Reset Windows 8

How to Reset Windows 8 and Windows 8.1

This will show you how to use a new feature in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 to reset your PC to completely start over back to default to remove all personal data, apps, and settings from the PC, and reinstall Windows. This is like doing a factory restore/recovery on a purchased computer or clean install, but a little faster.

Resetting your Windows 8 PC works like this:
  • The PC boots into the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE).
  • Windows RE erases and formats only the hard drive partition on which Windows 8 and your personal data (user folders) reside.
  • Windows RE installs a fresh copy of Windows 8.
  • The PC restarts into the newly installed copy of Windows 8.
You must have an administrator account on the computer to be able to reset Windows 8.

Note   Note

Which files will be affected?

When you reset your PC, the drive will be completely reset, and all your apps and files will be removed from it. Windows 8 will be reinstalled, and you'll need to change any settings and reinstall any apps that you want to get back after resetting. If you know if any files that you don't want to lose, then you should back those files up before starting the reset.

What if I have multiple drives?

You can choose whether to reset all hard drives or just the one with Windows 8 installed on it. Any drive that Windows 8 doesn't recognize, such as those with non-Windows operating systems, will not be affected.

warning   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.






OPTION ONE

How to Reset Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 at Boot



1. Boot to the System Recovery Options using the same type of Windows 8 installation DVD or USB thumb drive, or ISO file if in a virtual machine that you currently have installed, and click/tap on the Reset your PC option. (see screenshot below)

Reset-A.jpg

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

Reset-B.jpg

3. If prompted, select and click/tap on a listed administrator account to sign in to it. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Standard user accounts and domain accounts on the computer will not be listed.

Reset-C.jpg

A) Type in the password for the selected administrator account, and click/tap on Continue. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If you need to change the keyboard layout (language), then do so before entering your password so it will be the same language that the password was set in and match.

Reset-D.jpg

4. If prompted, select the OS (ex: Windows 8) you want to reset. (see screenshot below)

OS.jpg.jpg

5. If prompted, select if you would like to remove all files from all drives or only the Windows 8 drive. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You will only see this if you have more than one HDD or partition with a drive letter.

HDDs-1.jpg

6. If prompted, select if you would like to repartition the drives (remove all files) or keep the existing partitions. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You will only see this if you have more than one partition on your Surface.

Repartition.png


7. Select how you want to have your personal files deleted in this current installation of Windows 8. (see screenshot below)

Note   Note
Just remove my files = Quick, but your files might be recoverable by someone else since they are only marked as deleted.

Fully clean the drive = Thorough, but this can take several hours since it does a secure erase to overwrite your files so that they can't be easily recovered.





Delete-A.jpg


8. Click/tap on Reset. (see screenshot below)

Reset-E.jpg


9. Windows 8 will now start resetting. (see screenshot below)

Reset-7.jpg


10. Enter your Windows 8 or 8.1 product key number below, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

Reset-8.jpg


11. Check the I accept the license terms for using Windows box, and click/tap on the Accept button. (see screenshot below)

Reset-9.jpg


12. From this point on, the steps are the same as doing a clean install. Go to and start at step 10 in the tutorial link below to finish resetting Windows 8.

Clean Install - Windows 8






OPTION TWO

Reset Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 from within Windows 8 and Windows 8.1



1. While logged in to an administrator account in Windows 8, insert or connect the same type of Windows 8 installation DVD or USB thumb drive, or ISO file if in a virtual machine that you currently have installed.

2. Do step 3 or 4 below depending on which option you would prefer to use.

3. 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 5 or 6 below. (see screenshot below)

Recovery.jpg

4. Open PC settings, and do step 5 or 6 below for the Windows 8 you have installed.

5. If you have Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1

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

Windows_8.1_PC_settings-1.jpg

B) On the left side in Update & Recovery, click/tap on Recovery, click/tap on the Get started button under the Remove everything and reinstall Windowssection on the right side, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Windows_8.1_PC_settings-2.jpg

6. If you have Windows 8 or Windows RT

A) Click/tap on General on the left side, click/tap on the Get started button under the Remove everything and reinstall Windows section on the right side, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

General-reset.jpg


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


8. Click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

Reset-5.jpg

9. If prompted, select if you would like to remove all files from all drives or only the Windows 8 drive. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You will only see this if you have more than one HDD or partition with a drive letter. If you like, click/tap on the Show me the list of drives that will be affected link to see them.

HDDs2.jpg

10. Select how you want to have your personal files deleted in this current installation of Windows 8. (see screenshot below)

Note   Note
Just remove my files = Quick, but your files might be recoverable by someone else since they are only marked as deleted.

Fully clean the drive = Thorough, but this can take several hours since it does a secure erase to overwrite your files so that they can't be easily recovered.





Delete-B.jpg

11. Click/tap on Reset. (see screenshot below)

Reset-6.jpg

12. Windows 8 or 8.1 will now start resetting. (see screenshot below)

Reset-7.jpg

13. Enter your Windows 8 or 8.1 product key number below, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

Reset-8.jpg

14. Check the I accept the license terms for using Windows box, and click/tap on the Accept button. (see screenshot below)

Reset-9.jpg


15. From this point on, the steps are the same as doing a clean install. Go to and start at step 10 in the tutorial link below to finish resetting Windows 8 or 8.1.

Clean Install - Windows 8


That's it,
Shawn


 

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Last edited by a moderator:
So the bottom line is to make a disk image on any Drive other than a drive with the windows operating system on it? Just to make sure.

Correct. :)
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Awesome. Thank u!!!

Now, is it okay to have other files with that image on the same hard drive or the disk image has to be by itself completely?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Professional
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 860 Lynnfield Socket 1156 LGA @2.80ghz Quad Core
    Motherboard
    Asus P7P55D EVO (LGA1156)
    Memory
    8gb Dual Channel DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI AMD Radeon HD 5450 1024MB (VISIONTEK)
    Hard Drives
    2 External Seagate Backup Plus Drives and 1 WDC WD1001FALS Internal HDD
    PSU
    Corsair HX750W
    Case
    CM Cooler Master Storm Scout
    Cooling
    Corsair Cooling Hydro-Series All-in-One High-Performance Liquid CPU Cooler CWCH60
    Keyboard
    Logitech Illuminated Keyboard
    Mouse
    Generic GE Mouse
    Internet Speed
    Download 28.85 Mbps / Upload 5.98 Mbps
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security
Yes, you sure could continue to use the hard drive as usual. You just don't want to delete the custom recovery image on it unless you don't want to use it anymore.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Ok. Thank you again.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Professional
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 860 Lynnfield Socket 1156 LGA @2.80ghz Quad Core
    Motherboard
    Asus P7P55D EVO (LGA1156)
    Memory
    8gb Dual Channel DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI AMD Radeon HD 5450 1024MB (VISIONTEK)
    Hard Drives
    2 External Seagate Backup Plus Drives and 1 WDC WD1001FALS Internal HDD
    PSU
    Corsair HX750W
    Case
    CM Cooler Master Storm Scout
    Cooling
    Corsair Cooling Hydro-Series All-in-One High-Performance Liquid CPU Cooler CWCH60
    Keyboard
    Logitech Illuminated Keyboard
    Mouse
    Generic GE Mouse
    Internet Speed
    Download 28.85 Mbps / Upload 5.98 Mbps
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security
Quick question (I didn't see this asked or noted, so I apologize if I overlooked it): When using the reset function and opting to have all files removed, does doing this reference the OEM recovery partition (if applicable)?

Actually, a better way to phrase that to get the answer I'm looking for: will using the reset function return all the bloatware from the OEM?
 

My Computer

Hello AngelOvTeOdd, and welcome to Eight Forums.

It can vary depending on the OEM, but usually doing a reset would be the same as doing a factory recovery of Windows.

What brand and model is your PC?

Hope this helps for now, :)
Shawn
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Hi Shawn, and thanks!

I have two systems, actually: one is an Asus G750, and the other is a MSI GT70. Great machines and neither have a ton of OEM installed software, but all the same, if I could use the reset function in order to have a clean install (or Vanilla, if you will), that would be ideal. :)

Thanks for being so prompt and helpful!
 

My Computer

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Drats. That seems to present a brick wall when it comes to a clean/full install then, with the Win 8 product key on lock down now. Okay, thanks for the help Shawn!
 

My Computer

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Hi,
I bought a computer that I need to return before the return period is over. It came with Windows 8 already installed. In order to set up Windows 8 and I had log in with my Microsoft information. Given that, what info has been stored on the computer? Is it all my information (e.g. contacts, emails, etc) or is it just my login information?
I haven't added any apps, software or anything else.
I want to erase any personal data before I return it, but I can't do anything to it that will void the return policy and it seems some ways of erasing all my data will do that(?).
Will the above tutorial erase all my personal info or do I need to do something else? And as Windows 8 was pre-installed, I don't have the product key.
Thanks!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows8
Hello Pixie, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Yes, resetting Windows back to default will remove all information, and will basically be a new clean installation again. When you get to setup, you can just setup a dummy local account without a password so it will be generic.

Hope this helps, :)
Shawn
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
You're most welcome. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
well
i have windows 8 pre-installed
if i did so will it ask me to enter the product key -which i doesn't have - ?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo G580
    CPU
    Inter Core I5 3210M
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce 610
    Screen Resolution
    1366*786
    Internet Speed
    1MBpS
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Avira
    Other Info
    medical student who enjoys gaming
Hello Zaref,

No worries. OEM computers that come with Windows 8/8.1 preinstalled have the product key embedded in the BIOS/UEFI firmware now that the Windows installation will automatically detect and enter during installation and a reset. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
many thanks :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo G580
    CPU
    Inter Core I5 3210M
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce 610
    Screen Resolution
    1366*786
    Internet Speed
    1MBpS
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Avira
    Other Info
    medical student who enjoys gaming
You're most welcome. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
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