Keep my files reinstalls Windows while retaining personal files, but removes installed apps and settings. Remove everything reinstalls Windows and removes personal files, apps, and settings. Back up important files before either option, and have your BitLocker recovery key ready if the PC is encrypted.
Which reset option should you choose?
| Your goal | Choose | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Repair Windows while keeping personal documents and photos on the PC | Keep my files | Personal files remain, but you will need to reinstall apps and reconfigure settings. |
| Start over or prepare the PC for another owner | Remove everything | Personal files, apps, and settings are removed. |
| Make casual recovery of deleted data harder before a consumer handoff | Remove everything with Clean data enabled | Microsoft says this makes deleted files harder to recover, but it is not standards-compliant secure erasure. |
These are the file-retention choices in Windows Reset this PC. The separate Cloud download and Local reinstall choices determine where Windows setup files come from; they do not change whether personal files are kept. Microsoft’s Reset your PC guidance covers Windows 10 and Windows 11, though screens and options can vary by device.
What Keep my files removes—and what it keeps
Keep my files reinstalls Windows and retains personal files, such as documents and photos. It removes installed applications and settings, so it is not a way to preserve your existing programs or configuration. Make sure you can reinstall any apps you rely on and know how you will restore settings you need.
What Remove everything does
Remove everything reinstalls Windows and removes personal files as well as apps and settings. Choose it when you want a fresh start or are preparing to give away or sell the PC, after saving anything you still need elsewhere.
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What Clean data does—and does not do
When available, Clean data makes deleted files harder for other people to recover and may add time to the reset. Microsoft says this consumer-focused data-erasure function does not meet government and industry data-erasure standards. Do not treat it as certified or guaranteed secure erasure when donating, recycling, or selling a device that requires standards-compliant sanitization.
Cloud download vs. Local reinstall
This choice is independent of Keep my files vs. Remove everything: first decide what should happen to personal files, then choose a Windows reinstall source.
Rank #2
- High-speed USB 3.0 performance of up to 150MB/s(1) [(1) Write to drive up to 15x faster than standard USB 2.0 drives (4MB/s); varies by drive capacity. Up to 150MB/s read speed. USB 3.0 port required. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device, usage conditions, and other factors; 1MB=1,000,000 bytes]
- Transfer a full-length movie in less than 30 seconds(2) [(2) Based on 1.2GB MPEG-4 video transfer with USB 3.0 host device. Results may vary based on host device, file attributes and other factors]
- Transfer to drive up to 15 times faster than standard USB 2.0 drives(1)
- Sleek, durable metal casing
- Easy-to-use password protection for your private files(3) [(3)Password protection uses 128-bit AES encryption and is supported by Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Mac OS X v10.9 plus; Software download required for Mac, visit the SanDisk SecureAccess support page]
| Reinstall source | How it works | When it may suit you |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud download | Downloads a fresh copy of Windows. | Consider it if local recovery files may be corrupted or missing. It requires downloading Windows. |
| Local reinstall | Uses Windows files already on the device. | May be faster with a slow internet connection if local files are usable. It may not include the latest updates. |
Prepare before resetting
- Back up important files. Make a separate copy somewhere outside the PC, such as an external drive, and confirm you can open the copied files before proceeding.
- Find the BitLocker recovery key if the device is encrypted. Keep it available in case Windows asks for it during recovery.
- Check whether a less disruptive recovery option fits. For a PC that starts but has problems, Microsoft’s Recovery options in Windows guide includes options such as troubleshooters, uninstalling a recent update, System Restore, or reinstalling the current Windows version. Which option is appropriate depends on the problem and system.
- Start Reset this PC from Settings or Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). The exact Settings path and available choices vary by Windows version and device.
During the reset: do not force a restart just because the screen goes black
Microsoft warns that a black screen can last a long time during a reset, occasionally upwards of 15 minutes. Manually restarting the PC during this period could cause the reset to fail, so allow the operation to continue rather than interrupting it solely because the screen is black.
When to get help before resetting
Reset this PC is a disruptive recovery option, and it may not be the first choice for every Windows problem. If the PC is managed by work or school, contact your IT team before resetting; the organization may control recovery settings or require a particular process. Device makers can also present different recovery screens, so do not assume every PC offers identical choices.
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