For example, if you have upgraded to Windows 10 21H1 and you run ‘Reset your PC’, you will still have the 21H1 Update once Windows has reinstalled. What’s important to understand is that ‘Reset your PC’ doesn’t roll back devices to the factory image. Then the files are put back in place once Windows is reinstalled. If you choose to keep personal files, ‘Reset this PC’ scans the drive for personal files and moves them out of the Windows partition before it’s deleted. ‘Reset this PC’ works by booting into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and erasing the Windows partition. It is accessed in the System Restore applet in the Control Panel. This option also keeps apps that came with your PC and apps installed from the Microsoft Store.Ī third option, Restore your PC, can be used to undo recent system changes. Refresh your PC – reinstall Windows and keep personal files and settings.Reset your PC – reinstall Windows but delete your files, settings, and apps – excluding apps that came with your PC.You have two options to choose from when using the Reset this PC tool:

Additionally, you can choose whether to include software that was installed on the PC out-of-the-box. But to make things easier for users in Windows 10, Microsoft has enabled the ability for users to keep their personal files as part of Reset. The Refresh tool from Windows 8 allowed users to keep their files and personalization settings. Windows 10 combines the ‘Reset this PC’ and ‘Refresh this PC’ features into one simple tool called ‘Reset this PC’.

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