Windows 8 Refresh and
Reset Your PC Feature
The reset feature will take you back to your original
factory settings, refresh allows you to reset the operating system while
maintaining your apps, data, etc. What
are the key features of reset or refresh and what can you expect. The Windows 8 refresh and reset features
streamline the process of getting a PC back to a good state and providing a way
for less of a chance of data loss. Simplifying the process to save time and
making it a one button operation. The
features in Windows 8 are:
Reset your PC: remove
all personal data, apps and settings from the PC and reinstall Windows.
Refresh your PC: keep all personal data, apps and
important settings from the PC and reinstall Windows.
In some cases, you may want to remove all personal data,
apps and setting, restoring it to the original out of the box state. Either to recycle or decommission or the
necessity to clear all data and start over.
If you choose the
reset option:
Step 1: The PC boots into the Windows Recovery
Environment (Windows RE).
Step 2: Windows RE erases and formats the hard drive
partitions on which Windows and personal data reside.
Step 3: Windows RE installs a fresh copy of Windows.
Step 4: The PC restarts into the newly installed copy
of Windows.
If you are worried about data that can still be recovered,
Windows has a option after the standard reset.
This is especially key for sensitive personal data. Windows 8 provides additional steps for a
thorough erasure of data. The “Thorough”
option will write random patterns to every sector of the drive, overwriting any
existing data visible to the operating system.
According to Microsoft, if someone removes the drive from your PC, your
data will still not be easily recoverable without special expensive equipment. This eliminates hours or days of erasing data
with multiple pass scrubbing operations which may be required for regulatory
compliance with highly confidential business and government data.
Try refresh to fix
your PC problems.
Could trying refresh first be a solution? Yes.
Resetting is the heavyweight solution, refresh could resolve the
problem. Refresh reinstalls Windows but
your data, settings and apps are preserved.
Microsoft has a solution to help desktop apps also.
With refresh Microsoft says there is no need to backup your
data on an external hard drive to restore afterwards.
If you choose the
refresh option:
Step 1: The PC boots into Windows RE.
Step 2: Windows RE scans the hard drive for your
data, setting and apps then puts
them
aside (on the same drive).
Step 3: Windows RE installs a fresh copy of Windows.
Step 4: Windows RE restores the data, settings and
apps it has set aside into the newly
installed copy of Windows.
Step 5: The PC restarts into the newly installed
copy of Windows.
The refresh eliminates the need of manually reinstalling
Windows, no need to go through the Windows Welcome screens again and no need to
reconfigure all the initial settings.
Same account and password sign in and all documents and data are in
their same locations.
Misconfigured settings could be a cause of problems leading
to refresh their PCs. The following
settings are preserved in the Windows 8 Beta:
Wireless network connections
Mobile broadband connections
Bitlocker and Bitlocker to Go settings
Drive letter assignments
Personalization settings such as lock screen background and
desktop wallpaper
In Windows 8, Microsoft has decided not to preserve the
following settings, as they can cause problems if misconfigured:
File type associations
Display settings
Windows Firewall settings
Changes to enhance or fine tune both lists over time could
occur in the Developer preview and Beta.
More on restoring apps in a future blog.
