How To Reformat Pc Windows 10

How to reinstall your Windows 11 or Windows 10, format the bulldoze and reset everything – without losing your programs and files

In this commodity, we will learn how to reinstall Windows on your PC, and do a complete arrangement wipe and refresh – while however retaining your programs, contour, settings, documents, pictures, music, movies, favorites, wallpaper and everything else.

A Windows wipe and reinstall is a useful procedure in many cases. It could be a virus infection, a Windows Updates failure, or just Windows 11 / Windows 10 becoming too slow or problem-ridden for use. In these cases, PC repair professionals would sometimes recommend to support the computer, wipe its difficult drive, and reinstall Windows; and then, to recover your stuff from backup.

Traditionally, this has been a cumbersome procedure, and what's worse – with traditional backups, you only get a partial recovery – user files but – losing all programs, settings, personalization, profiles, passwords etc. In this commodity, we'll run across how to do a consummate backup and recovery without losing anything!

How to Backup your Windows PC

The offset step in a reinstall like this is to back up everything you've got. Later y'all reset the system, your programs and data volition be gone, and you will demand to restore them to get back to normal. The production we volition be using for this is Migration Kit Pro, which allows to easily support, and most importantly to hands restore programs, settings and files after reinstalling Windows (even if you are switching to a different Windows version!). Alternatively, you can as well use whatsoever 3rd party backup product that can perform a full system image backup, although that would only allow yous to restore files, not programs.

How to backup your Windows and so that you tin restore programs, settings and files after the reinstall

Before we begin, the most important part is to have a total, complete backup of your computer. This is crucial – without this step, you will lose your programs and data if you wipe the organization clean.

Download and run Zinstall Migration Kit Pro on your estimator.
Use its 3rd selection, "Moving from Car to Container".
Select the C: drive on Source option, and select a place to store your backup container (information technology's simply a big file) in the Target browse choice.
A skilful place to store the container is a USB external hard drive, but any identify which is exterior the computer we are wiping will practise fine, such as a network drive, another hard drive in the computer etc.
Start the fill-in process. This should take a long while, and you will run into a message confirming that the container has been created successfully.

That's it – with just a few clicks, your stuff is now safe, and we can proceed to resetting Windows on this computer.

How to Reinstall Windows

Once you accept your fill-in, it'due south time to perform the actual Windows wipe and install. There are several means to practise information technology:

Selection 1: If you are on Windows 11 or Windows ten, it is quite easy to reset it, and y'all don't even to wipe the bulldoze. Here'southward how:

Open Kickoff Menu, and select "Settings".
In Settings, go to the Arrangement tab.
In that menu, go to Recovery.
In that location, await for "Reset this PC", and hitting Get Started. This will open the Reset wizard.
Select the pick to Remove everything.
Follow the prompts until the wizard starts resetting your Windows to its original "out of the box" country.

In one case washed, keep to the "Restore your programs, settings and files from backup" section.

Selection 2: If you are non on Windows xi or Windows 10, or the built-in Reset process does not work for some reason, effort using the PC Manufacturer's Factory Reset choice. Each PC vendor has different instructions on how to practise that. Typically, you need to restart the computer, and then hit one of the function keys (F2, F8, F9, F10, F11, F12) to access the manufacturer factory reset carte du jour. Then, follow the instructions to completely reset the computer to mill state. Once washed, proceed to the "Restore your programs, settings and files from backup" section.

Option 3: If all else fails, yous tin manually install a fresh re-create of Windows eleven or Windows 10 on the computer, wiping the previous installation. Here is how to practice that:

Showtime, nosotros'll create a Windows 11 or Windows 10 USB installation bulldoze. Hither is how:
On whatsoever working computer (you can do that on the one y'all will be wiping), download Microsoft's Windows 11 or Windows x Media Cosmos Tool
The tool is bachelor here:
https://get.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209
In one case you lot download it, plug a blank USB stick into the computer.
Then, tell the tool to create an installation media on that USB stick (DO Not press "Upgrade At present", since that would upgrade the computer you are doing this on).
Once the tool is done, take the USB stick and plug it into the calculator that we are wiping and reinstalling.
Reboot the computer that nosotros are reinstalling so that information technology runs from the USB stick and starts the Windows xi or Windows 10 installation process.
In the installation process, tell the tool to do a Custom install, and and so use the wizard to wipe the existing Windows, and reinstall a new, fresh copy of Windows instead.

One time done, go on to the "Restore your programs, settings and files from backup" section.

How to Restore your programs and files from backup

Once you accept your fresh new Windows installation, it is time to restore your programs, settings and files from the backup you've made before.
To practice that, run Zinstall Migration Kit Pro and use the quaternary option, "Moving from Container to Machine".
Betoken it to the backup container you've created in the commencement department, and it will restore everything, including programs, settings and files, to the new Windows.
If y'all don't want to restore everything, you tin also exclude some programs / folders you lot don't want to recover.

That'southward information technology – you have a successfully reset your computer, and kept your programs, accounts and files right they should exist!

Fix to go?

Gear up to backup your Windows, wipe it and then recover your programs and files? Get Zinstall Migration Kit Pro here. Whatsoever questions? Need guidance? Looking for help with your Windows reinstall, backup or recovery? Our look techs are continuing by!

Contact united states of america by email (support@zinstall.com), phone (877.444.1588), or conversation (bottom-correct corner of this folio).

We are looking forward to assisting you.