Operating systems tend to fail sometimes. This can happen due to the user's fault, due to virus infection or a simple failure. In such cases, do not rush to reinstall Windows immediately. First, you can try to restore the OS to its original state. We will tell you exactly how to do this on the operating system in this article.

We immediately draw your attention to the fact that further we will not talk about recovery points. Of course, you can create one immediately after installing the OS, but an extremely small number of users do this. Therefore, this article will be aimed more at ordinary users. If you want to learn more about using restore points, we recommend that you read our dedicated article.

Let's take a closer look at how you can return the operating system to its original appearance.

Method 1: "Options"

This method can be used if your OS boots and you have access to standard Windows settings. If both conditions are met, do the following:

1. In the lower left part of the desktop, click on the button "Start".



2. In the window that opens, click on the button "Options". It is depicted as a gear.



3. A window with subsections of Windows settings will appear on the screen. You must select an item "Update and Security".



4. On the left side of the new window, find the line "Recovery". Click LMB once on this word. After this you need to click on the button "Begin", which will appear to the right.



5. Next, you will have two options: keep all personal files or delete them completely. In the window that opens, you need to click on the line that corresponds to the decision you made. As an example, we will choose the option of saving personal information.



6. Preparations for restoration will begin. After some time (depending on the number of installed programs), a list of software that will be removed during recovery will appear on the screen. You can view the list if you wish. To continue the operation you need to press the button "Further" in the same window.



7. Before the recovery starts, you will see the last message on the screen. It will list the consequences of system recovery. To start the process, click the button "Reset".



8. Preparations for the reset will begin immediately. It takes some time. Therefore, we just wait for the operation to complete.



9. Once preparation is complete, the system will automatically reboot. A message will appear on the screen indicating that the OS is being returned to its original state. The progress of the procedure will be shown immediately in the form of percentages.



10. The next step is to install system components and drivers. At this stage you will see the following picture:



11. Again, we wait until the OS completes the operations being performed. As the notification will say, the system may reboot several times. So don't be alarmed. You will eventually see a login screen using the same username as the one who performed the restore.



12. When you finally log in, your personal files will remain on your desktop and an additional HTML document will be created. It opens using any browser. It will contain a list of all applications and system libraries that were uninstalled during the restore.

The OS is now restored and ready to use again. Please note that you will need to reinstall all accompanying drivers. If you have problems at this stage, then it is better to use special software that will do all the work for you.

Method 2: Boot Menu

The method described below is most often used in cases where the system fails to boot correctly. After several such unsuccessful attempts, a menu will appear on the screen, which we will discuss later. You can also launch this menu manually directly from the OS itself if, for example, you have lost access to general settings or other controls. Here's how it's done:

1. Press "Start" in the lower left corner of the desktop.



2. Next you need to click on the button "Shutdown", which is located in the drop-down window immediately above "Start".



3. Now hold down the key on your keyboard "Shift". While holding it down, left-click on the item. After a few seconds "Shift" you can let go.



4. A boot menu with a list of actions will appear on the screen. This is exactly the menu that will appear after several unsuccessful attempts by the system to boot in normal mode. Here you need to click once with the left mouse button on the line .



5. After this, you will see two buttons on the screen. You need to click on the very first one - "Return the computer to its original state".



6. As in the previous method, you can restore the OS while preserving personal data or completely deleting it. To continue, simply click on the line you need.



7. After this, the computer will restart. After some time, a list of users will appear on the screen. Select the account under which the operating system will be restored.



8. If you have a password set for your account, you will be required to enter it in the next step. We do this, and then press the button "Continue". If you have not installed a security key, then simply click "Continue".



9. After a few minutes, the system will prepare everything for recovery. All you have to do is press a button "Return to original state" in the next window.

Further events will develop in exactly the same way as in the previous method: you will see on the screen several additional stages of preparation for recovery and the reset process itself. Upon completion of the operation, there will be a document on the desktop with a list of deleted applications.

Restoring a previous build of Windows 10

Microsoft periodically releases new builds of the Windows 10 operating system. But such updates do not always have a positive effect on the operation of the entire OS. There are cases when such innovations cause critical errors due to which the device fails (for example, a blue screen of death upon boot, etc.). This method will allow you to roll back to a previous build of Windows 10 and return the system to working order.

Let us immediately note that we will consider two situations: when the OS is working and when it flatly refuses to boot.

Method 1: Without starting Windows

If you cannot start the OS, then to use this method you will need a disk or USB flash drive with Windows 10 recorded. In one of our previous articles, we talked about the process of creating such drives.

Having one of these drives in hand, you need to do the following:

1. First, connect the drive to your computer or laptop.
2. Then turn on the PC or reboot (if it was turned on).
3. The next step is to challenge "Boot Menu". To do this, you need to press one of the special keys on the keyboard during the reboot. Which key you have depends only on the manufacturer and series of the motherboard or laptop. More often "Boot Menu" called by pressing "Esc", "F1", "F2", "F8", "F10", "F11", "F12" or "Del". On laptops, sometimes these keys need to be pressed in combination with "Fn". In the end, you should end up with something like this:



4. IN "Boot Menu" Using the arrows on the keyboard, select the device on which the OS was previously recorded. After that, click "Enter".
5. After some time, a standard Windows installation window will appear on the screen. We press the button in it "Further".



6. When the next window appears, you need to click on the inscription "System Restore" at the bottom.



7. Next in the action selection list, click on the item "Troubleshooting".



8. Then you should select "Return to previous build".



9. In the next step, you will be asked to select the operating system for which the rollback will be performed. If you have one OS installed, then there will also be one button. Click on it.



10. After this, you will see a notification that your personal data will not be deleted as a result of the recovery. But all program changes and settings will be uninstalled during the rollback process. To continue the operation, press the button "Roll back to previous build".

Now all that remains is to wait until all stages of preparation and execution of the operation are completed. As a result, the system will roll back to an earlier build, after which you can copy your personal data or simply continue to use your computer.

Method 2: From the Windows operating system

If your operating system boots, then you will not need external media with Windows 10 to roll back the build. Just follow these simple steps:

This concludes our article. Using the above guides, you can easily return the system to its original appearance. If this does not give you the desired result, then you should think about reinstalling the operating system.

Windows 10, like previous versions of this operating system, is not completely protected from failures, the effects of computer viruses, hardware failure and other problems. Therefore, if you have problems operating or loading the OS, you can use the built-in tools to return the operating system to a working state.

There are several ways to restore Windows 10.

If the computer boots:

1. Using a restore point.
2. File history.

If your computer won't boot:

1. Using a recovery disk.
2. Using the installation disc.

Now let's look at these recovery options in more detail.

Method 1 – Using a System Restore Point

Windows periodically stores information about programs, system settings, drivers, the registry, and drivers in system restore points. This occurs before significant changes to the OS, such as installing programs, drivers, or system updates. You can also create a restore point manually. You can read how to do this in.

It is worth noting that after recovery, your data will remain intact, and drivers, programs and updates installed after creating the restore point will be deleted.

1. Launch the system properties window (keyboard shortcut Windows + Pause) and open the item "".

2. Click the button Restore", and then "Next". In the list of available recovery points, select the desired item and click “Next” again.

3. Check the selected parameters again, click the " Ready" and then "Yes" in the warning window. The recovery process will begin and the computer will restart.

Method 2 - Reset to factory settings

Windows 10 has the ability to return system settings to their original state. In this case, you can do a complete reset or save user files. The advantage of this method is that if you want to reinstall the system, you do not need to install Windows from scratch, just perform a reset.

To use this function, you need to go to the following section: “ Computer Settings -> Update and Security -> Recovery -> Restore your computer to its original state" and click the "Start" button.

We discussed the factory reset process in more detail in this article:

Method 3 – File History

This method is not directly related to system recovery, but in combination with other methods it can also be useful.

File History allows you to back up your files automatically and manually. You just need to activate this function and specify which folders you want to save. The system will automatically backup your documents at a frequency that can be configured. If necessary, you can easily restore files to the version you need.

You can read how to enable, configure and use this tool in this article:

Method 4 – Using a recovery disk

If Windows 10 won't boot, you can try resuscitating the system using a recovery disc, which will allow you to access additional startup options.

If you don't have a recovery disk yet, use these instructions:

After booting from the USB recovery drive, go to the " Diagnostics -> Advanced options».

Here you can use several options for resuscitating your computer:

1. Restoring Windows using a restore point. We have already discussed this option above. Its meaning is the same, only it is launched in a different way.
2. Restoring the system image. This method has been known since Windows 7. If you previously created a system image in Windows, you can easily restore it using a recovery disk. How to create a system image in Windows 10 can be read here:
3. Using the following point, you can try to automatically fix boot errors.
4. For more advanced users, it is possible to launch the command line for system recovery or other purposes.
5. Well, the last option is to return Windows to the previous build.

It should also be noted that if, when creating a system repair disk, you burned system files to the disk, then you will have the opportunity to reinstall Windows from this disk. But if you bought a computer with Window 8 (8.1) pre-installed with a hidden recovery partition, then the version of the system that originally came with the computer will be restored.

Method 5 – Using the installation disk

If Windows won't boot and you don't have a recovery disk, you can use the installation disk to resuscitate your computer.

You can burn the installation disc to a USB drive or DVD using the media creation tool that you can download.

After booting from the installation media, you will see a window in which you need to select language options and click the “Next” button.

1. Restore the computer to its original state. A factory reset will be performed with or without saving user files. We have already discussed this tool above (method 2).
2. Extra options. Just like on the system repair disk, a list of tools will open that can help you restore Windows functionality using restore points, a system image, etc.

We looked at the main methods of restoring Windows 10. Usually they are quite enough to return the system to a working state. It was also possible to add a clean installation of Windows here, but this is already an extreme measure and is indirectly related to system recovery.

With the release of Windows 8, Microsoft's operating system acquired two new recovery options in case of problems: the first of them (Refresh) allows you to return the system to its original state without affecting the user's personal files, while the second option (Reset) is the opposite of the first and reinstalls the system with zero, deleting all user data.

A year after the appearance of the G8, these functions migrated to version 8.1. Of course, given their popularity, Refresh and Reset have become part of the new Windows 10, where, unlike the two previous versions, they are combined under one button. However, both functions work in the same direction - i.e. you can either “refresh” the system, keeping your files, or completely reinstall it and remove everything.

In fact, there is another recovery option in 10, which is designed to return to the previous version of the operating system from which you upgraded to Windows 10, but we'll talk about this feature another time.

Today you will learn how to reinstall Windows 10 while keeping your personal files; We will also illustrate the reset process by deleting files and reinstalling the system. We will launch both of these recovery options from a functioning operating system. And to help those of you whose system does not boot for some reason, a method will also be described to return to its original state while saving files using the recovery environment (you will need either a recovery disk or installation media to enter it, so keep this in mind).

So let's get started.

Restoring your computer to its original state while saving files

Open the Settings app (see) and go to “Update and Security” -> “Recovery”. In the section, click the button "Begin".

You will see a window with a choice of action. Since our goal is to “refresh” the system while preserving personal files, we choose the first option: "Keep my files".

Preparations will begin.

Next, the system will show a list of applications that will be lost during the recovery process. In our example, only Google Chrome is listed because it is the only third-party program installed on the test machine.

On the next screen you will see the consequences of this return option - read carefully and click "Reset".

The computer will restart.

Then you will see the next stage of preparation, and then the process of returning to its original state will begin.

The process is not long, but its duration mainly depends on the speed of the computer, so be patient. When the first stage is completed, the computer will restart and the process of installing drivers, system components, and configuring settings will begin.

Then some more settings...

...and your computer will be ready to use. The system will be like new, without the programs you previously installed (you will find a file with a list of applications deleted during recovery on the desktop) and settings, but all your files will remain intact.

Resetting your computer to its original state without saving files

Open the Settings menu, go to “Update and Security” -> “Recovery”, In chapter "Return the computer to its original state" click "Begin".

Select "Delete all files".

Please note that unlike the option to save files, in this case, along with your files, programs and settings, user accounts will also be deleted.

Click "Continue".

The computer will restart and the return process will begin. All subsequent steps will be similar to those described when returning the computer to its original state while saving files, i.e. The system will do the main work itself without your help. Your participation will only be required at the very end to make some settings and create a new account or enter the details of an existing account.

Return your computer to its original state without affecting personal files when the system does not boot

Connect the installation disk and start the system from it. (If necessary, set up on your computer). If you don't have either, grab a flash drive and go to a friend's house to create a system repair disk (your friend's computer should be running Windows 8, 8.1 or 10).

At the very beginning of the computer boot, when the message appears on the screen Press any key to boot from…, press any key to boot from the previously connected disk.

Once downloaded, you will see the Windows installation screen. Select your desired language and click "Further".

Then click "System Restore".

Your next steps: "Diagnostics"…

…« Restore the computer to its original state"…

Select your account.

If prompted, enter your password.

Click "Return to original state".

That's all. I hope the article helps you.

Have a great day!

The Windows 10 operating system has been improved by Microsoft compared to Windows 8 and earlier versions in a number of ways. One of them is the process of resetting Windows to its original state, which has been significantly changed. A user who wants to reset the operating system to its basic state is no longer required to have a disk or flash drive with its image - all the necessary files are stored on the computer, and recovery can be done directly from them.

You should resort to rolling back the system to its original state in extreme cases when problems that have arisen cannot be resolved. As part of this material, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the instructions on how to reset Windows 10 to its original state in case of various malfunctions of the operating system. The material also provides information on what to do if problems arise when returning the PC to its original state.

How to reset Windows 10 from the system interface

If the Windows 10 operating system is running on your computer, but for some reason you need to roll it back to its original state, this can be done quite easily. You can run an automatic reinstallation of Windows 10 as follows:

After some time (depending on the size of the hard drive on the computer), the system will delete all files or move some of them to (if the option to save files was selected). After this, the computer will reboot and the reinstallation of Windows 10 will begin. After some time, the computer will boot with a “clean” operating system.

If the computer system does not boot, resetting it is quite simple, but only if you have a pre-created bootable USB flash drive or. If you bother creating them, to roll back the operating system to its original state, just do the following:

During a system rollback, the computer will restart several times and you will need to configure its basic settings.

When you try to reset your Windows 10 computer to its original state, you may encounter an error that prevents you from doing so. This problem occurs because the files required for system recovery are not found on the computer. Resetting Windows 10 to its original state is done using files located in . If they were completely or partially removed, an error may appear indicating that there was a problem resetting the PC to its original state.

In this case, you need to run and then write the command in it sfc /scannow and press Enter. The computer will begin checking the integrity of Windows files and downloading missing ones, if any are found.

The Windows 10 operating system is very easy to use. Any user will be able to understand it and even cope with certain problems on their own. Unfortunately, sometimes there are too many errors and they cause damage to system files or lead to other serious problems. The Windows recovery option will help you fix them.

Reasons to use Windows Recovery

The main reason is the operating system refusing to boot. But this malfunction itself can arise due to various factors. Let's look at the most common ones:

• file damage by viruses - if OS files are damaged by a virus attack, the system may malfunction or may not boot at all. Therefore, it is necessary to restore these files for normal operation, since there is no other way to solve the problem;
• incorrectly installed update - if an error occurred during the update or some of the files were installed incorrectly for another reason, then instead of completely reinstalling the broken operating system, restoring it will also help;
• Hard drive damage - the main thing is to find out what the problem is. If the disk has physical damage, you cannot do without replacing it. If the problem is precisely how it works with data or some OS boot settings, recovery can help;
• other changes to the registry or system files - in general, almost any changes to the system can lead to errors in its operation: from small to critical.

Recovering directly from the Windows 10 system itself

We can conditionally divide recovery methods into those used before the system itself is booted and into those used after the system is booted. Let's start with a situation where Windows boots correctly and you are able to use programs after it starts.

Using a restore point to perform a system rollback

First, you need to configure the system protection itself so that it is possible to create and store recovery points. To do this, follow these steps:

Now you can proceed to creating a restore point:

When the point is created, you need to figure out how to return the system to the state at the time of its creation, that is, roll back to a restore point:

Another way to access restore points is in the diagnostic menu, which opens through the “Settings” of Windows 10 (Win I). This menu works in exactly the same way.

You can also use restore points through advanced system diagnostic options

Resetting the operating system to factory settings

Windows 10 has added another recovery method. Instead of a complete reinstallation, it is possible to simply reset the system to its original state. Some programs will become inoperable because all registry entries will be updated. Save the necessary data and programs before resetting. The process of returning the system to its original form is performed as follows:

1. Press the Win+I key combination to open OS settings. There, select the “Update and Security” tab and go to the system recovery section.

   In Windows Settings, open Update & Security

2. Press the "Start" button to start the recovery.

   Click the "Get Started" button under "Reset your computer"

3. You will be prompted to save the files. If you click "Erase All", the hard drive will be completely erased. Be careful when choosing.
4. Regardless of your choice, the next window will display information about the reset that will be performed. Study it and, if you are satisfied with everything, press the “Reset” button.

   Review the reset information and click Reset

5. Wait for the process to complete. It may take about an hour depending on the selected options. During the procedure, the computer will restart several times.

Video: Resetting a Windows 10 tablet to factory settings

Recovering system data through File History

“File history” - the ability to restore damaged or deleted files over time. It can be very useful if you need to return missing videos, music, photos or documents. As with restore points, this option must be configured correctly before use:

This way, you can recover files, unless, of course, the disk was completely wiped. Now let's figure out how to recover a lost file:

Video: restoring Windows 10 on your own

Recovery methods without logging in

If the operating system does not boot, it is more difficult to restore it. However, if you act strictly according to the instructions, you can handle this without any problems.

Restoring the system through BIOS using a bootable drive

Using a bootable drive, you can start system recovery through the BIOS, that is, before Windows 10 boots. But first, you need to create such a drive:

Nothing more is required from you. The bootable drive will be created, and you can proceed directly to system recovery. First you need to open the BIOS. This is done by pressing different keys when turning on the computer, which depend on the device model:

• Acer - most often the buttons for entering the BIOS from this company are the F2 or Delete keys. On older models, entire keyboard shortcuts were used, for example, Ctrl+Alt+Escape;
• Asus - F2 almost always works, especially on laptops. Delete is used much less frequently;
• Dell - also uses the F2 key on modern devices. On older models, it is better to simply look for instructions on the screen, since the combinations can be very different;
• HP - laptops and computers from this company enter the BIOS by pressing Escape and F10. Older models did this using the F1, F2, F6, F11 keys. On tablets, F10 or F12 is usually used;
• Lenovo, Sony, Toshiba - like many other modern companies, use the F2 key. This has become almost the standard for entering the BIOS.

If you did not find your model and were unable to open the BIOS, carefully study the inscriptions that appear when you turn on the device. One of them will indicate the desired button.

Once you are in the BIOS, do the following:

1. Find First Boot Device. Depending on the BIOS version, it may be located in different subsections. Select your OS drive as the boot device and restart your computer after saving the changes.

   Set the download of the desired device as priority

2. The installation will begin. Check the language and if everything is correct, click “Next”.

   Select your language at the beginning of installation

3. Go to "System Restore".

   Click "System Restore"

4. The recovery menu will open. Select the Diagnostics button.

   Open the system diagnostic menu in this window

5. Go to advanced options.

   Go to advanced diagnostic menu options

6. If you have created a system restore point before, select "Restore Windows using a restore point." Otherwise, go to Startup Repair.

   Select Startup Repair from advanced options to fix operating system errors

7. Automatic checking and correction of boot files will begin. This process may take up to 30 minutes, after which Windows 10 should boot without any problems.

Creating a boot disk from an image

If you still need a boot disk to restore the system, and not a flash drive, then you can create it using the ISO image obtained earlier, or use a ready-made installation disk with the same OS version. Creating a boot disk is done as follows:

If the recovery does not work, you can always simply reinstall the operating system using the same disk.

System Restore via Command Line

An effective tool for solving OS boot problems is the command line. You can also open it through the diagnostic menu, which was opened using the boot drive:

Another method would require defining the partition name:

1. To find out the desired value, enter the diskpart and list disk commands. You will be presented with a list of all your drives.
2. You can determine the required disk by its capacity. Enter the command disk 0 (where 0 is the number of the desired disk).

   Enter the specified sequence of commands to find out your disk number

3. Once the disk is selected, use the detail disk command to obtain the required information. You will be shown all the disk partitions.
4. Find the area where the operating system is installed and remember the letter designation.

   Use the partition name you found in the bcdboot x:\windows command

In addition to these, there are a number of other commands that may be useful:

Just try entering these commands one by one: one of them will solve your problem.

Video: Windows 10 boot repair via command line

Fixing the recovery error

When trying to restore the system, an error code 0x80070091 may occur. It is usually accompanied by information that the recovery was not completed. This problem occurs due to an error with the WindowsApps folder. Do the following:

Windows activation key recovery

The OS activation key is usually written on the device itself. But if the special sticker with the key has worn out over time, you can recognize it from the system itself. The easiest way to do this is to use a special program:

If you need to find out the key before activating the system, then you cannot do without contacting the place of purchase or official Microsoft support.

Set the required screen resolution

Sometimes when restoring the operating system, the screen resolution may drop. In this case, you should return it:

Password recovery in Windows 10

If you have forgotten your operating system password, you should recover it. You can request to reset your account password on the official website:

You should be prepared for any problems with your computer. Knowing how to restore your system in case of problems will help you save your data and continue working on your device without reinstalling Windows.