ssd-hard-drive-health-windows-11/).
* **One broken application or driver** — targeted fixes are far quicker than rebuilding the whole machine.

## If the Reset Fails
"There was a problem resetting your PC" almost always means damaged recovery files. Work through [fix "There was a problem resetting your PC"](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-there-was-a-problem-resetting-your-pc-windows-11/), which covers repairing the recovery environment and using cloud reset. If that fails too, a clean install from USB always works.

> **Sluggish even after a reset?** That usually means hardware. Check [speed up a slow Windows 11 PC](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/speed-up-slow-windows-pc/) and consider whether the drive is the bottleneck: [the best PC upgrades to speed up an old computer](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/best-pc-upgrades-to-speed-up-an-old-computer/).

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Source: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-factory-reset-windows-11/ — My Technician, free Windows 10/11 troubleshooting guides.
Related tool: RecoverPro (Windows data recovery software to recover deleted files, restore formatted drives, and rescue data from corrupted partitions on Windows 10 and 11.) — https://www.mytechnician.tech/apps/data-recovery-pro/
More guides: https://www.mytechnician.tech/llms.txt