How to Restore HP Laptop Factory Settings

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Unlike on mobile devices, people don't find it necessary to reset their PCs to factory settings most often. However, if you're trying to resale the PC to another user, you definitely need to reset it to factory settings.

Restoring your HP laptop to factory settings can equally be useful when troubleshooting the PC. Well, whatever your reasons are for wanting to reset your HP PC to its default state, this article provides a well-articulated guide on how to go about the process.

Why Restore Factory Settings?​

It is important to note that factory resetting wipes all data on your laptop, returning it to the state it was in when you first bought it. Common reasons to perform a factory reset include:

• Resolving software errors or performance issues.
• Removing viruses or malware.
• Cleaning the system for resale or transfer of ownership.
• Troubleshooting a persistent issue

Before Restoring Factory Settings...​

Before you proceed to refresh your PC, you should make sure of the following:

• Backup your files to another storage drive or media
• Ensure the PC is fully charged or plugged into a power source during the process to avoid interruptions during the reset process.
• HP laptops come with a built-in recovery partition or you can create an HP recovery disk if needed.

How to Restore HP Laptop Factory Settings (Windows 10/11)​

1. via Windows Settings​

Windows 10 and 11 have so many similarities, including in the Settings page layout. So, here's how to access the factory reset feature.

• Step One: Open the Windows Settings page (Win Key + I) and go to System -> Recovery.
• Step Two: Go to the "Reset this PC" section and click on Reset PC.
• Step Three: Choose between the reset options, "Keep my files" and "Remove everything." These options are quite self-explanatory.

After the reset, you may need to reinstall Windows OS and reactivate too. Your HP laptop will start up as a new system and you will have to reinstall your software programs.

2. Using HP Recovery Manager​

If the HP PC won't boot at all, you can use the BIOS HP Recovery Manager utility to perform the reset.

• Shut down the laptop properly and when booting it back, press the boot key (F11) repeatedly until the Recovery Manager screen appears.
• Select System Recovery -> Factory Reset.
• Follow the subsequent prompt and choose the reset options that suit your purpose.
• This method may take some time, and the system will restart several times during the reset.

3. Using a Recovery Media (Disk or USB)​

If you created a recovery disk or USB drive previously, you can use it to restore factory settings on your HP PC.

• Step One: Plug in the recovery USB or insert the recovery DVD.
• Step Two: Boot the laptop from the recovery disk. Usually, to do this, press the Esc or F9 key immediately pressing the power button to boot the PC. Once the boot menu comes up, select the recovery media as the boot source and proceed.
• Step Three: Follow the on-screen instructions to reset your laptop to factory settings.

Post-Reset Steps​

After restoring your PC to factory settings, you will need to connect to the internet and update your Windows OS and drivers (via Device Manager or HP Support Assistant). Also, you will have to re-install your operational software programs. If you backed up your data to another storage, you can restore it too.

Conclusion​

Factory resetting HP laptops follows quite a straightforward process, but then, you have to be careful with the options you select in the prompts. A factory reset takes your laptop back to its default settings and fixes most persistent issues.