2 Easy Ways to Format a Windows Laptop (Step-by-Step Guide)

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Revert your laptop's operating system to its original state

Written by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: October 24, 2025 Fact Checked

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From Settings

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From WinRE

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FAQ

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Video

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Q&A

Whether you want to sell your Windows laptop or it is experiencing performance issues, you may want to reformat it. Doing so wipes all data from your laptop and provides a clean Windows installation. This can remove viruses and fix corrupt system files. If you’re selling it, it will provide a factory-fresh installation of Windows for the next owner. This wikiHow article teaches you how to format a laptop and reinstall Windows.

Quickly Reset a Windows Laptop

Open the Settings menu.
Click System (Windows 11) or Update & Security (Windows 10).
Click Recovery.
Click Reset PC or Get Started next to “Reset this PC.”
Click Remove everything.
Click Cloud download or Local reinstall.
Click Reset.

Section 1 of 3:

From Windows Settings

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Formatting your computer will get rid of everything and reinstall Windows. You will lose anything you don't back up. You can back up your files using an external hard drive, a USB drive, or a writable DVD or Blu-ray. You can also back up your files using cloud storage, like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive.
It's the button with the Windows logo in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen.

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It’s the icon that resembles a gear in the Windows Start menu.
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Click System or Update & Security. If you are using Windows 11, click System in the menu bar to the left. If you are using Windows 10, click Update & Security. It’s the option that has an icon that resembles two curved arrows in the form of a circle.
On Windows 11, it’s about two-thirds of the way down the menu on the right. On Windows 10, it's next to the icon that resembles an arrow drawing a clock in the left column.
On Windows 11, click Reset PC next to “Reset this PC.” On Windows 10, click Get Started below the option that says "Reset this PC".
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Click Remove everything. It’s the second option in the menu. This is the option you want to select to completely wipe and reformat your computer.
- Alternatively, if you want to try to repair problems with Windows, you can select Keep my files to reinstall Windows without losing any of your data.
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Click Cloud download or Local reinstall. Selecting Cloud download will download the latest version of Windows from the internet and install it. This typically takes a little bit longer. Selecting Local reinstall will reinstall Windows using the installation files already on your computer.
If you have recently updated Windows, you will not be able to go back to a previous version of Windows.
Your computer will begin the process of formatting. This will take a while, and your computer will restart several times. After the reinstall process is completed, you will need to go through the initial setup process for Windows.^{[1]
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Section 2 of 3:

Using Windows Recovery Environment

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Access Windows Recovery Environment. If you are experiencing severe technical issues and you are unable to boot into Windows, you can still reformat your computer using the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Use one of the following options to access WinRE:^{[2]
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- Force-restart your computer three times. Press the power button to power on your computer. As soon as you see the manufacturer’s logo, immediately press and hold the Power button to power it off. Repeat three times. After that, your computer should boot into WinRE. Some computer models have a dedicated button or combination of buttons you can press to boot into Windows Recovery Media.
- Create a Windows Recovery Media drive. You can download the creation tool here. Enter the BIOS on your computer and make sure it is set to boot from a USB drive first. Boot your computer from the Windows Recovery Media drive.
- Click the Windows Start button and open Settings. Click System (or Update & Security on Windows 10) > Recovery. Click Restart Now next to “Advanced Startup.”
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Click Troubleshoot. It’s next to an icon that resembles a screwdriver and wrench.
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Click Reset this PC. It’s the first option in the menu.
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Click Remove everything. It’s the second option in the menu. This is the option you want to select to completely wipe and reformat your computer.
- Alternatively, if you want to try to repair problems with Windows, you can select Keep my files to reinstall Windows without losing any of your data.
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Click Cloud download or Local reinstall. Selecting Cloud download will download the latest version of Windows from the internet and install it. Selecting Local reinstall will reinstall Windows using the installation files already on your computer.
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Select if it is a workplace laptop. If you are using a workplace laptop, click Yes to save and install workplace provisions. If it is not a work computer, click No to install Windows without the workplace provisions.
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Select Fully Clean the Drive. This is recommended if you are selling, giving away, or recycling your laptop. This will sanitize your hard drive and remove any residual data on it. This may take several hours.
- If you want to do a quicker reinstall, you can select Just remove my files.
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Click Reset. Your computer will begin the process of formatting. This will take a while, and your computer will restart several times. After the reinstall process is complete, you will need to go through the initial setup process for Windows

Section 3 of 3:

Frequently Asked Questions

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Why format a laptop? There are many reasons to reformat a laptop. You may want to reformat your laptop if you are planning on selling it, giving it away, or recycling it. You may also want to do so if there are severe system performance issues, such as crashes, slowdowns, and freezes that basic troubleshooting hasn’t fixed. If you are unable to boot into Windows, reformatting can help.^{[3]
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What happens when you reformat your laptop? All data on the laptop will be erased. This includes all files, photos, and videos. All apps that don’t come with Windows will be uninstalled. All user accounts will be removed. All user settings will be reset to the default settings. Windows will be reinstalled with a fresh installation.
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Will I lose my Windows activation status? No, your Windows activation status typically remains, but you may need to re-enter the activation code during the setup process after you reformat your computer.
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Will my computer hardware be affected? No, typically, your motherboard and any hardware attached to your motherboard will remain intact.
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Will my BIOS/UEFI settings be reset? No, your BIOS/UEFI settings are attached to your motherboard. They will typically remain the same regardless of your Windows installation.

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What if it takes too long to reset it?

Mr. Paul Maddens

Community Answer

Depending on your computer's speed, it can take quite a while. It may be faster to reinstall the install disk.

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