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How to Factory Reset a Lenovo Laptop

Resolve performance issues with a clean slate

By

Yoona Wagener

Updated on June 15, 2022

Reviewed by

Ryan Perian

What to Know

In Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > Recovery > Reset PC.
In Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC > Get Started.
Choose between resetting while saving your files or deleting everything and reinstalling Windows.

This article explains how to factory reset a Lenovo laptop running Windows 11 or 10. Lenovo offers two options for factory resetting your device: You can keep your files or remove them.

How to Reset Your Lenovo Laptop While Saving Files

You may opt to delete just your files or wipe all files and clean the hard drive to start from scratch. Whichever route you choose, resetting also includes a fresh installation of Windows on your Lenovo laptop.

If you have a Lenovo IdeaPad or ThinkPad laptop, you may have the option of using the NOVO button to enter the Lenovo OneKey Recovery mode to factory reset your device. Instead of a button, your laptop may have a recovery button pinhole that you activate with a paper clip.

To preserve your documents and files when you reset in Windows 11, follow these steps.

Go to the Windows Start Menu and select Settings.
Select Recovery.
Select Reset PC.
Choose Keep my files.
Pick how you want to reinstall Windows. Choose Cloud Download or Local Reinstall.
Select Next to begin the reset.

Windows 10

For Windows 10, the process is similar but slightly different.

From the Start menu, go to Settings > Update & Security.
Choose Recovery and under Reset this PC, select Get Started.
Choose Keep my files to save your documents.
You’ll see a message saying This won’t take long as the system readies your machine for a reset.
Next, you’ll be prompted to review the changes, including removing all apps you’ve added, resetting the machine to system defaults, and reinstalling Windows.
Click Reset to confirm and start the process.

Factory resetting your Lenovo laptop may take a long time. To ensure it goes smoothly, keep your laptop is plugged into a power source.

Even if you choose the reset option that preserves your files, it’s best to first back up your files manually just in case something goes wrong. If you don’t have a file backup system, consider using a cloud-based storage service or an external hard drive.

How to Perform a Hard Reset and Remove Files

If you’ll be donating your laptop or you want to fix nagging issues with a clean slate, try a hard reset to wipe the machine of everything and sets it to zero.

Here's how in Windows 11:

Go to the Windows Start Menu and select Settings.
Select Recovery.
Select Reset PC.
Choose Remove everything.
Pick how you want to reinstall Windows. Choose Cloud Download or Local Reinstall.
Select Next to begin the reset.

Windows 10

Follow these steps in Windows 10:

From the Windows Start menu, choose Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
Under Reset this PC, select Get Started > Removing everything.
If you’ll be keeping your PC, choose Just remove my files.

This option is the faster of the two, but it’s potentially less secure if you’ll be giving your laptop away. You may want to opt for the longer but more thorough option to remove all files and clean the drive.
If you are donating your laptop or prefer to perform a more detailed reset, choose Remove everything > Remove files and clean the drive to delete all apps and custom settings.

If you choose this route, there’s no way to walk it back. This choice resets your device to its original factory settings, which means the process will remove all applications and files.
Whichever option you select, once you’re ready to begin, click Reset.

Unsure about whether you need to reset your laptop or if a reboot could help? Dive deeper with this guide on the differences between rebooting vs. resetting your laptop.

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