Windows 10 recovery options: windows recovery tool

Recovery options in Windows 10 – Windows 10 recovery

If your PC isn’t running as quickly or reliably as it used to, try one of these recovery options. The following table can help you decide which one to use.

  1. Your PC isn’t working well and you recently installed an app, driver, or update. – Restore from a system restore point.
  2. Your PC isn’t working well and it’s been a while since you installed anything new – Reset your PC.
  3. You want to reinstall your previous operating system – Go back to your previous version of Windows.
  4. Your PC won’t start and you’ve created a recovery drive – Use a recovery drive to reinstall Windows.
  5. Your PC won’t start and you haven’t created a recovery drive – Use installation media to reinstall Windows

Method 1: Restore from a system restore point – Windows 10 recovery

Restore from a system restore point - Windows 10 recovery
Restore from a system restore point – Windows 10 recovery

Windows 10 recovery: If your PC isn’t running as quickly or reliably as it used to, try one of these Windows 10 recovery options. The following table can help you decide which one to use. Microsoft windows 10 System protection Restore Point is a very important and vital built-in tool that helps you to restore your Windows system to previous good working condition, in case if something goes wrong. Restoring won’t affect your personal files, but it will remove apps, drivers, and updates installed after the restore point was made.

  1. Right-click (or press and hold) the Start button, and then select Control Panel.
  2. Search Control Panel for Recovery.
  3. Select Recovery Open System Restore > Next.
  4. Choose the restore point related to the problematic app, driver, or update, and then select NextFinish.

Note:

  • If you’re not seeing any restore points, it might be because system protection isn’t turned on. To check, go to the Control Panel, search for Recovery, and then select Recovery > Configure System RestoreConfigure and make sure Turn on system protection is selected.


Method 2: Reset your PC – Windows 10 recovery

Reset your PC - Windows 10 recovery
Reset your PC – Windows 10 recovery

Windows 10 recovery – windows recovery tool :

  1. If your windows pc or windows 10 pc is not working well then you can use reset your pc feature to keep your files or remove them, and then reinstalls Windows.
  2. In the first step just Go toSettings
  3. And then Go toUpdate & security
  4. Now Go toReset this PC > Get started and then choose an option.

Now after choosing Reset Your PC, you will see some options for different problems and can choose one of them according to your problem. Now, Lets have a look below regarding what are the different options you can choose from:

Option 1: Keep my files (windows recovery tool) :

Keep my files (windows recovery tool)
Keep my files (windows recovery tool)
  • Reinstalls Windows 10 and keeps your personal files.
  • Removes apps and drivers you installed.
  • Removes changes you made to settings.
  • Removes any apps your PC manufacturer installed. (If your PC came with Windows 10, apps from your PC manufacturer will be reinstalled.)

Option 2: Remove everything (windows recovery tool):

Remove everything (windows recovery tool)
Remove everything (windows recovery tool)

Windows 10 recovery – windows recovery tool:

Reinstalls Windows 10 and removes all your personal files.

  • Removes apps and drivers you installed.
  • Removes changes you made to settings.
  • Removes any apps your PC manufacturer installed. (If your PC came with Windows 10,  apps from your PC manufacturer will be reinstalled.)

If you’re planning to donate, recycle, or sell your PC, use this option and choose to fully clean the drive. This might take an hour or two, but it makes it harder for other people to recover files you’ve removed.

Option 3: Restore factory settings (windows recovery tool):

Restore factory settings (windows recovery tool) Windows 10 recovery options
Restore factory settings (windows recovery tool) Windows 10 recovery options
  •  Reinstalls the version of Windows that your PC came with (either Windows 8 or Windows 8.1) and removes your personal files.
  • Removes apps and drivers you installed.
  • Removes changes you made to settings.
  • Reinstalls any apps your PC manufacturer installed on your PC.

This option isn’t available on all PCs. Windows 10 recovery – windows recovery tool

Note

  • If you reset your PC within a month of your upgrade to Windows 10, the option in Settings that lets you go back to your previous version of Windows will no longer be available. Windows 10 recovery – windows recovery tool

Method 3: Go back to your previous version of Windows – Windows 10 recovery

Go back to your previous version of Windows - Windows 10 recovery
Go back to your previous version of Windows – Windows 10 recovery

For a month after you upgrade to Windows 10, you’ll be able to go back to your previous version of Windows from SettingsUpdate & security > Recovery. This will keep your personal files, but it’ll remove apps and drivers installed after the upgrade, as well as any changes you made to settings.

To go back, you’ll need to:

  • Keep everything in the windows.old and $windows.~bt folders after the upgrade.
  • Remove any user accounts you added after the upgrade.
  • Know the password you used to sign in to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 (if you used one).
  • Have the USB drive you used to upgrade to Windows 10 (if you used one).

    Go back to your previous version of Windows - Windows 10 recovery
    Go back to your previous version of Windows – Windows 10 recovery

If go back isn’t available –  Windows 10 recovery – windows recovery tool

Go back to not available Windows 10
Go back to not available Windows 10
  • Check to see if you can restore your PC to factory settings. This will reinstall the version of Windows that came with your PC and remove personal files, apps and drivers you installed, and any changes you made to settings. Go to SettingsUpdate & security > Recovery > Reset this PC > Get started and look for Restore factory settings.
  • If you have installation media and a product key for your previous version of Windows, you can use them to go back. Get the details in the Use installation media to reinstall Windows section of this topic. Windows 10 recovery – windows recovery tool

Windows 10 recovery – windows recovery tool


Windows 10 recovery Method 4: Use a recovery drive to reinstall Windows

Use a recovery drive to reinstall Windows
Use a recovery drive to reinstall Windows

Windows 10 recovery: If your PC won’t start, you can use a recovery drive to restore from system restore point, reset your PC, or use advanced troubleshooting options (including safe mode). For info on how to create a recovery drive on a working PC, see Creating a recovery drive.

If you’re using a recovery drive created on Windows 10:

  1. Connect the recovery drive and turn on your PC.
  2. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot, and then select an option. If you don’t see the Choose your option screen, your PC might not be set up to boot from a drive. Check your PC manufacturer’s website for info on how to change your PC’s boot order.
    • Restore from a system restore point by selecting Advanced OptionsSystem Restore. This will remove recently installed apps, drivers, and updates that might be causing your PC problems, but it won’t affect your personal files.
    • Select Reset this PC and then choose to keep or remove your files. For info on how resetting affects your apps and settings, see the Reset your PC section of this topic.

If resetting doesn’t work, you can also Recover from a drive. This will reinstall Windows 10 (unless your PC came with Windows 8/8.1 and a recovery partition from your PC manufacturer, in which case it’ll reinstall the version of Windows that came with your PC). It’ll also remove your personal files, apps and drivers you installed, and changes you made to settings.

  • Use advanced troubleshooting options (including safe mode) by selecting Advanced OptionsStartup Settings >Restart, and then following the steps on the screen. If you’re not familiar with these advanced options, try restoring from a system restore point, resetting your PC, or using installation media to reinstall Windows.

Note

  • If you chose not to back up system files when you created your recovery drive, Reset this PCand Recover from a drive won’t be available. Windows 10 recovery – windows recovery tool

If you’re using a recovery drive created on Windows 8.1:

  1. Connect the recovery drive and turn on your PC.
  2. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot, and then select an option. If you don’t see the Choose your option screen, your PC might not be set up to boot from a drive. Check your PC manufacturer’s website for info on how to change your PC’s boot order.
    • Restore from a system restore point by selecting Advanced OptionsSystem Restore. This will remove recently installed apps, drivers, and updates that might be causing your PC problems, but it won’t affect your personal files.
    • Select Reset your PCYes, repartition the drive to reinstall Windows 8.1. This will remove all your personal files, apps and drivers you installed, and changes you made to settings. Apps from your PC manufacturer will be reinstalled and the drive’s default partitions will be restored.
    • Use advanced troubleshooting options (including safe mode) by selecting Advanced OptionsStartup Settings >Restart, and then following the steps on the screen. If you’re not familiar with these advanced options, try restoring from a system restore point, resetting your PC, or using installation media to reinstall Windows.

Note

  • If you’re using a Windows 8.1 recovery drive on a PC that was upgraded to Windows 10, Refresh your PC and Reset your PC > No, keep existing partitions won’t work. Try selecting Reset your PC > Yes, repartition the drive

If you chose not to copy the recovery partition when you created your recovery drive, Reset your PC > Yes, repartition the drive won’t be available. Windows 10 recovery – windows recovery tool


Windows 10 recovery Method 5: Use installation media to reinstall Windows

Use installation media to reinstall Windows
Use installation media to reinstall Windows

Windows 10 recovery: If your PC won’t start, you can use installation media to restore from a system restore point, reset your PC, get to advanced troubleshooting options (like safe mode), or perform a clean installation of Windows 10 or a previous version of Windows.

To restore from a system restore point, reset your PC, or get to advanced troubleshooting options from installation media:

  1. On a working PC, go to the Microsoft software download website and create Windows 10 installation media.
  2. Insert the installation media you created, and then restart your PC.
  3. On the Install Windows screen, select Repair your computer. (If you’re not seeing this screen, your PC might not be set up to boot from a drive. Check your PC manufacturer’s website for info on how to change your PC’s boot order, and then try again.)
  4. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot. From there, you can:
    • Restore from a system restore point by selecting Advanced optionsSystem Restore. This will remove recently installed apps, drivers, and updates that might be causing your PC problems. Restoring from a restore point won’t affect your personal files.
    • Select Reset this PC to reinstall Windows 10. This will remove apps and drivers you installed and changes you made to settings, but lets you choose to keep or remove your personal files.
    • Use advanced troubleshooting options (including safe mode). Select Advanced OptionsStartup Settings >Restart, and then follow the steps on the screen. If you’re not familiar with these advanced troubleshooting options, try restoring from a system restore point, resetting your PC, or performing a clean installation of Windows. Windows 10 recovery – windows recovery tool

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