How to Reset an eMachine Computer
By Jeff Grundy
Most of the time, your eMachines computer should work as expected with few, if any, problems. Nevertheless, the might machine might lock up occasionally for reasons such as too many programs running at once or simply leaving the computer on for too long a period without a reboot. In most cases, you can resolve issues by simply restarting the machine using the Windows Start menu or the reset button on the front of the case. Other times, though, you may need to use the eMachines recovery partition to reset the machine to factory defaults if infected with a hard-to-remove virus or a seriously corrupted Windows installation.
Simple Reset
Step 1
Press the "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" keys to see if you can display the Windows Security Options screen before pressing the reset button. In many cases, a window or program may freeze without locking up the computer completely. If this happens, click the "Shutdown" button on the Windows Security Options screen to power off the computer, rather than using the Reset button.
Step 2
Press the small button on the face of the eMachines computer labeled "Reset" if pressing the "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" keys fails to display the Windows Security Options screen.
Step 3
Log in to Windows with your username and password after the computer restarts. Use the computer as you normally would.
Reset Machine to Factory Defaults
Step 1
Connect an external hard drive to the computer and back up any important data you want to save. Alternatively, burn important data to a blank CD if you don’t have an external hard drive.
Step 2
Plug in the AC power adapter and disconnect any external drives if using an eMachines laptop computer.
Step 3
Power off the computer, then restart it. As soon as you see the eMachines logo appear on the monitor screen, press the "left-Alt" and "F10" keys simultaneously. Wait a few seconds for the Windows boot screen to appear, then press the "Enter" key.
Step 4
Click the "Restore Operating System to Factory Defaults" option after the eRecovery Management window appears. In the Notice window, read the warning that states all information on the drive will be lost, then click the "Next" button.
Step 5
Click "Next" in the Restore Destination window, then click "OK" in the final confirmation window. The eRecovery Management utility formats your main system drive and reinstalls the original software that shipped with your computer. A progress bar notifies of you of the current progress of the recovery. The recovery utility may prompt you to restart your computer several times during the recovery process. Restart the computer when prompted. The computer reboots automatically after the recovery finishes and launches the Windows First Time Setup. The recovery takes between 10 minutes and one hour depending on which model eMachines computer you own.
Step 6
Follow the onscreen prompts to customize and personalize the Windows installation on your eMachines computer. Log in to Windows with the username and password you choose during Windows Setup.
Step 7
Copy the files you moved to the external hard drive or burned to a CD back to the computer. Install other applications on the eMachines computer as needed, and use the system as you normally would.
References
Warnings
- If you reset your eMachines computer to factory default settings, all data on the hard drive will be lost. Therefore, it is important that you back up all data files before you attempt to reset the computer back to its factory default configuration.
Writer Bio
Jeff Grundy has been writing computer-related articles and tutorials since 1995. Since that time, Grundy has written many guides to using various applications that are published on numerous how-to and tutorial sites. Born and raised in South Georgia, Grundy holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.