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Computer & Internet · September 25, 2021

How to Factory Reset Your Laptop

There are many reasons why you would want to factory reset your laptop. You could have received a laptop from someone and want to delete everything on it to start afresh. You could also want to wipe your laptop clean to free up space for a new project. 

Whatever the case may be, it’s very simple to reset your computer. Whether you have a Windows laptop or a Mac, it’s never been easier to perform a factory reset on your PC. Below, you’ll learn everything you need to know about resetting your computer. 

Important Things to Do Before Performing a Factory Reset

Before you reset your computer, there are some important considerations to make. Here is an extensive checklist of items to complete before deciding to reset your laptop. 

Make Sure You Really Want to Move Forward:

Sometimes, resetting your laptop isn’t an ideal choice, even if it’s a simple process. For example, if you’re looking for more space on your laptop, you can always:

  • Purchase an external hard drive for more storage. 
  • Delete unnecessary files and applications. 
  • Buy a new laptop with extra storage.
  • Use the cloud to store irrelevant files and apps.

If the above options don’t make sense for you, then performing a factory reset computer is your best option. 

Protect Your Important Data:

There is nothing more frustrating than resetting your laptop and deleting files that are dear to you. Whether you delete personal photos or important files for work, when you reset your laptop this data can never be recovered. 

For this reason, it’s extremely important to safeguard your data. Here are some effective ways to protect your data before resetting your laptop:

  • If you have a Mac, use iCloud to store your personal files. 
  • Purchase an external hard drive for backup storage. 
  • Transfer your personal files to another computer using a flash drive. 

After this has been done, you can move on to the next step. 

Copy Your Browser Settings:

If you rely on browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, it’s important to save settings such as:

  • Passwords
  • Payment information (credit card information, PayPal, etc)
  • Browser history 

By doing so, you can save this data and access it again when your laptop is reset. 

How to Factory Reset Windows Laptops

If you are using a current version of Windows (Windows 10+), resetting your laptop is very simple. Below, we’ll cover all the steps you’ll need to take in great detail to get the job done. 

Step #1: Click on Settings

On your laptop, you should see a Windows icon at the bottom left corner of your screen. This is called the start menu.

Click on this icon and navigate to the left side of the windowpane. Next, click on Settings. Once you’re done, click on Change PC Settings

Step #2: Click on Update and Recovery

Afterward, click Update and Recovery and select Recovery.

Step #3: Reset Your Laptop

Finally, click on Remove Everything and Reinstall Windows. When you’re finished, Windows will guide you through a prompt for fully resetting your laptop. Nonetheless, there is an important disclaimer before you continue with this process.

Before resetting your laptop, Windows will ask whether or not you want to erase your laptop’s data quickly or thoroughly. Erasing your data quickly may result in partial deletion. You could restore this data using special software. 

On the other hand, if you perform a full deletion, all erased files can never be restored. This is yet another precaution Window provides to users before performing a factory reset. 

How to Factory Reset Mac Laptops

Resetting a Mac laptop is just as simple as its Windows counterpart. Here are all the steps you need to take to reset a Mac laptop. 

Step #1: Place Your Mac into Recovery Mode

In order to perform a factory reset, you must first place your Mac into recovery mode. To do so, restart your laptop and immediately press and hold Command-R.

When you see the Apple logo, your laptop has entered recovery mode. 

Step #2: Select Disk Utility

After placing your Mac in recovery mode, you’ll see Apple’s MacOS Utilities window. Next, select disk utility and click continue. You’ll be prompted to choose your startup disk, or simply the drive you’ll be deleting your files from.

By default. this disk is named Macintosh HD.

Step #3: Delete All Your Data

At the top of the MacOS Utilities window, click the erase button. Finally, you’ll be prompted to choose a name and format for your new disk. 

Rename your disk whatever you want and always choose an APFS format. 

How to Factory Reset a Google Chromebook

A Google Chromebook works somewhat like a smartphone, unlike Apple and Windows devices. Still, resetting a Google Chromebook is just as easy. 

In fact, the steps to factory reset your Chromebook can easily be explained in the bullets below:

  • First, sign out of your Chromebook. 
  • Next, press and hold Press and hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r.
  • Click restart. 
  • In the Powerwash box, click Continue
  • Follow the prompts and sign back into your Chromebook. 

Before following these steps, it’s important to note that the account you use to sign in will be the owner account of your Chromebook. Lastly, you’ll need to set up your Chromebook again to finish this process. 

You May Not Need to Reset Your Mac Device

Again, resetting your Apple device may not be necessary. If you want to get the best performance from your Mac laptop, downloading a suite of amazing apps is your best option. 

Setapp.com allows users to receive complete, VIP access to thousands of curated apps. For a monthly fee, you can download as many apps as you want without any extra costs. Using Setapp is the perfect alternative to resetting your Mac.

With this platform, you can access great resources to make your Mac laptop a better system. 

Try Setapp for Free Today

Whether you want to factory reset your Mac or Windows laptop or not, Setapp is a great alternative. Try this resource for free by visiting our website