Remove everything and reinstall Windows
If you want to recycle your PC, give it away, or start over
with it, you can reset it completely.
Note
- If you
upgraded your PC from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 and your PC has a
Windows 8 recovery partition, resetting your PC will restore
Windows 8. You’ll need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 after the reset
has finished.
Warning
- All of
your personal files will be deleted and your settings will be reset. All
apps that you installed will be removed. Only apps that came with your PC
will be reinstalled.
To reset your PC
- Swipe
in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC
settings.
(If you’re using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen,
move the mouse pointer down, click Settings, and then click Change PC
settings.)
- Tap or
click Update and recovery, and then tap or click Recovery.
- Under "Remove everything and reinstall Windows," tap or click Get started.
- Follow
the instructions on the screen.
Note
- You’ll
be asked to choose whether you want to erase data quickly or thoroughly.
If you choose to erase data quickly, some data might be recoverable using
special software. If you choose to erase data thoroughly, this will take
longer but it makes recovering data less likely.