There are several reasons why you may want to do a Windows reset without having to format your computer and reinstall everything from scratch. After using Windows for a while, it could happen that, after installing many programs, after running more or less reliable optimization tools, after suffering some virus or malware then removed or after changing some internet settings computer, something no longer works as it should .
Even if I always invite you to look for solutions for every error and to use the system restore utility before anything, there may be problems with some application that is not working, with too slow uploads or with the security permissions that prevent certain operations.
UPDATE: Windows 10 reset is all automatic as well as Windows 8 reset.
This article only applies to Windows 7 and XP.
Also note that branded laptops and desktop PCs always have a utility for restoring the computer to factory settings .
On normal Windows 7, XP and Vista PCs, however, there is no way to return to the initial settings while keeping all the programs and system customizations; as seen, when there are serious problems, you can restore or reinstall Windows without losing personal data and settings .
But before moving on to a reinstallation, if you weren't prepared with a backup of your computer before, there are a few things you can try to reset the security settings of Windows to the default values (the initial ones after the installation) and clean up deeply the system from any possible source of problems.
1) Before removing anything, it's a good idea to try the Microsoft Fix It common error tools.
2) If the problem is related to permissions and security settings and strange errors such as " access denied " or " operation not allowed " are received, a reset of the protection options of Windows 7, XP or Vista can be attempted.
For all non-Home versions of Windows, you can follow this Microsoft guide to restore the operating system's default security settings from the original installation:
In Windows XP, from the Run box, type the cmd command and press Enter to open the command prompt.
On Windows Vista and Windows 7, search for cmd from the Search box, right click on cmd and then run it as administrator.
On Windows XP, you need to write the following command and press Enter :
secedit / configure / cfg% windir% \ repair \ secsetup.inf / db secsetup.sdb / verbose
On Windows Vista and Windows 7 the command is different:
secedit / configure / cfg% windir% \ inf \ defltbase.inf / db defltbase.sdb / verbose
After completing this, user accounts may have disappeared to access the computer.
Staying with the command prompt open, type the command net localgroup users account_name / add .
Microsoft has also released an automatic Fix it of Windows security settings.
3) If there are still problems of access denied in a few folders or occasionally, I recommend reading how to change permissions on files and folders of accounts.
Be wary of any external program such as Rizone Security Restore or others that are not developed by Microsoft.
If you are still not satisfied and you want to continue with the reset of Windows until it returns to its initial state completely, without proceeding with a format, proceed as described in the guide to return the computer to its original state, as new, without reinstalling Windows .
Summarizing the points it is:
- Remove all applications and programs
From the control panel, enter the program installation and removal menu and uninstall all those that are not needed and also those that seem to have some problems.
The fastest way to quickly remove all programs is to sort them by author's name.
- Delete all temporary and cache files using Ccleaner or other programs to clean the Windows registry and obsolete files completely, so as to remove all traces of the uninstalled programs.
- Clean the automatic start of unused programs with the tools indicated in the guide.
- Reset the Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers
- You can reset the registry keys and services with RefreshPc, a free program that works to restore the system to its default values without compromising its operation and without deleting any files.
In general and without all these procedures, you can always reset and solve any problem on the PC by creating a new user, without formatting .
