How to Perform Windows 11 System Reset If You Cannot Log on
Why you need to reset Windows 11 PC? Usually, performing Windows 11 system reset is a helpless choice when people met emergency during using a computer (Your computer works slowly, you lost sign-in password and got locked out of Windows 11 or your Windows 11 didn’t boot correctly.), but it may be the only way to help make the computer keeps working or becomes working smoothly. There's another scenario that you want to give your PC to a friend or family member so that you need to reset the system to factory settings with removing everything and set up a new Windows 11.
In this article, I will show you three ways to reset Windows 11 system with removing everything including personal files and settings, then setup a brand-new Windows 11 on your computer. When you lose password and cannot log on your Windows 11, this is a choice to unlock your Windows 11 PC. If you need to get back into your Windows 11 account without losing anything, follow these tutorials to reset a forgotten Windows 11 login password.
Now refer to the following guides to learn how to exactly reset/factory reset Windows 11 system with removing everything including virus. You also can learn how to setup a new Windows 11 in the last guide.
Option One: Perform Windows 11 Resetting from Settings. (Require Sign in your account first.)
Option Two: Reset Windows 11 to Factory Settings from Sign-in Screen. (Without Sign in any account.)
Option Three: Get into Auto Repair Mode and Reset Your Windows 11 System. (If your Windows cannot boot normally.)
Step-by-step Guide about Setting Up Windows 11: How to set up new Windows 11 on your computer. (Please prepare an available Microsoft account first. Register a live account from another computer or your mobile phone.)
Option One: Perform Windows 11 Reset from Settings. (Require Sign in your account first.)
If you were able to sign in your admin account in Windows 11, just open Windows settings and select reset your device. This is the easiest way to perform Windows 11 reset on your computer. Here is how:
Step 1: Sign in your admin account in Windows 11 and open Windows icons menu. Select “Settings” from list.
Step 2: Under “System” menu, select Recovery. Just click the arrow icon at the end of the line.
Step 3: Under “System-Recovery”, click “Reset PC” button.
Step 4: “Choose an option” dialog appears. Choose “Remove everything”.
Step 5: In the next step, select a way you would like to reinstall Windows. Just click “Local reinstall” to continue.
Step 6: Review the current settings. Usually, you don’t need to change anything. Just click “Next” button.
Step 7: Review all things resetting will do. Everything is ready, click “Reset”.
Step 8: Wait PC preparing to reset.
Step 9: A moment later, the computer will perform resetting Windows 11 to factory settings.
Step 10: And then it will reinstall Windows 11 automatically. You don’t need to do anything until it asks you to setup a new Windows 11.
Step 11: This process will cost you about 20 minutes. Then you can setup a new Windows 11 computer. Please refer to the last tutorial.
Option Two: Reset Windows 11 to Factory Settings from Sign-in Screen. (Without Sign in any account.)
If you cannot sign in your admin account in Windows 11 or you have lost your password, please perform Windows 11 reset from sign-in screen without providing password.
Step 1: On the sign-in screen, select “Restart” while holding down the “SHIFT” key on your keyboard.
Step 2: Wait the computer reboots and shows you “Choose an option” screen. Select “Troubleshoot”. This is the same on Windows 10.
Step 3: Under “Troubleshoot”, select “Reset this PC”.
Step 4: Under “Reset this PC”, select “Remove everything”.
Step 5: Then select “Local reinstall” option.
Step 6: In the next, select “Fully clean the drive”.
Step 7: Everything is ready, click “Reset” button to start resetting Windows 11 system.
Step 8: Wait the progress of Windows resetting.
Step 9: Wait the progress of Windows reinstall.
Step 10: Now a new Windows 11 is ready for you. Please setup a new Windows on the computer you’d like.
Option Three: Get into Auto Repair Mode and Reset Your Windows 11 System. (Your Windows cannot boot correctly.)
If your Windows 11 doesn’t boot successfully, please follow this instruction to perform Windows 11 factory reset.
Step 1: Turn on your computer. When Win+circle screen appears, force shutdown the computer or directly unplug the power. Re-do this operation 2 times.
Step 2: In the third time you turn on the computer, it will get into automatic repair mode as your PC did not start correctly.
Step 3: Wait the process of diagnosing the PC.
Step 4: A moment later, Windows will show you Automatic Repair screen. Just click “Advanced options”.
Step 5: Under “Choose an option”, select “Troubleshoot” option.
Step 6: Under “Troubleshoot”, click “Reset this PC”.
Step 7: Click “Remove everything”. This will remove all of your personal files, apps, and settings.
Step 8: Select “Local reinstall” option.
Step 9: Select “Fully clean the drive”. This will recycle the PC so you can setup a brand-new PC.
Step 10: All things are ready. Click “Reset” button at the bottom of the screen.
Step 11: The computer will automatically reset the PC and reinstall Windows 11. So you can have a cup of coffee as you don’t need to do anything util it completed.
Step 12: Windows 11 reset and reinstall are completed, now you can setup a new Windows 11 on the computer.
Step-by-step Guide: How to setup new Windows 11 on your computer.
(Please prepare an available Microsoft account first. Register a live account from another computer or your mobile phone.)
After you successfully reset your device and reinstall Windows 11 system, you will need to setup a brand-new Windows 11 on your device. And all things will work smoothly. Here are the step-by-step instructions.
Step 1: When reset device and reinstall Windows 11 complete, new Windows 11 setup wizard will be shown on screen. Follow the wizard to setup Windows 11 on your device. Now select your country or region and then click “Yes”.
Step 2: Select the right keyboard layout or input method. Then click “OK”.
Step 3: If you need to add a second keyboard, select “Add layout”. Or just click “Skip”.
Step 4: Wait the system checks for updates.
Step 5: Review the License Agreement and then click “Accept”.
Step 6: Please name your device and then click “Next”.
Step 7: After you name the device, it will restart.
Step 8: Now select “Set up for personal use” option and then click “Next”.
Step 9: Enter your Microsoft account and then click “Next”. (Note: In the latest Windows 11 version, there is no option for creating local account in process of setting up new Windows 11, but you can create local account instead after Windows set up. Please refer to: Add/remove local admin account in Windows 11.)
Step 10: Enter password of the Microsoft account. Click “Sign in”.
Step 11: You have to create PIN then proceed. Just click “Create PIN”.
Step 12: Type a PIN twice and then click “OK”. Please write down the PIN on a paper or backup it on your mobile phone.
Step 13: Directly click “Next” as you want to setup a clean Windows 11 system.
Step 14: Select “Set up as new device” and then “Next”.
Step 15: Under privacy settings, please shutdown all and then click “Accept”. (You can turn on any privacy setting during you use the device in future.)
Step 16: Select options if you’d like to receive tips, ads in future. Or just click “Skip”.
Step 17: Microsoft will give you a free trial of Microsoft 365 Family. If you don’t need this, please select “Decline Microsoft 365”.
Step 18: Now it asks you again if want to use Microsoft 365, just select “Decline”.
Step 19: The third time it asks you to use Microsoft 365. Click “Next” only.
Step 20: If you don’t need to join PC game, click “Skip for now”.
Step 21: Wait the Windows checking updates.
Step 22: Wait the device to complete set up. Don’t turn off the PC.
Step 23: Now all things are completed. You can now begin using the new Windows 11 and add any app you need.
