How to reset Windows 10 removing everything

  • To reset Windows 10 to the Microsoft original factory default settings, open Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, click the “Get started” button for the “Reset this PC” setting, choose the “Remove everything” option, select the “Cloud download” or “Local download,” and confirm the reset process.
  • It’s also possible to reset the system to the factory defaults from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).

On Windows 10, you can use the “Reset this PC” feature to factory reset the computer to the default settings, removing everything from all the drives. This feature comes in handy when the computer isn’t working correctly, is running slow, or has battery or app problems. Also, removing everything is particularly useful to completely clean up your computer when you plan to decommission it without giving away your information.

Whatever the reason, Windows 10 includes the “Reset this PC” feature, which allows you to quickly reset your device, ensuring that all your files, settings, and apps are beyond recovery.

In this guide, I’ll teach you how to reset your computer and remove everything on all drives using Windows 10’s cloud download or local image option.

Factory reset Windows 10 with cloud download

To reset Windows 10 and remove everything, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 10.

  2. Click on Update & Security.

  3. Click on Recovery.

  4. Click the Get started button under the “Reset this PC” section.

  5. Click the Remove everything option. (The “Cloud Download” option is also available for the “Keep my files” option.)

  6. Click the Cloud Download option to download a fresh copy of Windows 10.

  7. (Optional) Click the Change settings option.

  8. Turn on the “Download Windows” toggle switch.

  9. Turn on the “Clean data” toggle switch if you want the system to erase everything on the drive securely.

  10. (Optional) Turn on the “Delete files from all drives” toggle switch only if you want to delete the files from secondary drives.

  11. Click the Confirm button.

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Click the Next button again.

  14. Click the Reset button.

Once you complete the steps, the feature will download a fresh copy from the Microsoft servers and will reset the computer to the default factory settings. The completion time will depend on your computer hardware configuration and your selected reset options.

Although this feature downloads a fresh copy of Windows 10 from the cloud, it’s not a feature intended to upgrade to a new version of the operating system. When using the “Cloud download” option, the process will download the same version currently running on the device. However, it will be a fresh setup using the original installation files, not the custom image that came with the computer from the manufacturer, with custom settings and applications.

If you want to upgrade the operating system, it’s important to note that Windows 10 22H2 is the latest and last release. If your computer has compatible hardware, it’s best to upgrade to Windows 11, as Microsoft plans to end the support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025.

Factory reset Windows 10 with local reinstall

To reset Windows 10 by removing everything with the local reinstall option, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on Update & Security.

  3. Click on Recovery.

  4. Click the Get started button under the “Reset this PC” section.

  5. Click the Remove everything option.

  6. Click the Local reinstall option to reinstall Windows 10 with the installation files available on the computer.

  7. Click the Next button.

  8. Click the Reset button.

After you complete the steps, the computer will reset using the locally available files, erasing everything, including files, settings, and apps.

Factory reset Windows 10 from boot (BIOS)

To reset Windows 10 from boot using local reinstall or cloud download, use these steps:

  1. Start computer.

  2. Immediately after the Power-On Self-Test (POST), press the Power button again to shut down.

  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 twice, and in the third restart, the operating system should enter the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE).

    Quick note: Windows 10 includes multiple ways to open the Advanced startup settings. If you cannot access the recovery environment, try these other options.

  4. Click the Advanced options button.

  5. Click on Troubleshoot.

  6. Click the “Reset this PC” option.

  7. Select the “Remove everything” option to wipe out the hard drive and reinstall a fresh copy of Windows 10.

  8. Click the “Just remove my files” option if you plan to keep the device. Or select the “Fully clean the drive” option if you plan to get rid of the device.

  9. Select the “Cloud download” option to re-download Windows 10 instead of using the available image. (If you prefer to use the local image, select the “Local reinstall” option.)

  10. Click the Reset button.

Once you complete the steps, the feature will reset the computer to default settings by removing everything and reinstalling a fresh copy of Windows 10. If you select the “Cloud download” option, the system will download the image that has the same version of Windows 10 already installed on the computer. This isn’t an option to upgrade to a newer version.

If the feature isn’t working, you can also reset the computer using a clean installation of Windows 10, and you can do this using a USB bootable flash drive, mounting the ISO file to File Explorer, and through the Media Creation Tool.

Update December 2, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.


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