Q&A for How to Reset Windows 10

Return to Full Article

Coming soon

Add New Question

Question

If I choose to remove everything, does it erase all the drives in/connected to my computer or only the one that I'm running Windows 10 on?

Community Answer

It'll only erase the Windows 10 OS drive (usually C: drive). Other drives in/connected to your computer won't be affected.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 19
Question

How can I do this if my screen is broken?

Community Answer

You can't, unfortunately. You will need to get a new screen.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 4 Helpful 8
Question

If I've logged into any website, will that history be removed as well?

Community Answer

Yes, depending on what browser you are using. To remove your browser history, just go to your settings in the browser and delete your history. You can also use incognito modes to avoid having your history saved.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 4
Question

If I choose to remove everything, will it reset my password too?

Community Answer

Yes, once you reset your Windows 10 computer, it will remove all user data. This includes documents, stored passwords, pictures, preferred settings, browser information, and application data.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 5
Question

How do I change from using a PIN to using a password to log in?

Sandy Chou

Community Answer

Settings - Accounts - Sign-in Options - Windows Hello PIN - Remove. Your password is your Outlook password.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 2
Question

If I select "Clean the Drive," which drive will it clean when using Windows 10?

Sandy Chou

Community Answer

It depends on what drive you chose. Choosing C: drive will not destroy it. It will just delete some unnecessary files.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 1
Question

How do I activate Windows 10 after it's been reset?

Sandy Chou

Community Answer

You need your product key, Check your email when you purchased windows 10 or if you had a physical copy, Check your box, If you have neither of those, contact Microsoft Support.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1
Question

Can I turn off the laptop while resting?

Sandy Chou

Community Answer

Do not turn off anything while resetting your PC/Laptop. Doing so will result in a corruption on your drive and Windows may not start ever again.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1
Question

When I reset my PC will it remove the device drivers as well?

Community Answer

Yes. A lot of times drivers cause issues, especially with the last part of the reset. Also, device drivers are removed as early as possible.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1
Question

I have 3 partitions in my PC. I've been attacked by malware, so I want to remove that. If I select erase all data, will the other partitions also will be reset ?

R2_d2000

Top Answerer

You would be better off manually installing Windows 10 . You can create an install disk by downloading the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's website. In the installer, you can specify the partitions you want to keep, and which ones to erase. Keep in mind that the malware could have spread to other partitions, so you should scan those with an anti-virus program. You should also back up all of your important data before doing this, since there is always a change that a bug or misclick could result in everything being erased.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1
Question

The reset will clean my drive when I turn on the data erasure. Does that mean all folders in the C: will also get deleted?

R2_d2000

Top Answerer

If you enable the "clean drive" function, then everything will be erased, and it will be impossible to recover the data.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
Question

If I select 'Troubleshoot' before resetting, will I be able to repartition my drives and choose where to install Windows 10?

R2_d2000

Top Answerer

No. If you want to repartition your drives, then the wikiHow article How to Partition a Drive on Windows should be able to help you.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
Question

Will any discs be ejected during the reset process and will it be possible to recover settings?

R2_d2000

Top Answerer

You should remove any disks that you don't want to be erased before resetting. Also, all settings will be reset, and it is not possible to recover the old ones.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0