If your Windows 10 computer is operating slowly or acting strangely, or if you just want to sell it, you should conduct a factory reset. Here’s how to use Command Prompt to reset your computer to factory settings.
To begin, launch Command Prompt. To do so, type “Command Prompt” into the Windows Search box and then choose the Command Prompt program from the results.
Enter this command into Command Prompt and press the Enter key.
systemreset–factoryreset
The menu Select an Option will display. You have the option of removing applications and settings while retaining your data, or removing everything. If you want to sell your laptop, you should take everything off of it.
Next, decide whether you want to just remove your files, or remove your files and wipe the drive. The former is quicker but less secure, while the latter takes significantly longer (It took my laptop about six hours.) but is much more secure.
Do note that if you remove the files and clean the drive, it does make it more difficult for someone to recover those files—but it’s not impossible.
The following page will inform you that the computer is ready to be reset. To begin, click “Reset.”
When the factory reset is finished, the first setup screen will display, as if you had just taken it out of the box.
