How to Put a Laptop Back to the Factory Settings
By ShamikaM
Laptop performance can decrease over time due to software errors, unwanted programs and old files. You can restore a laptop to factory settings, with or without restore disks, to improve performance and efficiency. Because operating system versions differ among laptops, please refer to product documentation for the exact restore procedure for your laptop. Be sure to back up all of your data somewhere other than your laptop before restoring it back to the factory settings, because restoration will reformat your hard drive, erasing all previous memory.
With Restore Disk
Step 1
Open the CD drive and place the restore disk in it.
Step 2
Click on "Start" and select "Restart." The system restore wizard will appear. Follow the instructions given by the restore wizard.
Step 3
Select "Format the partition using the NTFS file system." This will format the hard disk and erase all previous memory.
Step 4
Restart the laptop when the restore is completed.
Without Restore Disk
Step 1
Restart the computer by clicking on "Start" and selecting "Restart."
Step 2
Press the appropriate function key when the laptop logo appears. Depending on the model, it should be "Ctrl + F11," "F8" or "F1." Refer to product documentation to get the exact key.
Step 3
Click on "Restore Original Factory Image" and select "OK." Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Step 4
Restart the laptop. The laptop will be restored to factory settings.
References
Warnings
- Make back-up copies of files and folders on a storage medium other than your hard drive, such as a flash drive. Then copy them to the laptop when the restore process is completed.