Format and clean install on laptop with pre-installed Windows 8.1

[Narestel]

Hi there, experts!

I purchased a very basic laptop "Acer Aspire ES1-111" a year ago. Its specs are:

Intel Celeron N2840
RAM: 2 GB
SSD: 32 GB eMMC

It includes Windows 8.1 pre-installed (I assume it's an OEM version), but the retailer didn't provide me the key nor a disk and I'd like to format the PC and do a clean installation of Windows.

I heard the SSD includes a partition with the OS installer or so (and it makes sense, since when we received the laptop, the OS only tells me I have 18,8GB in C: out of the 32GB it's supposed to have).

I've never formatted a PC that comes with a partition for the installer nor reinstalled its OS. Do you know what steps should I do in order to format this laptop and install its original OS again without breaking it?

Thanks in advance!

 

[RealBeast]

Did you try doing a factory reset already?

First back up all of your data.

Then if it still boots: go into Start button, All Programs, Acer Empowering Technology. Select Acer eRecovery Management. The choose Restore and select the option to Restore System to Factory Default.

If your computer will not boot hold ALt-F10 on boot up to get into the recovery console.

 

[Narestel]

Thank you very much! I had no idea it worked like that, hehe. It worked like a charm.

The funny thing is that we had uninstalled every single Acer program (including the Recovery one) and other garbage apps just after we started using the laptop, but it was just to use the Search option, type "recover" and there it was the recovery program anyway :-D

 

[RealBeast]

Glad to hear that it helped!