Windows 10 Factory Reset

[NickHendryx13]

So I have had a bumpy ride with my first desktop after spending $2200 on it. My first graphics card killed itself so I had to get a new one, 2 sticks of ram were malicious to my system and caused BSoD errors so I'm in the process of returning them and now I cannot upgrade my Nvidia drivers! So I am wanting to Factory reset my computer completely cleaning all files. However when I got my rig built I hadn't paid for Windows 10, instead the guy I got to build my PC went to put on a trial version through a disk but I got a Windows activation key nonetheless and have a full version! He said he was unsure how it happened aswell but hey, i got a free $140 version of windows.

So I am worried that if I Factory Reset my computer that I will need to re-add an activation key that I clearly don't have thus making my PC unusable! Please Help

Thank you in advance!

 

[captaincharisma]

if you go into settings - update and recovery does it say the computer is activated?

 

[NickHendryx13]

I have Windows 10 Home and it says windows is activated with a digital licence. also that I can upgrade to Windows 10 Pro

 

[captaincharisma]

a digital licence doesn't require a windows key so you're good there. you can do a clean install of windows 10 and then once you get the computer back on the internet it will reactivate. with all the issues you are describing i do not believe you can avoid doing one any longer

 

[NickHendryx13]

Awesome thanks so much! so Settings > Reset PC > Remove everything > Remove Files and Clean Drive correct?

 

[captaincharisma]

Awesome thanks so much! so Settings > Reset PC > Remove everything > Remove Files and Clean Drive correct?

something like that. fpr clean install select remove everything and then select the option "just remove my files"


http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/reset-windows-10-pc

 

[NickHendryx13]

So when i go to do that I get an error message saying " There was a problem resetting your PC, No changes were made." I've tried restarting my computer multiple times and nothing is working. Whenever I figure one thing out another problem arises.

 

[captaincharisma]

So when i go to do that I get an error message saying " There was a problem resetting your PC, No changes were made." I've tried restarting my computer multiple times and nothing is working. Whenever I figure one thing out another problem arises.

it could be something on the computer messing with it. i would try doing the recovery in the advanced menu. which you can get to by holding the shift key down when selecting restart from the start menu or go to the MD website and dopwnload the media creation tool to load a windows 10 install dfisk on a flash drive or DVD

 

[NickHendryx13]

I tried going through the advanced menu and I got the same message "There was a problem resetting your PC" I have also tried following this youtube tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw_EuTYAGLI

but at the Disk Management step at 3:48 but it doesn't fully make the partition and I get an error message

" The operation failed to complete because the Disk Management console view is not up-to-date. Refresh the view by using the refresh task. If the problem persists close the Disk management console, then restart Disk Management or restart the computer."

Which I have done each one of those.

 

[captaincharisma]

the only thing left to try would be to boot with a windows 10 startup disk. during the install choose advanced and delete and recreate the partitions on the hard drive then continue with the install.

 

[NickHendryx13]

Alright how do i get a Windows 10 Startup disk? Can I burn one or do I need to buy it?

 

[captaincharisma]

Alright how do i get a Windows 10 Startup disk? Can I burn one or do I need to buy it?

simplest way is go to the MS website via this link and download the media creation tool. it will guide you through loading a windows 10 install on a USB drive or DVD. there is no cost for downloading this tool

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10