Restoring the system to a default system state or performing some kind of error resolution are the kind of measures that can help users avoid the hassle of a clean wipe and load re-installation of the operating system. In Windows 7 users were provided with four measures that could help them avoid a re-installation. One of them was to Backup and Restore a system image, System Restore, Error correction by booting the system from the installer disc and the use of Windows 7 Recovery Disk. Recently, Microsoft has provide a simplified method that serves as a viable replacement of the aforementioned methods and allows users to quickly restore the system back to its default state.
TheWindows 8 “Refresh Your PC” utility allows users to undo a significant amount of changes made to the system, which can help in removing malware, errors and resolving system issues. Some attributes of Windows 8 PC Refresh are given below.
Windows 8 Refresh Your PC Result:
- Your files and personal settings do not change
- Your PC settings are changed back to default settings
- Applications from Windows Store are not affected
- Applications installed by the user are removed
- A list of removed applications is presented to the user after the Refresh process, to allow him/her to re-install them
Instructions
Step 1: Hover your mouse to the bottom right corner of the task bar or use Windows + C hotkey to bring forward the Charms Bar.
Step 2: Now Select Settings –> More Settings –> General. If you are using the Metro Start Screen then click your user account image, select Change Account Picture and go to “General” settings.
Step 3: Select Get Started below “Refresh Your PC”.
Step 4: Before the system is refreshed, you will be shown a list of changes that will occur to your computer, click Next to continue.
Note: Before starting the system refresh, make sure that you have a Windows 8 installer disc inserted, otherwise you will receive the error shown below.
Step 5: Your system will reboot, after which your system will be refreshed. The system refreshing process can take up to several minutes.
After your system is refreshed, you can re-install old applications by clicking on an Internet Explorer icon that will be displayed on your desktop to download and re-install third-party applications. For a complete overview of the Windows 8 Refresh Your PC process, check out the below video. This video is also available with other tutorials on the WML Cloud YouTube Channel.
