# I factory reset windows 10



## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

I'm stuck on Reset this PC Screen and there's no admin accounts to sign in to on the list there's only one option and after reboot it takes me back to the same screen.


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

Hello and welcome to TSG!!

You may need to do a fresh Windows install, depending on what precipitated this action. Why did you feel the need to do a reset in the first place? Have you backed up all your important data (files, like pictures, music, documents, etc.)?


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

Yes I did the save all my files option and I had to do a reset because I was going to sell my P.C. but decided not to last minute so I chose the save my files option. I can't get it to do anything it boots up and it gives me one option at the bottom I click it and it says restart so I restart and it takes me right back to that screen I've tried to find safe mode in bios there's no option for that on there.


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

If you were the original owner, the one who set the PC up initially, your account should have been an administrative account. Did you use a local account? Or a Microsoft account?

Did you save the files you want to keep on an external device? Backed up somewhere besides the system you are currently working on?


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

The hard drive came out of an old computer and I backed it up on the drive itself. Theres an ssd in the a pcie port with windows and all my files on it but I could never get bios to see it and boot from it.


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

The hard drive worked fine before I did the reset.


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

Backing up files on the same drive is not really backing up. If the drive goes south, everything is gone, including your "backup".

Have you got another PC you can use? You can try to download the Microsoft Media Creation Tool. Run it and select the option to use it on another computer. This will give you the option of creating a bootable USB flashdrive. you can use that to try to do a Repair on this system. You may be lucky. You might want to remove the M.2 SSD if you try this so that the tool operates on the drive you intend it to.

You say there is an M.2 drive in the unit? And it has all the data files you'd need? If so, and they are current, that could be your backup, if it is still accessible (if the computer were working, of course).

Alternatively, you could remove the HDD, which should still have all your data intact, and reinstall Windows (using that same USB flash drive created above) on the M.2 SSD. Then, once complete, you could reinstall the HDD and, hopefully, read the files. Copy them, then format the HDD. You'd be better off booting from the M.2 SSD anyway. It is considerably faster than your HDD!


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

Ok thank you I'll try that using a USB flash drive. And yes there's a ssd in there with all the files but I could never get Bios to see it so I could boot from it.


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

You can see it from the HDD, though? That's a help.


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

Yes I can see the ssd from the HDD in windows.


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

Great! Keep us posted on how things progress.


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

So I got the windows 10 media tool on a USB I can't get it to boot from the USB I went in bios and moved the USB to the priority and it didn't work it just went back to bios


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

Is it a name brand system? Or home built? If the latter, what motherboard is in it? Make/model, please.


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

Asus Maximus VI Hero


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

Right after you power on, start hitting <F8> repeatedly. You should get a boot menu. Select your USB drive. You may have to hit a key to continue, I forget. I know you have to do that with a CD/DVD boot.


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

All its doing now is...


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

Just blinking after I booted from usb


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

Well, that's not good! ;-)

Which internal drive do you have connected right now?


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

Just the HDD


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

OK, good.

When you get the boot menu, what are your options?


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

See photo


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

Windows Boot Manager P2 St500DM002
P2 ST500DM002
GENERAL UDISK
ENTER SET UP


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

Is the " GENERAL UDISK " the flashdrive?


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

Yes


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

And when you select it, does it look kinda like a Win10 system booting up, after a few seconds?


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

No it went straight to the blinking cursor


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

Did you make any changes when you were in the BIOS settings earlier? Maybe try to do a reset to Default settings?


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

I'm heading for bed, but just had a last thought.

You did create the bootable flashdrive using the tool, right? You didn't just copy the file to the flashdrive. Running the Creation Tool provides the means to create the bootable drive for use on a different PC than the one you run it on. You probably did it right, but I just wanted to confirm.

I'll pick this back up tomorrow, if you still need assistance and nobody else jumps in.


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## PeterOz (Dec 29, 2020)

Hi Sablan671 & Mark.
My 2 cents (for what it's worth)
If you created the Win 10 install tool correctly - on a usb at least 8gb.
Can you go into the bios and disable fastboot. (pic attached)
Set usb as first boot.
Reboot
If it does not boot from usb
Reboot and press F8 - choose usb.

The pic attached came from user manual. you say you have M2 drive> I cannot see M2 in the manual !!


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

Sablan671 said:


> Theres an ssd in the a pcie port with windows and all my files on it but I could never get bios to see it and boot from it.


Peter, when I read this early in the thread, I understood it to be an M.2 drive. Now I'm thinking it may be an SSD on an actual PCIe card. Mea Culpa.


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## PeterOz (Dec 29, 2020)

Not a prob. Just wanted to make sure I had the correct manual


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

It's in default and it does the same thing.


Gr3iz said:


> Peter, when I read this early in the thread, I understood it to be an M.2 drive. Now I'm thinking it may be an SSD on an actual PCIe card. Mea Culpa.


Yes an actual card with a ssd in it.


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

Did you create the bootable flashdrive using the Media Creation Tool? Rather than just copying the file to the flashdrive? We've had a lot of users misunderstand us and just copy the file.


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

I haven't had a chance to look at it again. Works got me busy. But when I get a chance again I'll redo the USB and try booting from it again.


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## PeterOz (Dec 29, 2020)

Sablan671 said:


> I haven't had a chance to look at it again. Works got me busy


Not a problem
Try disabling fast boot in the bios - Post #29


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

I reinstalled the media tool to the USB and disabled fast boot and bioted from the USB and it goes to a black screen with the blinking cursor.


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## PeterOz (Dec 29, 2020)

Is your usb drive 8gb or more ?
When you create the usb do you let the tool create it or do you use Rufus


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

Yes


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

I let it create it.


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## lunarlander (Sep 22, 2007)

Did you set the BIOS to choose to boot from USB first?


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## Sablan671 (11 mo ago)

Yes


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## Gr3iz (Mar 9, 2009)

If you have another PC handy, try to boot from that device. You can cancel the operation once it boots. It will not do anything adverse to the PC. Just to be sure it will boot ...


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## PeterOz (Dec 29, 2020)

Step 1) as per Mark post#42
If boots other computer and will not boot yours.
Step 2) Turn fastboot back on
try to boot.
If no boot with fast boot turned back on.
Step 3) we will set the bios to legacy boot.


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