How to Factory Reset an Acer Laptop

This article outlines how to factory reset an Acer laptop and what you should do to prepare.

Resetting an Acer Laptop

If you're having trouble with your Acer laptop, one method of troubleshooting that may help do a factory reset. Doing this restores the computer to its original out-of-the-box state. The following steps will remove all the data from the computer. See the sections below for information about backing up your data.

1. In the Windows Start menu, search for and select Acer Care Center.

2. Click Recovery Management.

3. Click Restore in the top tabs, and next to Reset this PC select Get Started.

4. In the next window choose Remove Everything.

5. Choose either Just remove my files or Remove everything and clean the drive.

6. Now select Reset.

When to Factory Reset Your Laptop

A factory reset on your laptop should be more of a last resort when you're dealing with issues. However, if you're finding that every other troubleshooting method is not working, factory resetting might become a good option. Also, if you're dealing with more severe issues with your laptop, a factory reset could help.

You should also perform a factory reset when you are planning on selling or recycling your laptop. It ensures that no one can recover your files and data.

How to Prepare for a Reset

It's essential to take some precautions before you reset your laptop, including backing up your data.

You can back up your files to an external hard drive or a USB flash drive. You'll also want to make sure you can re-download any apps or programs you have that you may not be able to back up.

When doing a factory reset, you can also choose to keep specific files if you wish, so keep that in mind as you prepare for your reset.

Alternatives to a Factory Reset

If you don't want to go through an entire factory reset, there are some softer reset options available you can do instead.

One of these is choosing Keep my files instead of Removing everything when you go to reset your computer, which keeps your files intact.

You can also have Windows search for troubleshooting options by going to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot. This option allows you to target specific problems instead of resetting your computer as a whole.

While factory resets can be a great tool, you should try to find a more specific solution to an issue first. However, you will want to consider a factory reset if you're facing problems that may render your laptop unusable.