Resetting the computer to factory settings is a very basic task and while it takes a pretty long time, you can be assured that anyone can do it. This article will give the main reasons and how to go about doing it.
The Need to Reset Computer Settings
Here are a few cases where you might need to reset computer settings.
- In case of a computer virus attack on your computer, sometimes the best way of getting rid of it to reset computer to default settings. As it cleans out the whole drive, it cleans out the viruses as well.
- The second common reason why you would want to reset computer to original settings is because your computer has gone too slow or isn’t running properly.
- If you are looking to sell your old computer, then again, you would want to retain the factory settings so that the new user gets a clean disk. It is one of the answers to the question how to clean computer hard drive.
Reset Your Computer Using CD
If you happen to still have the CD which came with your computer when you purchased it, this job of resetting computer settings will become all the more easy. Here’s how to do it with a CD.
- Get a backup of all your important files on a DVD or a USB drive or your friend’s hard disk. Resetting computer to factory settings will erase your drive and you may end up losing some very important documents. So get a backup of your stuff first. Here is more on data recovery.
- Insert the CD in the CD drive. The computer will then run the CD and ask you if you want to restore factory settings.
- Click on ‘yes’ and be patient as the computer reboots. The process could take a few hours.
Resetting Your Computer Without a CD
If your computer is really old then the chances are that you’ve probably misplaced the CD by now. Don’t worry if you have lost the CD because you can restore factory settings without the CD as well.
- Take a backup of all the files as mentioned in step one in the previous paragraph.
- Restart your computer and press F1 a few times as soon as the blank screen appears. The blank screen appears just when you turn on the computer.
- Pressing the F1 button will take you to the setup configuration mode which allows you to change the settings of your computer.
- In the menu, you will find an option for resetting computer to factory settings. Select the option.
- As in the case of resetting with a CD, this process to can take a few hours.
Apart from this, a lot of computer and laptops these days come with a ‘reset factory settings’ button, so the job becomes even simpler as you can do it with the touch of a button! This is a fairly simple job, if only a time-consuming one. But at the end of it, you’ll have your computer as good as new!