How to Reset Any Toshiba Laptop: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Quickly perform a factory reset on your Toshiba laptop
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If you have a Toshiba Satellite, Tecra, Portege, E-series, or other model laptop you need to reset, we can help. Resetting your Toshiba laptop is helpful if you want to restore your computer to its original factory settings and wipe all data. Toshiba laptops do not come with recovery disks, but you can reset your laptop at any time using the recovery partition on your computer.

Factory Reset Your Toshiba Laptop: Quick Steps

Open your Windows Settings and navigate to Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC . Click Get Started , choose whether to keep or delete your personal files, and follow the on-screen instructions to reset your laptop.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Windows 10 & 11

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  1. To do so, press the Windows key on your keyboard, then click the gear icon. Also, if your Toshiba laptop is not plugged in, plug it in now.
    • You'll have two options for resetting your Toshiba laptop:
      • One is a factory reset, which deletes all personal files and restores your laptop to its original factory settings.
      • The other option, which is meant for troubleshooting , is to keep your files and just remove apps and settings.
    • Be sure to back up your data so you don't lose anything important.
  2. If you're using Windows 11, click System in the left panel instead. [1]
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  3. This displays several recovery options in the right panel.
  4. If you're using Windows 11, you'll see Reset PC instead.
  5. If you're using Windows 11, you can skip this step.
  6. If your goal is to get rid of your computer, you'll want to select Remove everything . If you want to reset your laptop because you're having problems with it, you can select Keep my files to keep your personal data and just remove the apps.
    • If you choose Keep my files , you'll be prompted to back up your data to a local drive or the cloud. Select an option as needed. And, if prompted to "Restore preinstalled apps," you can select Yes to reinstall any additional apps Toshiba installed on your laptop originally.
  7. Once reset, your laptop will reboot and prompt you to set up Windows.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Windows 8

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  1. Resetting your Toshiba laptop will wipe and erase all personal data. To avoid losing data, back up to an external USB drive or cloud storage service.
  2. If you have an external mouse, monitor , or USB drive connected to your laptop, disconnect it now.
  4. Continue pressing F12 until the Boot Menu screen appears.
  6. The Advanced Startup menu will display on-screen.
  7. Your Toshiba laptop will take anywhere between 15 minutes and two hours to reset. When complete, your laptop will restart and display the initial welcome screen. [2]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Windows 7 / Windows Vista / Windows XP

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  1. Resetting your computer will wipe and erase all personal data, so make sure you back up your data to an external USB drive or cloud storage service. [3]
  2. If you have an external mouse, monitor, or USB drive inserted, disconnect it before continuing.
  4. [4]
  6. For example, if your laptop runs on Windows 7, select “Windows 7.”
  7. The Toshiba Recovery Wizard will display on-screen. [5]
  8. [6]
  9. The reset process may take anywhere between 15 minutes and two hours. When complete, your laptop will restart and display the initial welcome screen.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I reformat my laptop if the screen is damaged?
    Daniel Smith
    Community Answer
    Try projecting the screen to a TV with an HDMI cable. It may help with reformatting.
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    Not Helpful 8 Helpful 3
  • Question
    I have tried both of these, and neither of them work. What else can I do to factory reset my Toshiba laptop?
    Hayden Sides
    Community Answer
    Shut down and restart the laptop by holding down the power button. Immediately and repeatedly press the F12 button until the boot menu appears. Use the arrow keys to select "HDD Recovery" and press Enter.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
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  • Question
    I forgot the password to my laptop. How do I reset it without a USB drive?
    Community Answer
    Follow method 3 above. It will help you to recover access.
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      Tips

      • If the recovery partition of your Toshiba laptop has been compromised due to malware or viruses, learn how to create a boot disk so you can proceed with resetting your laptop. A boot disk will help restore and recover your computer so you can properly reset your laptop to factory settings.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/give-your-pc-a-fresh-start-0ef73740-b927-549b-b7c9-e6f2b48d275e
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/2pCTWJSLMHg?t=110
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-back-up-or-transfer-your-data-on-a-windows-based-computer-bd7e1bcf-15ea-078b-922f-6d6fcca76c7e
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/yuJatOVvxuM?t=10
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/2EUD-fLFqkE?t=50
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/2EUD-fLFqkE?t=71

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