How to Reset Windows Without Losing Your Data

Resetting a Windows PC is a surefire way to fix a variety of issues, from sluggish performance to software glitches. What's even better is that Windows allows you to reset without losing your personal files.
Backup Your Data for Added Safety

Although it's possible to reset Windows without losing files, it never hurts to be cautious. If the reset process does not go as planned—due to unexpected issues such as power interruptions or system errors—having a backup will give you the necessary peace of mind and make it easy to restore your files later.

So, make sure to back up your Windows PC to protect your data. You can use built-in tools like Windows Backup or File History, or opt for a third-party app for added flexibility. Once you've backed up your important files, you can proceed with the reset.

Reset Windows While Keeping Your Files Using the Settings App

The Settings app makes it fairly simple to reset your Windows PC without losing any of your personal data.Press Windows + I to open the Settings app.
Head to the System tab and click on Recovery.
Under “Recovery options,” click the Reset PC button next to Reset this PC.
Click the Keep my files option.
Select the Local reinstall option. You can choose Cloud download if you want to download a fresh copy of Windows.
Click Next and then finally hit Reset to confirm.



Once you've completed the steps above, wait for Windows to finish resetting. Depending on the reinstallation method you select, the process may take some time. If you choose Cloud Download, make sure your internet connection is stable and that you have enough data allowance to avoid any interruptions.

For those using Windows 10, the steps are slightly different. Head to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC and click the Get started button. From there, you can follow the prompts to reset Windows while keeping your files.




Reset Windows Without Data Loss via WinRE

Booting your PC into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) gives you several troubleshooting options, including the ability to reset your PC. This method is especially useful if your PC isn't booting properly or the Settings app is unresponsive. The good news is that resetting Windows via the WinRE menu is just as straightforward.

If your PC is booting normally, you can access the WinRE menu by opening the Start menu, expanding the power menu, and holding down the Shift key while clicking the Restart button.

If your PC isn't booting normally, you'll need to interrupt the boot process to access this menu. To do so, press the power button on your PC. While it's booting up, press and hold the power button to interrupt the process. Repeat this step three times, and Windows should automatically boot into the Advanced Startup Options menu.

Once you’re on the WinRE menu, use these steps to perform a reset:Select Advanced options > Troubleshoot.
Click on Reset this PC.
Select the Keep my files option.
Click on Cloud download or Local reinstall, depending on your preference.
Click the Reset button to confirm.




Wait for the reset process to finish, and Windows should boot to the setup screen afterward.

Regardless of the method you choose, resetting your Windows 10 or 11 PC is quick and painless. If your PC is running Windows 11 version 22H2 or newer, you can also reinstall Windows to fix problems—without losing any of your files, apps, or settings.

Source: https://www.makeuseof.com/reset-windows-without-losing-data/

How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 (ZDNET)

You don't have to throw away a perfectly good PC just because it doesn't meet Microsoft's strict Windows 11 compatibility standards. Here's how you can work around the restrictions and safely upgrade a Windows 10 PC.

On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will stop delivering security updates to your Windows 10 PC unless you're willing to pay an exorbitant price to join the Extended Security Updates program. 

Also: What is a TPM, and why does Windows 11 require one?

If you try to upgrade to Windows 11 on a PC over a few years old, you'll be told, in no uncertain terms, that your old PC doesn't qualify, because its CPU isn't on the official list of compatible processors. Microsoft has made it abundantly clear that it will not revise those requirements. You will also hit roadblocks if your PC doesn't have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.

While that might be the official policy, as with everything Windows-related, it pays to read the fine print.

Those pesky restrictions prevent you from automatically upgrading to Windows 11 using Windows Update or the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Yet there are fully supported workarounds, as I document in ZDNET's Windows 11 FAQ.

Also: Yes, you can upgrade that old PC to Windows 11, even if Microsoft says no. These readers proved it

An important note: To take advantage of the workaround described in option 1 below, your computer still needs to meet all the other requirements for Windows 11.

• It must be configured to start up using UEFI, not a legacy BIOS configuration.
• Secure Boot must be enabled.
• Also, you need to have a TPM enabled; version 1.2 is OK but a system without any TPM or with the TPM disabled will fail.

To check these details on a PC you're considering upgrading, run the System Information utility, Msinfo32.exe, and look at the System Summary page. Pay special attention to the BIOS Mode value. If it says "Legacy," you'll need to reconfigure your system to UEFI mode (and convert your system disk from MBR to GPT partitioning) before you can install Windows 11 as a normal upgrade.

To see whether your PC has a TPM enabled, run the Trusted Platform Module Management tool, Tpm.msc. If your computer includes a TPM and it's turned on, this app will display information about it. If there's no TPM, or if the TPM is disabled in firmware settings, you'll see a message that says "Compatible TPM cannot be found."

If you're unable (or unwilling) to change from Legacy BIOS to UEFI, or if you have an older PC that doesn't have a TPM option at all, you'll need to use an undocumented hack to complete the upgrade. See option 2 at the end of this post for details on how to use the free Rufus utility to perform this upgrade.

Also: Still have a Windows 10 PC? You have 5 options before support ends

If you plan to perform a clean installation of Windows 11, you can boot from installation media and run Windows Setup. That option skips the CPU compatibility check completely (but still requires a TPM and Secure Boot support). After the installation completes, you'll need to reinstall all your apps, restore your data files, and tweak settings to personalize your system preferences.

Want to avoid all that hassle? Follow these four steps.

Option 1: Use this simple registry edit to bypass CPU checks and accept an older TPM

1. Change one key in the Windows registry

You need to make one small change to the Windows registry, as documented in this Microsoft support document. This change tells the Windows 11 Setup program to skip the check for compatible CPUs and to allow installation on a PC with an older TPM (version 1.2). The usual warnings apply when working with the registry, of course, and I recommend you make a complete backup before proceeding.

Open Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup

If the MoSetup key, doesn't exist, you need to create it. Right-click the node for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup in the left-hand navigation pane, then choose New > Key. Name it MoSetup and press Enter.

Also: Why 'debloating' Windows is a bad idea (and what to do instead)

Select the MoSetup key and then right-click in any empty space in the pane on the right. Choose the option to create a new DWORD value. (Don't choose the QWORD option!)

Replace the default name for that key by typing the text AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU and then press Enter. Then double-click the new value and change the "Value data" box to 1. The result should look like this:

Use this registry tweak to override the Windows 11 CPU and TPM compatibility checks.

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET

Click OK to save your change, and then restart your PC.

2. Download the Windows 11 ISO

On the PC you want to upgrade, go to the Windows 11 Download page (aka.ms/DownloadWindows11) and choose the option at the bottom of the page, "Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices." Save the ISO file in your Downloads folder.

Also: Wiping a Windows laptop? Here's the safest free way to erase your personal data

Note that this is a big file. Depending on the speed of your internet connection, the download could take a while.

3. Mount the ISO file in File Explorer

After the download completes, open File Explorer and double-click the ISO file. Doing so mounts the file as a virtual DVD drive in its own folder.

4. Run Windows Setup

In File Explorer, find the Setup.exe file and double-click it to begin the upgrade. You'll see a stern warning about compatibility issues, but after you click OK on that dialog box, your upgrade should proceed without any serious issues. You'll have three options: you can keep your apps, settings, and files (Full Upgrade); keep your data files but start fresh with apps and settings (Keep Data Only); or start completely fresh (Clean Install).

Also: The best Windows laptops you can buy: Expert tested and reviewed

Option 2: Use the free Rufus utility to bypass compatibility checks completely

On older PCs without a TPM and on PCs that don't support Secure Boot, you'll need to use an undocumented hack to bypass the compatibility checker. You can do this manually by replacing the Appraiserres.dll file (in the Sources subfolder on the Windows 11 installer drive) with a zero-byte version. But it's simpler to use the free, open-source Rufus utility to make a USB drive that includes this file.

Also: Still have a Windows 10 PC? You have 5 options before support ends next year

To get started, you'll need to download the Windows 11 ISO and supply a USB flash drive at least 16 GB in size. You will reformat this drive as part of the process, so back up any data on that drive first.

1. Download Rufus from the developer's site or from the Microsoft Store and run the app.
2. Choose the USB drive and then choose the "Disk or ISO image" option.
3. Click the Select button, choose the Windows 11 ISO you downloaded earlier, and then click Start.
4. In the Windows User Experience dialog, select the first checkbox to remove hardware requirements, as shown in the screenshot below.
5. Click OK to begin creating the drive.

Be sure to choose the top checkbox here to bypass the compatibility check for the Windows 11 upgrade.

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET

After Rufus successfully creates your installer, open that USB drive in File Explorer and double-click Setup.

My ZDNET colleague Lance Whitney has more details on the other options available with Rufus in "How to install Windows 11 the way you want (and sneak by Microsoft's restrictions)."  

If you've tried this upgrade, I want to hear about your experience. If it worked, please share the details. If you ran into snags, send me an email so we can figure out what's going wrong. Be sure to include details including the make and model of your PC and screenshots of any error messages. I've set up a special inbox just for this feedback: Win11Upgrade [at] realworldwindows.com.

This article was originally published on April 9, 2022, but has been updated multiple times since then. It was last updated September 10, 2024. 

Source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-upgrade-your-incompatible-windows-10-pc-to-windows-11/

Get Rid of These 6 Annoyances From Windows 11 (HowtoGeek.com)

Windows 11 is an excellent operating system, but it comes with its own set of annoyances. Whether you’re frustrated by the prompts asking you to finish setting up your PC, or you don’t like the widgets popping up when you accidentally click an icon, here's how you can disable those things.

Disable "Let's Finish Setting Up Your PC" Prompt

Arguably the most annoying thing on Windows 11 is the “Let's Finish Setting Up Your PC” wizard that pops up every now and then. There’s no button to disable this prompt on the prompt itself; you can only click Remind Me Later and it does exactly that—remind you to set up your PC after a while.

Luckily, there’s an option in Settings to get rid of this wizard. To access it, press Windows+i to launch Settings. From the left sidebar, select "System." On the right pane, choose "Notifications."

Scroll the Notifications page all the way down and choose "Additional Settings."

In the expanded menu, turn off "Suggest Ways to Get the Most Out of Windows and Finish Setting Up This Device."

Windows 11 will stop showing you the wizard. To re-enable it, turn on the option you just deactivated.

Turn Off Lock Screen Ads

Windows 11’s lock screen displays ads. If you get distracted by these ads and would prefer a cleaner lock screen, follow these steps.

Access your Windows desktop (by pressing Windows+D). Right-click anywhere blank and choose "Personalize."

Scroll down the Personalization screen and choose "Lock Screen."

Click the "Personalize Your Lock Screen" drop-down menu and choose "Picture" or "Slideshow." Selecting "Windows Spotlight" will always display ads.

After choosing Picture or Slideshow, in the expanded menu, turn off "Get Fun Facts, Tips, Tricks, and More on Your Lock Screen." At this stage, choose the photo or the photo folder to be used in the lock screen slideshow.

You’ve successfully disabled ads on the lock screen.

Disable Taskbar Widgets

Windows 11 displays scrolling widget icons in the bottom-left corner of the screen. These widgets include weather information, world news, currency exchange rates, and more. Even if you accidentally hover your cursor over this icon, the system expands the widget and shows you more information. This is annoying a lot of times.

Luckily, you can turn off all the widgets or the select ones. Here’s how.

Turn Off All Widgets

To disable all widgets (you can re-enable them later), right-click the Windows taskbar and choose "Taskbar Settings." Alternatively, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.

In the Taskbar Items section, turn off the "Widgets" toggle.

All the widgets are now disabled. To re-enable them, turn on the "Widgets" toggle.

Turn Off Select Widgets

To remove select widgets, click the widgets icon to access the available widgets. In the top-right corner of the widget you want to disable, click the three dots.

From the open menu, choose "Hide This Widget."

Windows 11 has hidden the select widget. You can repeat these steps to hide all the unwanted widgets.

Get Rid of Search Highlights

When you open Windows Search, the system displays various search highlights on the right pane. These highlights include tips and tricks (for things like cooking and recipes), game suggestions, trending searches, and more.

If you don’t want that clutter and would prefer Windows Search to only display search contents, turn off the search highlights feature. Do that by accessing Windows Search, clicking the three dots at the top, and choosing "Search Settings."

Scroll the open page all the way down and turn off the "Show Search Highlights" option.

From now on, Windows 11 will display shortcuts to quickly get to some common setting options and top applications list in the search highlights area.

Turn Off Web Searches in Windows Search

When you search for something using Windows Search, the system displays search results from the internet as well. If you use the feature to only look for local files, folders, and apps, it’s best to turn off the web search feature in Windows Search.

To do that, use Local Group Policy Editor on Windows 11’s Pro edition and Registry Editor on Windows 11’s Home edition. Check out our guide on how to find your Windows 11 edition if you’re unsure.

Using Local Group Policy Editor (Only Works on the Pro Edition)

Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows+R. Type the following in the box and select "OK" or press Enter.

gpedit.msc

In Local Group Policy Editor, using the options on the left, navigate to the following path:

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer

On the right pane, double-click the option that says "Turn Off Display of Recent Search Entries in the File Explorer Search Box."

On the open window, choose "Enabled" and select "Apply" followed by "OK."

In the future, you can re-enable web searches in Windows Search by choosing the "Not Configured" option.

Close Local Group Policy Editor and restart your Windows 11 PC.

Using Registry Editor (Works on Both Home and Pro Editions)

Open Registry Editor by launching Run using Windows+R, typing the following in the box, and pressing Enter:

regedit

In the User Account Control prompt, select "Yes."

In Registry Editor, navigate to the following path. To get there quickly, copy the following path, paste it in the editor’s path box, and press Enter.

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

In the left sidebar, right-click "Windows" and select New > Key.

Type Explorer as the key name and press Enter. On the right pane, right-click anywhere blank and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Type DisableSearchBoxSuggestions as the item name and press Enter.

Double-click the newly created item, type 1 in the "Value Data" field, and select "OK."

Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Disable Startup Apps

Startup apps are the apps that automatically launch when you turn on your computer. If you find these apps to be annoying, you can turn off all or select apps in the startup apps list.

To do that, right-click the Windows taskbar and choose "Task Manager."

In Task Manager’s left sidebar, click "Startup Apps." On the right pane, select the app you want to prevent from automatically launching and click "Disable" at the top. Repeat this step for each startup app you want to disable.

You’re done. And that’s how you make your Windows 11 PC a bit less annoying and more fun to work with.

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/get-rid-of-these-annoyances-from-windows-11