Windows vista factory default restore

Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Author Info Last Updated: September 16, Method 1. Select the radio button next to the restore point for which you want your computer restored.

You can either choose the restore point recommended by Windows, or choose a different restore point. Method 2. Click on the Start menu, then click on the arrow next to the Lock icon. Click on the name of the operating system you want repaired. Select the restoration point to which you want your computer restored. You can repair your computer at Advanced Boot Options. Enter your information by pressing Enter. Click Next once you have selected a keyboard language.

You will need to log in with an administrative account if prompted. If this option is available, choose System Restore or Startup Repair if this is available. You can run Windows Login Recovery on the computer accessible from the download link.

You will see a wizard for resetting your password after you put the disk in the locked computer. You can reset your password by clicking Reset password on the Windows login screen.

Step 5 Log in as an administrator when prompted, and enter your password. Click "OK. Step 6 Click "System Restore" or equivalent and click "Next. Step 7 Check the box for "Yes, reformat hard drive and restore system software to factory condition," and click "Next. Step 8 Wait for restore operation to complete. Click the "Finish" button to restart your computer. Step 1 If restoring files and data from a backup made to a hard drive, plug your drive into your computer and turn it on.

Step 2 Click the "Start" button and select "Control Panel. Step 4 Select "Advanced Restore," located in the "Restore files or your entire computer" field to launch the "What do you want to restore? Step 5 Click the "Files from a backup made on a different computer" button.

Select "Next. Step 6 Browse your hard drive or backup disc's contents and locate your backup files via the pop-up window. Although this is a slightly more involved option, the user could also reinstall Windows Vista. The problem is that the user needs a copy of the installation CD to use this method. The bonus is that reinstalling Windows Vista will restore the PC to its factory default settings.

If the user retained and can locate the program's activation code, reinstalling this edition of Windows becomes much simpler. In many cases, a user will want to restore their PC without losing all the data. The following steps benefit users by establishing a backup or multiple backups and rebuilding from that data source.

So, the key here is to create a restore point. The following steps enable this feature:. A user can still restore their files even with the backup remotely located on another computer. Once the user chooses the desired source for the backup, the prompts guide users through restoring the PC to a previous state. One thing to note is that many manufacturers have stopped including recovery disks.

However, they do provide options for recovery with manufacturer-specific tools.