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I have windows 10 laptop. To reset it I can see there are couple of options.

  1. Using Windows USB that came with the laptop

  2. In recovery, under "Reset this PC", select get started.

  3. In recovery, under "Advanced startup", select "restart now"

  4. In recovery, under more recovery options select "Learn how to start fresh with a clean installation of Windows".

As novice windows user, given the above 4 options, I am not sure what option to use to reset Windows on my PC. Any advise?

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Using Windows USB that came with the laptop

This will restore your computer to the same state as when you unboxed it and started it up. All data and apps will be gone.

In recovery, under "Reset this PC", select get started.

This option will also reinstall Windows but it will normally keep your data and therefore keep your User Profile. Your applications will need to be re-installed.

If there is no User Profile damage, this option can work if you need to solve a major operation system corruption with your computer. If the User Profile has damage (sometimes hard to tell), then this option will not fix it.

In recovery, under "Advanced startup", select "restart now"

This option is not reinstalling anything, it is just for restarting and using options to control what things start. This can be helpful to solve some operational problems.

In recovery, under more recovery options select "Learn how to start fresh with a clean installation of Windows".

This is really another way to state option 1 above.

Another option: Use Windows 10 Repair Install

If your machine is running but having problems, you can run a Windows 10 Repair Install. This is often much more helpful than backing up and re-installing Windows.

Go to the Media Creation Link:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Windows 10 is running, so click on the Download button (not Upgrade Button) and select Run. If the Repair will not run as per above, use the Download button to create a USB Windows Installation key, then run Setup on the USB Key.

This will launch the Repair and proceed normally.

Start with the option to Keep Everything.

You can also Keep Data, or Keep Nothing. Keep Nothing is very close to a clean install.

If Repair with Keep Everything works, it is helpful because your machine and everything you had will remain intact.

Repair keeping anything (Everything or Data only) will not fix a damaged User Profile. Keep Nothing will delete the User Profile, all apps, and all data, and is a way to reinstall Windows that is fairly easy to do.

Good Luck with this.

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Three ways You can use depends on what you want:

  1. Reset Pc: It will reinstall Windows but delete your files, settings, and apps—except for the apps that came with your PC.
  2. Refresh Pc: It will reinstall Windows and keep your personal files and settings. Refresh also keeps the apps that came with your PC and the apps you installed from the Microsoft Store.
  3. Restore Pc: This will only work when you have already a system restore point.You have to create it (earlier when system is running perfectly fine).

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