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Published
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March 24, 2013 |
Last Updated |
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March 24, 2013 |
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Introduction |
With Windows 8, you don't need to worry about
sending your PC to a technician to format it for
you. Now you can do it yourself, even if you don't
have any technical experience. Windows 8 introduced
a new way to format your machine and reset it to factory default
settings. Resetting your PC reinstalls Windows but
deletes your files, settings, and apps - except for
the apps that came with your PC.
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When you Reset your PC, Windows will
remove everything. It is like formatting you hard drive
and doing a complete Windows reinstall.
Resetting your Windows 8 PC goes
like this:
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The PC boots into
the Windows Recovery Environment
(Windows RE).
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Windows RE erases
and formats the hard drive partitions on
which Windows and personal data reside.
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Windows RE installs
a fresh copy of Windows.
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The PC restarts into
the newly installed copy of Windows.
To Reset Your PC, follow the
below steps :
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Using the Keyboard, click Windows + C
keystrokes to open the Charm Bar, then click
Settings
OR, using the Mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the
screen, move the mouse pointer down, click Settings

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Then click Change PC
settings

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Under PC settings, click
General

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Scroll to the bottom of the
page, under Remove everything and reinstall
Windows, click Get started

The wizard will explain to you that resetting your
pc will erase all your personal files and apps, and
that your PC settings will be changed back to their
defaults. To continue, click Next

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You'll be prompted to choose
whether you want to erase data quickly or
thoroughly. If you choose to erase data quickly,
some data might be recoverable using data recovery
software. If you choose to erase data thoroughly,
this will take longer to reset your machine but it
securely wipe your data and make recovering data far
less likely. Choosing to fully clean the drive is a
good option if you are selling your PC, otherwise, click
Just remove my files

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To begin resetting your Windows
8, click on Reset
Note :
Make sure you have a backup of your important
data before you proceed formatting your machine.

You might be asked to inset the
disc media for Windows 8. So make sure you have the
Windows 8 DVD/USB if you are asked to do so.

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The machine will reboot and will
be prepared for being resetted. The reset process
will take time depending on your choice.

The machine will reboot once its done resetting, and
the devices will start being ready

once devices are ready, Windows 8 will reboot one
last time
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The license terms page will
open, select the checkbox beside I accept
the license terms for using Windows and
then click Accept

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The wizard for setting up your
computer name, color and username will start.
Type a name for your Windows 8 machine and also
select a different color if you don't prefer the
default one. Then click Next

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On the next page of the Settings
Wizard, you can simply click on Express Settings.
The description of the express settings is listed as
shown in the below snapshot. Customized settings
gives you the option to configure each option.

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Now its time to sign in to your
PC. There are two options to sign in to your PC,
either using Microsoft account or using the Local
account.
Signing in with a Microsoft account is a new way
introduced with Windows 8. It has multiple
advantages listed in the below snapshot.

The Local account is the regular account which we
use it on all previous versions of Windows.
If your machine is not connected to the internet ,
then you can simply click on Sign in without a
Microsoft account. this will create a local user
account.

The wizard will remind you with the advantages of
using any of the accounts type; either local or
Microsoft Account. My machine currently does not
have internet access, so I will select Local
account.

Type your username, password and password hint. If
you don't want to type a password, simply just type
a username and then click Finish

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The wizard will be finalizing
your settings and getting your desktop ready

At the end, you will get logged into your account

Summary
When you Reset your PC, Windows will
remove everything. It is like formatting your hard drive
and doing a complete Windows reinstall. However, the
Reset process is faster than reinstalling Windows the
old-fashioned way. Resetting your Windows 8 machine is
also an excellent choice for when you're selling,
recycling, or gifting your PC.
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