Refresh Windows 8

How to Refresh Windows 8 and Windows 8.1​

   Information

This will show you how to use a new feature in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 to refresh your PC to keep all personal data, Metro style apps, and important settings from the PC, and reinstall Windows.

If a recovery image provided by your PC's manufacturer is present, Windows 8 will use that image when you refresh your PC. Otherwise, Windows 8 will use your installation media when you refresh your PC.

This refresh feature is something close to like what doing a repair install in Windows 7 and Vista was for, but made a lot easier, faster, and safer to do now in Windows 8.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

Refreshing your PC goes like this:

• The PC boots into Windows RE (Recovery Environment).
• Windows RE scans the hard drive for your data, settings, and apps, and puts them aside (on the same drive).
• Windows RE installs a fresh copy of Windows.
• Windows RE restores the data, settings, and apps it has set aside into the newly installed copy of Windows.
• The PC restarts into the newly installed copy of Windows.

   Note

Which Settings will be Preserved

• All user accounts.
• Files in all users' C:\Users\(user-name) folders. (ex: Desktop, My Documents, My Music, etc...)
• Wireless network connections
• Apps from the Windows Store will be kept.
• Mobile broadband connections
• BitLocker and BitLocker To Go settings
• Drive letter assignments
• Personalization settings such as lock screen background and desktop wallpaper
• Choices you made during Windows Welcome, such as computer name and user accounts, will not change.
• Network, Libraries, and Windows Update settings will not change.
• Customer Experience Improvement Program settings will not change.
• Windows Error Reporting settings will not change.
• Some drivers may or may not be removed.

Which Settings will be NOT be Preserved

• File type associations
• Display settings
• User settings
• Windows Firewall settings
• App settings
• All installed 3rd party desktop programs (not Store apps). A list of removed apps will be saved on your desktop after the refresh is finished to let you know which programs were removed.
• You PC settings will be changed back to their defaults.
• Installed Windows Updates will be removed.
• Some drivers may or may not be removed.

   Tip

If you create a custom recovery image, a refresh will also contain the desktop apps you've installed, and the Windows system files in their current state. If you would like to be able to refresh Windows 8 with a custom recovery image, then you would need to create and register a custom image first.

Refresh Windows 8 - Create and Use Custom Recovery Image

OR

Refresh Windows 8 - Set a Custom Recovery Image as Active

   Warning

If you set UAC to Always notify me, then you will not be able to use the refresh and reset Windows 8 features. These features require UAC to be set to the default or lower level to work.

If you have an OEM PC that came with Windows 8 preinstalled and updated to Windows 8.1, then when you refresh Windows, it will restore Windows 8. Afterwards, you will need to update to Windows 8.1 via the Store again.

OPTION ONE

How to Refresh Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 at Boot

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1. Boot to the System Recovery Options using your Windows 8 installation DVD or USB thumb drive, or ISO file if in a virtual machine, and click/tap on the Refresh your PC option. (see screenshot below}​

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2. Click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

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3. If prompted, select the Windows 8 or 8.1 that you want to refresh. (see screenshot below)​

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4. Click/tap on Refresh. (see screenshot below)​

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5. Windows 8 or 8.1 will now start to be refreshed.​

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6. When it's finished, you can now log back on to a refreshed Windows 8 or 8.1. (see screenshots below)​

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   Note

If any apps were removed during the refresh, you will find a Removed Apps.html file on the desktop detailing what it removed and at what time.

   Note

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You will also now have a Windows.old folder that has been placed in the root directory of the Windows 8 or 8.1 drive that contains a copy of the previous Windows 8 or 8.1 installation before it was refreshed. This folder can be quite large in size, so the tutorial below will show you how to delete it if you like.​

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How to Delete the "Windows.old" Folder in Windows 8​

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OPTION TWO

Refresh Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 from within Windows 8 and 8.1

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1. While signed in as an administrator in Windows 8 or 8.1, do step 2 or 3 below depending on which option you would prefer to use.​

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2. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on the Recovery icon, click/tap on the If you're experiencing problems with your PC, you can refresh it in PC settings link, and go to step 4 or 5 below. (see screenshot below)​

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3. Open PC settings, and do step 4 or 5 below for the Windows 8 you have installed.​

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4. If you have Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1​

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A) On the left side in PC settings, click/tap on Update & Recovery. (see screenshot below)​

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B) On the left side in Update & Recovery, click/tap on Recovery, click/tap on the Get started button under the Refresh your PC without affecting your files section on the right side, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below​

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5. If you have Windows 8 or Windows RT​

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A) Click/tap on General on the left side, click/tap on the Get started button under the Refresh your PC without affecting your files section on the right side, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)​

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6. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.​

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7. If prompted to Insert media, insert or connect your Windows installation DVD or USB, or ISO file if in a virtual machine.​

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8. Click/tap on Next. (see screenshots below)​

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9. Click/tap on Refresh. (see screenshot below)​

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10. Windows 8 or 8.1 will now start to be refreshed.​

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11. When it's finished, you can now log back on to a refreshed Windows 8 or 8.1. (see screenshots below)​

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   Note

If any desktop apps (programs) were removed during the refresh, you will find a Removed Apps.html file on the desktop detailing what it removed and at what time.

You will also now have a Windows.old folder that has been placed in the root directory of the Windows 8 or 8.1 drive that contains a copy of the previous Windows 8 or 8.1 installation before it was refreshed. This folder can be quite large in size, so the tutorial below will show you how to delete it if you like.

How to Delete the "Windows.old" Folder in Windows 8

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Create a Refresh Windows Shortcut in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Do a Repair Install of Windows 8 without Losing Anything
• How to Refresh or Reset Windows 8 without Installation Disk
• How to Create a Custom Recovery Image to Use to Refresh Windows 8
• How to Set a Custom Recovery Image as Active to Use to Refresh Windows 8
• How to Display Path of Current Active Recovery Image Used to Refresh Windows 8
• How to Deregister the Current Custom Recovery Image to Refresh Windows 8
• How to Boot to the "System Recovery Options" in Windows 8
• How to Create a Recovery PC settings Shortcut in Windows 8.1
• How to Reset Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
• How to Delete the "Windows.old" Folder in Windows 8
• How Run a "Automatic Repair" to Fix Windows 8 Startup Problems
• How to Run the "SFC /SCANNOW" Command at Boot or in Windows 8
• How to Do a System Image Recovery in Windows 8
• How to Use DISM to Fix Component Store Corruption in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
• How to Fix "You've been signed in with a temporary profile" Error in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Fix "User Profile Service service failed the sign-in. User Profile cannot be loaded." Error in Windows 8 and 8.1

 

[varga]

thanks

Once again man, big thanks. You have taken me out of the fog here, and i really apreciate it.
I think that i will go for the external rack solution and i will let you know what i solve, maybe it can be usefull to other people that get stuck like me.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome. I hope it goes smoothly.

 

[MichaelK]

Hi,

I'm having an issue that I'm not sure how to resolve. Everything worked perfectly until refreshing. After I refreshed I did see in the system that there's an ID number, but I still had the notice that windows is not activated. Does it have something to do with windows not recognizing internet access?

Thanks,
Michael

 

[Brink]

Hello Michael,

Yes, you will need to have an internet connection to be able to activate.

 

[MichaelK]

Hello Michael,

Yes, you will need to have an internet connection to be able to activate.

Hi Brink,

Yeah I thought so. The issue I'm having is that to have Internet connection I need to install the chipset drivers, but when I start refreshing it deletes them, so there's no way for me to keep the connection for Windows to activate.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that i'm trying to follow the tutorial How to Do a Clean Install With Windows 8 Upgrade

 

[Brink]

That's ok. Once installation is finished, you should be able to install the drivers, then activate.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/29885-activate-windows-8-online.html

 

[MichaelK]

That's ok. Once installation is finished, you should be able to install the drivers, then activate.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/29885-activate-windows-8-online.html

Thank you Brink, but now I have a different issue. for some reason when i enter a product key it tells me that the key didn't work, which is weird because I had to insert it while installing and it worked then. So what changed?

Thanks again.

 

[Brink]

Be sure that you are not using a Media Center key, and only your Windows 8 key.

Since you are doing a clean install with an upgrade Windows 8, check if doing step 5 or 6 will activate it.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/13375-clean-install-windows-8-upgrade.html

If not, then see if you may be able to activate by phone.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/24636-activate-windows-8-phone.html

 

[MichaelK]

Thanks for the help Brink.

The issue I had with key was non related. I was under the impression that the Win 8.1 keys our university gave us could be used multiple times, so I had used it on my laptop. I just received my new key and everything works well, I was able to do a clean install from an upgrade version.

Much appreciated.

 

[Brink]

Ah, ok. Yeah, they can only be activated on one PC at the same time. Glad you got it sorted.

 

[jipr1217]

Hello, my laptop running 8.1 has been sluggish lately; i.e. Chrome lagging/not responding message in the title bar then responding again, same with MS Office products like Word. Would a Refresh help with this? Thanks!

 

[Brink]

Hello Jipr,

A refresh should be able to help.

However, you might see if using the options in the tutorial below may be able to help performance without having to refresh Windows.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/37511-optimize-performance-windows-8-a.html

 

[jipr1217]

Thanks Brink. That is one long list but I'll review and see which optimizations I can apply.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome. Please let us know how it went.

 

[jipr1217]

The issue ended up being a failing hard drive. I purchase a replacement drive and will be installing it and a clean OS shortly. Thanks to all!

 

[Brink]

Jipr,

I'm sorry to hear that your drive failed, but glad to hear that you will have it all sorted soon. Thank you for posting back with your results.

 

[jipr1217]

The laptop came with a 1 TB drive installed which I thought was a plus. Apparently they do not function very well and a 500 GB or 750 GB drive is better. So much for wanting to have built in large storage. Live and learn.

 

[Peter2]

Don't feel bad. I got a bad drive with Dell XPS 8200 3 times so they replaced the whole pc with an 8300. It too had to have the hard drive replaced. Finally, it has lasted for 4 years now.
They are getting parts all over the world even if they say in house and most are not the quality we were used to a decade ago when it was in house. Its a crap shoot unless you build your own. You just have to keep after them and enforce the lemon law if necessary.

 

[jipr1217]

The laptop was only 1 year and 4 mos old and like you said its a crap shoot. I now bought a 500 GB drive and will use my external drives to store stuff off.

 

[Peter2]

drives

I think the size of the drive is not the culprit.
I have a 2 T and a 2 T external drive which work well. My pcs are IT and 650 GB.


However, your idea is a good one. Keep as much clutter off of your internal drive and using the external drive keeps you away from the peeping eyes of the Cloud.
Don't forget to image your operating system when you first install it or at least when it is running well. I use Macrium free and it is easy. Guys here can help you with it if you need it.
Image, image, image.