How To Reset Windows 11 Officially? 3 Paths to Fix Lagging and Privacy Leakage

1. Pain Point Attack: Are You Also Troubled by PC Lag and Privacy Leakage?

During the use of computers, many people will encounter such troubles: the computer becomes more and more laggy after long-term use. Obviously, not many software are installed, but crashes and slow loading occur frequently; what’s more distressing is that when preparing to give the old computer to relatives or resell it, the retention of sensitive data such as chat records, bank information, and private photos is worrying. I believe many people have had similar bad experiences. After simply deleting files and transferring the computer, the private data was recovered by others, causing unnecessary troubles. In fact, these problems can be easily solved through the official reset function built into the Windows 11 system. Today, we will bring you a detailed practical tutorial. Whether you want to repair the system and retain files, or completely clear data to ensure privacy, 3 operation paths are disassembled step by step, which can be easily mastered even by beginners.

2. Preparations: 3 Key Operations Before Resetting

Before performing the Windows 11 reset operation, adequate preparation can avoid data loss or operation failure. Especially when choosing the “Keep my files” mode, it is also recommended to back up key data in advance. The specific preparation steps are as follows:

– Back up core data: Copy important files in the desktop, documents, and download folders, as well as personalized data such as chat records and browser bookmarks, to an external hard drive, U disk, or cloud disk (such as Baidu Cloud, OneDrive). Even if you choose “Keep my files”, some cache data related to software may be lost, so backing up in advance is more secure.

– Check power and network: If it is a laptop, ensure sufficient power (it is recommended to connect the power adapter) to avoid system damage due to power failure during the reset process; if you choose “Cloud download” to reinstall Windows, confirm in advance that the network is stable and there is sufficient traffic (the reset process may consume more than 4G of traffic).

– Close third-party security software: Some third-party antivirus and protection software may block the reset operation, leading to process interruption. It is recommended to temporarily uninstall or close such software before resetting, and reinstall them after the reset is completed.

3. Path 1: Reset via Settings Interface, Intuitive Basic Operation

This is the most conventional and intuitive reset method, suitable for most beginners. The operation steps are clear, and you can directly choose the “Keep files” or “Delete all content” mode according to your needs. The specific steps are as follows:

1. Open the Start menu of Windows 11 system: Click the “Start” icon (Windows logo) in the lower left corner of the screen, or use the shortcut key “Win key” to wake it up directly.
2. Enter the Settings interface: Find and click the “Settings” option (gear icon) in the Start menu to enter; you can also use the shortcut key “Win+I” to open Settings directly.
3. Locate the system recovery option: In the left menu bar of the Settings interface, find and click the “System” option; on the right side of the System page, scroll down to find the “Recovery” option, and click the arrow on the right side of “Recovery” to enter the detailed page.
4. Start the reset process: On the Recovery page, find the “Reset this PC” option, click the “Reset PC” button below, and a reset window will pop up at this time.
5. Select the reset mode:
   – Keep my files: This mode only deletes installed applications and system settings, and retains personal files (such as documents, photos, videos, etc.). It is suitable for situations where the computer is laggy or crashes but you want to retain data.
   – Remove everything: This mode will completely delete all data on the hard drive (including personal files, applications, settings). It is suitable for ensuring privacy security when reselling or transferring the computer.
6. Choose the Windows installation method: If you select “Remove everything”, you will enter the installation method selection page with two options: “Cloud download” and “Local reinstall”. It is recommended to choose “Local reinstall”, which can not only speed up the installation process but also avoid consuming a lot of traffic; if the local system files are damaged, you can choose “Cloud download” to obtain the official pure system image.
7. Confirm reset settings: The page will display the specific content of the current reset operation, such as “Delete apps and files, do not clean the drive”, “Reinstall Windows from this device”, etc. If you need to enhance privacy security, you can click “Change settings” and turn on the “Clean drive” switch (this operation may take several hours, but it can greatly increase the difficulty of file recovery and avoid data theft); click “Confirm” after setting.
8. Start resetting: After confirming all settings, click “Next”, then click the “Reset” button, and the system will automatically start the reset process. The computer will restart several times during this period, no manual operation is required, just wait for the process to complete.

4. Path 2: Reset via Command Prompt, Efficient Advanced Operation

If you think the operation steps through the Settings interface are cumbersome, you can quickly start the reset process through the command prompt, which is more efficient and suitable for users with certain computer basics. The specific steps are as follows:

1. Open Command Prompt: Enter “cmd” in the Windows search box, find “Command Prompt” in the search results, right-click and select “Run as administrator” (to ensure the highest operation authority).
2. Enter the reset command: In the Command Prompt window, enter the command “systemreset –factoryreset” (note the space in the middle of the command, you can copy and paste it directly to avoid input errors).
3. Start the reset window: Press the Enter key after entering the command, and the system will automatically pop up the same reset window as Path 1. The subsequent operations are exactly the same as Path 1.
4. Select the reset mode and complete the operation: Choose “Keep my files” or “Remove everything” according to your needs. The subsequent steps of selecting the installation method and confirming the settings are the same as Path 1. Complete them as prompted. If you select “Keep my files”, the system will prompt “Your apps will be deleted”. Click “Next” and then “Reset” to start the process.

5. Path 3: Reset via Advanced Startup, Emergency Solution When the System Cannot Start Normally

If the computer cannot start normally into the desktop due to system damage, virus infection and other problems, and cannot be operated through the above two methods, you can reset it through the Advanced Startup interface, which is an emergency solution for system failures. The specific steps are as follows:

5.1 Enter the Advanced Startup interface

1. If the computer can still start and enter the login interface: Click the power icon on the login interface, hold down the “Shift key” and click “Restart” at the same time, the computer will restart and enter the Advanced Startup page.
2. If you can enter the Settings interface: Follow the first 3 steps of Path 1 (Start – Settings – System – Recovery), find the “Advanced startup” option, click “Restart now”, and the computer will directly enter the Advanced Startup page.

5.2 Locate the reset option

1. On the Advanced Startup page, find and click the “Troubleshoot” option; on the Troubleshoot page, click “Reset this PC” to pop up the reset window.

5.3 Complete the reset operation

1. The reset window at this time is exactly the same as the previous two paths.
2. Choose “Keep my files” or “Remove everything” according to your needs, then select “Cloud download” or “Local reinstall”, confirm the settings and click “Reset”, and wait for the system to complete the reset.
3. The reset process under this path is consistent with the previous two, no additional operations are required, and it is suitable for repairing or clearing data when the system fails.

6. Notes After Resetting: Restore the Computer to Optimal Condition

After the reset is completed, the computer will return to the initial state (or a pure system state with personal files retained). At this time, you need to make subsequent settings to make the computer more in line with usage needs:

1. Complete system initialization settings: The first startup will enter the Windows initialization interface, and complete basic settings such as language, time zone, network connection, and user account creation according to the prompts.
2. Install necessary drivers and software: After resetting, some hardware drivers may need to be reinstalled (such as graphics card, sound card drivers), which can be automatically obtained through Windows Update or downloaded and installed from the official hardware website; at the same time, install commonly used software (such as office software, browsers, chat tools, etc.).
3. Restore backed-up data: Copy the personal files, chat records, browser bookmarks and other data backed up before the reset back to the computer to complete data migration.
4. Enable system security protection: Enable Windows Defender Firewall and real-time protection functions, or install reliable third-party security software to ensure system security.

7. Summary: Choose the Appropriate Reset Path According to Your Needs

The official reset function of Windows 11 is a practical tool to solve computer lag, crashes and ensure the privacy security of old computer resale. The 3 operation paths have their own advantages: the Settings interface path is intuitive and easy to understand, suitable for beginners; the command prompt path is efficient and fast, suitable for advanced users; the Advanced Startup path is suitable for emergency rescue when the system cannot start normally. No matter which path you choose, you must select the “Keep my files” or “Remove everything” mode according to your own needs. When reselling the computer, be sure to turn on the “Clean drive” switch to ensure that private data cannot be recovered. By following the tutorial, even computer beginners can easily complete the reset, making the computer smooth again or transferring it to others safely.

8. Demo Video

You can watch the following demo video by select the subtitle to your preferred subtitle language.