Factory reset HP laptop: from boot, Windows 10, Windows 7

When your HP laptop begins acting up — due to viruses, software errors, etc. — restoring it to factory settings is a good way to rectify the situation. Here's how to do so.

How to factory reset HP laptop from boot?

You may access the HP Recovery Manager at any time by restarting the computer and pressing F11 repeatedly before the Windows logo screen appears.

In the System Recovery panel, click Next. PC Recovery will display a message reading, "Backing up user data and settings."

Upon completion of the backup, PC Recovery will display a message reading, "The PC Recovery was successfully completed." Click Restart to restart your PC or click Turn Off to turn it off.

How to factory reset HP laptop under Windows 10?

• Open the Start menu.
• Select Settings.
• Type reset in the Search bar.
• Next, select Reset this PC.

Another thing you can do is:

• Open the Start menu.
• Go to Settings.
• Select Update and Security.
• Click Recovery.
• Click Get started (under Reset this PC).
• According to your preferences, choose between Keep my files and Remove everything. 
• Depending on your choice, you will have to follow different on-screen instructions. Keep in mind that all your apps and programs will be deleted, no matter the option you choose. 

How to factory reset HP laptop without password? 

• Power on your laptop.
• Press F11  - you might need to press this key several times. If F11 doesn't work, try with F11 + Esc. 
• Next, select Troubleshoot.
• From there, go to Recovery manager.
• Once this is done, head to the Help section and select System Recovery.
• Click Recover without Backing up Your Files - or you can choose to create a backup.
• Select Next.
• You can now finish the process by following the on-screen instructions. 

How to factory reset HP laptop under Windows 7?

• Start your laptop and press the F11 key - you might have to press and hold or press several times.
• The System Recovery menu will appear. If this doesn't work, then press Enter > Startup menu > System Recovery menu.
• Select System Recovery from the Help section. 
• Select between Recover with or without Backing up Your Files according to your preferences.
• Select Next and then OK. 
• When the process is over, click Finish to complete it. 

How to factory reset HP laptop from Startup?

If you want to factory reset your HP device from startup, then we recommend following the instructions in the How to factory reset HP laptop without password section. 

How to factory reset HP laptop under Windows 8?

For Windows 8, you can either follow the factory reset steps for Windows 10 or try the following:

• Click on the Windows button.
• Go to Settings. 
• Select Change PC settings.
• From there, select General and then scroll down to the Remove everything and reinstall Windows section, and click Get started.
• Select Next, then Fully clean the drive. 
• You can finish the process by following the on-screen instructions.

How to factory reset HP laptop from BIOS? 

• Restart your PC and press the F10 key. If it doesn't work, find the right key for your model.
• The BIOS menu will appear. Use the arrows to select the File menu.
• From there, select Apply Defaults and Exit.
• You can now restart your computer.

How to factory reset HP laptop under Windows 10 without password? 

You can follow the general instructions from the How to factory reset HP laptop without password. They apply to Windows 10. 

How to factory reset HP laptop under Windows 11?

• Restart your PC.
• Press Windows + I keys.
• Select Settings.
• From there, head to Update & Security.
• Click Recovery.
• Select Reset PC. 
• Choose between keeping the files and removing everything, according to your preferences.
• Next, choose how to reinstall Windows: Cloud download or Local reinstall.
• Select  Next, then Reset.

How to factory reset HP laptop with disks?

Creating Recovery Disks

Before restoring your PC to factory settings, you should create a set of recovery disks, especially for a new device. Depending on the type of disk drive, multiple blank CD-R, DVD-R, or DVD+R disks will be needed for the process.

N.B. Use of -RW media will cause the process to fail.

Begin by connecting the computer to the AC power adapter. Click Start > All Programs > System Recovery > Create Recovery Disks.

The PC Recovery Disk Creator utility will, then, display a message indicating the type and number of media disks required.

Next, verify that the required number of media disks is available, and click Next to begin the actual copying process. When prompted, remove each written disk and insert a blank disk.

Label each disk in the sequence that it was created, as prompted, and store the newly created set of recovery disks in a safe place.

Restoring Using the Recovery Disks

The Windows operating system (OS) can be reinstalled using recovery disks without destroying any existing programs or customer data. This action is normally only performed if the computer does not start properly or does not boot into the Windows operating system.

To preserve your data, copy it or back it up to an external storage device before performing this task.

Next, connect the computer to the AC power adapter. Open the disk drive, insert the first disk in the set of recovery disks, and close the disk drive. Turn off the computer. Then, press the Power button to start the computer, and immediately press the F11 key.

The computer will begin to operate from the disk and will perform tests on the hard drive. After a few moments, a black screen with a message will be displayed. If the C:\ drive and the special recovery partition are intact, you will be able to choose between two options: Press 'R' for standard System Recovery options and Press 'F' to format the hard drive and reinstall the original factory settings. All data will be lost!