Resetting A Windows Laptop to Factory Settings

Clem_Snide

Ok, I'm trying reset my daughters old Windows 8.1 laptop to Factory Settings without much success.

First go it took over 3 hours to get to 15% and then got stuck.

Tried again and it took an hour to get to 10% and appears to have got stuck again.

Anyone got an idea what the issue might be or how long the reset process ahould take?

iamdan

Google it.

golfaddick

this happened to me a couple of years back - even too it to PC World & got there experts involved. Eventually they said easier to save everything onto a memory stick & buy a new laptop as certain files had been corrupted.

Lurker

Do you know if the laptop has an ssd or a mechanical hard drive? If not an ssd, it's probably a hard drive fault. You can get an ssd drive fairly cheap at the moment and install windows fresh. It'll run considerably better than before if it didn't have an ssd installed already.

RodneyCharltonTrotta

golfaddick said:

this happened to me a couple of years back - even too it to PC World & got there experts involved. Eventually they said easier to save everything onto a memory stick & buy a new laptop as certain files had been corrupted.

So you went into PC World for advice and they sold you a memory stick and brand new laptop.

Would you like to buy a temperamental Scottish striker? ;-)

Clem_Snide

There wasn't anything wrong with it. I'm just trying to get it back to factory settings so I can sell it. We bought her a new one for Xmas.

For some strange reason its now rebooted itself and loaded like I haven't done anything. Have now manually uninstalled everything.

rikofold

golfaddick said:

this happened to me a couple of years back - even too it to PC World & got there experts involved. Eventually they said easier to save everything onto a memory stick & buy a new laptop as certain files had been corrupted.

"PC World experts" is a bit of an oxymoron.

If files had been corrupted due to, presumably, a failing disk - well, they could have rescued your files and replaced the hard disk at a fraction of the cost of a new laptop.

@Clem_Snide - how long's a piece of string? If it's rebuilding from a recovery drive it shouldn't take ages, CD might be longer - but it depends on what it's actually doing. If it's rebuilding the original image it could take a while, if it's just reinstalling windows shouldn't take more than half hour.