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How to - Windows 8 Refresh and Reset

Windows 8 Author Bio Gary Fildes has 10+ years experience in the IT Industry and is an MCT Technical Trainer and Lead Instructor for Windows 8 How To Use Refresh and Reset Training at Firebrand I personally like to keep my PC very 'fresh'. Though at the moment it looks quite un-fresh, e.g. too many icons, add-ons, upgrades etc. - so it's time for a re-install. I'd love to calculate the amount of times I've re-installed Windows over the past twenty years, from Windows 3.1 through to Windows 8. As I type l'm installing Windows 8 in Hyper-V, so there's another one. So how will Refresh and Reset change your life? And what's the difference between Refresh vs. Reset? Here goes: Your files and personalisation settings, e.g. Desktop background, any purchased Windows Store Apps. Keeps: Refresh: Anything else downloaded and installed, e.g. Adobe, Java, software installed from CD and USB. Removes: Keeps: Nothing! E.g. "Honey, I accidentally deleted the wedding photos!" Reset: Everything! It winds your PC back to day one. Everything is gone (hence a backup is required first). Removes: Don't get them confused! Let's start with Refresh (you have to be logged-on as an Administrative User to do either process)... Keeping it fresh So your computer is a right mess and you've had enough. Below is my lovely Windows 8 PC with some apps installed on the desktop, that I want gone in double-quick time. Press Windows Key + C for the magical Charm Bar to appear on the right-hand side. From here, click Settings > Change PC Settings > General, then scroll down to the bottom and you should see Fig.2. Here's where the magic happens. Search Step 1 Share Notice that Refresh and Reset are two separate options. Don't click the wrong one (Reset is explained below). Start Windows Enterprise Build 9200 Fig.1. Windows 8 Computer Devices Language preferences PC settings Step 2 For REFRESH click here. Available storage You have 15.1 GB available. See how much space your apps are using Settings Activate Windows View app sizes Personalise Refresh your PC without affecting your files Click Next on the screen Users If your PC isn't running well, you can refresh it without losing your photos, musi videos and other personal files. Step 3 below. Notifications Get started Search Remove everything and reinstall Windows Share If you want to recycle your PC or completely start again, you can reset it to its factory settings. Refresh your PC General Get started Here's what will happen • Your files and personalisation settings won't change. • Your PC settings will be restored to their defaults. • Apps from Windows Store will be kept. • Apps that you've installed from discs or websites will be removed. •A list of removed apps will be saved on your desktop. Privacy Advanced start-up Devices tart up device or disc (such as a USB or DVD), char Windows start- up settings or restore Windows from a system image. This will restart your PC. Ease of Acces Restart now Sync your settings Next Cancel HomeGroun Fig 2. Settings > Change PC Settings > General Fig 3. Refresh your PC > NEXT After pressing Next, it can take about 15 minutes - so you may want to grab a coffee. Remember all the icons on the desktop in Figure 1? Check it out now: Library Tools Documents File Share View Manage - 1 E> Libraries> Documents Search Documents Perfect, the desktop background is the same, all the apps have been removed and I even get Name Date modified Туре * Favourites E Desktop D Refresh Test Txt 16/11/2012 13:49 Text Document O KB Apletiss +Oa CAUsers\Garf\Desktop\Removed Applicatior p - c e Applications removed whil. X a document on the Applications removed while refreshing your PC desktop informing me what has actually been Application name Publisher Version removed. 7-Zip 9.20 (x64 edition) Igor Pavlov Adobe Systems Incorporated Adobe Systems Incorporated Adobe Systems Incorporated Adobe Systems, Inc. 9.20.00.0 Adobe AIR 3.5.0.600 Adobe Flash Player 11 Plugin Adobe Reader XI Adobe Shockwave Player 11.6 11.5.502.110 11.0.00 I've checked my documents folder and 11.6.8.638 CutePDF Writer 3.0 CutePDF.com 3.0 23.0.127164 Google Chrome IrfanView (remove only) Notepad++ Google Inc. my previously created documents are still there. Irfan Skiljan 4.35 6.2.1 Skype" 6.0 VLC media player 2.0.4 Skype Technologies SA 6.0.126 VideoLAN 2.0.4 I feel Refreshed. 16 November 2012 14:55 15:02 16/11/2012 Fig 4. Post Refresh of your PC Can I get a rewind? With Reset you can start all over again Note that STEP 1 is exactly the same as above, so I'm jumping It's all gone drastically wrong (hypothetically at least), and you want to Reset your computer back to its factory state. Remember, backup that data first. On completion of the Reset, you'll be prompted for a Windows 8 license key. Top tip: if you're a laptop owner, make a note of the license key on the COA sticker; before the years of abrasion from your lap wear it off. to STEP 2. Déjà vu - Same Screen as before. Language preferences Step 2 For RESET click here. PC settings Available storage You have 15.1 GB available. See how much space your apps are using Activate Windows View app sizes Personalise Refresh your PC without affecting your files Step 3 Click Next on the screen below. Users If your PC isn't running well, you can refresh it without losing your photos, music, videos and other personal files. Notifications Get started Search Reset your PC Remove everything and reinstall Windows Share Here's what will happen: If you want to recycle your PC or completely start again, you can reset it to its factory settings • Your personal files and applications will be removed. • Your PC settings will be restored to their defaults. General Get started Privacy Advanced start-up Devices Start up from a device or disc (such as a USB drive or DVD), change Windows start- up settings or restore Windows from a system image. This will restart your PC. Ease of Access Restart now Sync your settings Next Cancel HomeGroun Fig 5. Settings > Change PC Settings > General Fig 6. Refresh your PC > NEXT Do you want to clean your drive fully? Step 4 When you remove your files, you can also clean the drive so that the files can't be recovered easily. This is more secure, but it takes much longer. Just remove my files This will take a few moments. You now Clean the drive fully This will take much more time. have twc choices: Cancel Fig 7. CLICK Just remove my files to begin the process Clean the drive fully: Just remove my files: This apparently wipes the drive, fills it with random characters and re-installs again. Would I trust this? Having watched 24, The Wire, Homeland etc., I'l| have a look into this further before applying it to my Everything is gone, and Windows 8 is back as new. Windows 8 PC. So l'm selecting Just remove my files. Fig 8. The point of no Ready to reset your PC This will remove your personal files and applications from your PC and restore all settings to their defaults. If you use File History, make sure that the latest versions of your files have been copied to your File History drive before you proceed. This will take a few minutes and your PC will restart. return Reset Cancel Resetting your PC (0%) Well, no way back now. After I press Reset - as Fig.6 illustrates – that's it. Fig 9. PC Resetting And Finally That's it - Refresh and Reset in a nutshell. I should point out that you can also use this feature from your Windows bootable media, but why bother? These are good time-saving and overdue features that get your computer back to a good working state, or cleaned-up, in double-quick time. FIREBRAND The fastest way to learn Windows 8 Author Bio Gary Fildes has 10+ years experience in the IT Industry and is an MCT Technical Trainer and Lead Instructor for Windows 8 How To Use Refresh and Reset Training at Firebrand I personally like to keep my PC very 'fresh'. Though at the moment it looks quite un-fresh, e.g. too many icons, add-ons, upgrades etc. - so it's time for a re-install. I'd love to calculate the amount of times I've re-installed Windows over the past twenty years, from Windows 3.1 through to Windows 8. As I type l'm installing Windows 8 in Hyper-V, so there's another one. So how will Refresh and Reset change your life? And what's the difference between Refresh vs. Reset? Here goes: Your files and personalisation settings, e.g. Desktop background, any purchased Windows Store Apps. Keeps: Refresh: Anything else downloaded and installed, e.g. Adobe, Java, software installed from CD and USB. Removes: Keeps: Nothing! E.g. "Honey, I accidentally deleted the wedding photos!" Reset: Everything! It winds your PC back to day one. Everything is gone (hence a backup is required first). Removes: Don't get them confused! Let's start with Refresh (you have to be logged-on as an Administrative User to do either process)... Keeping it fresh So your computer is a right mess and you've had enough. Below is my lovely Windows 8 PC with some apps installed on the desktop, that I want gone in double-quick time. Press Windows Key + C for the magical Charm Bar to appear on the right-hand side. From here, click Settings > Change PC Settings > General, then scroll down to the bottom and you should see Fig.2. Here's where the magic happens. Search Step 1 Share Notice that Refresh and Reset are two separate options. Don't click the wrong one (Reset is explained below). Start Windows Enterprise Build 9200 Fig.1. Windows 8 Computer Devices Language preferences PC settings Step 2 For REFRESH click here. Available storage You have 15.1 GB available. See how much space your apps are using Settings Activate Windows View app sizes Personalise Refresh your PC without affecting your files Click Next on the screen Users If your PC isn't running well, you can refresh it without losing your photos, musi videos and other personal files. Step 3 below. Notifications Get started Search Remove everything and reinstall Windows Share If you want to recycle your PC or completely start again, you can reset it to its factory settings. Refresh your PC General Get started Here's what will happen • Your files and personalisation settings won't change. • Your PC settings will be restored to their defaults. • Apps from Windows Store will be kept. • Apps that you've installed from discs or websites will be removed. •A list of removed apps will be saved on your desktop. Privacy Advanced start-up Devices tart up device or disc (such as a USB or DVD), char Windows start- up settings or restore Windows from a system image. This will restart your PC. Ease of Acces Restart now Sync your settings Next Cancel HomeGroun Fig 2. Settings > Change PC Settings > General Fig 3. Refresh your PC > NEXT After pressing Next, it can take about 15 minutes - so you may want to grab a coffee. Remember all the icons on the desktop in Figure 1? Check it out now: Library Tools Documents File Share View Manage - 1 E> Libraries> Documents Search Documents Perfect, the desktop background is the same, all the apps have been removed and I even get Name Date modified Туре * Favourites E Desktop D Refresh Test Txt 16/11/2012 13:49 Text Document O KB Apletiss +Oa CAUsers\Garf\Desktop\Removed Applicatior p - c e Applications removed whil. X a document on the Applications removed while refreshing your PC desktop informing me what has actually been Application name Publisher Version removed. 7-Zip 9.20 (x64 edition) Igor Pavlov Adobe Systems Incorporated Adobe Systems Incorporated Adobe Systems Incorporated Adobe Systems, Inc. 9.20.00.0 Adobe AIR 3.5.0.600 Adobe Flash Player 11 Plugin Adobe Reader XI Adobe Shockwave Player 11.6 11.5.502.110 11.0.00 I've checked my documents folder and 11.6.8.638 CutePDF Writer 3.0 CutePDF.com 3.0 23.0.127164 Google Chrome IrfanView (remove only) Notepad++ Google Inc. my previously created documents are still there. Irfan Skiljan 4.35 6.2.1 Skype" 6.0 VLC media player 2.0.4 Skype Technologies SA 6.0.126 VideoLAN 2.0.4 I feel Refreshed. 16 November 2012 14:55 15:02 16/11/2012 Fig 4. Post Refresh of your PC Can I get a rewind? With Reset you can start all over again Note that STEP 1 is exactly the same as above, so I'm jumping It's all gone drastically wrong (hypothetically at least), and you want to Reset your computer back to its factory state. Remember, backup that data first. On completion of the Reset, you'll be prompted for a Windows 8 license key. Top tip: if you're a laptop owner, make a note of the license key on the COA sticker; before the years of abrasion from your lap wear it off. to STEP 2. Déjà vu - Same Screen as before. Language preferences Step 2 For RESET click here. PC settings Available storage You have 15.1 GB available. See how much space your apps are using Activate Windows View app sizes Personalise Refresh your PC without affecting your files Step 3 Click Next on the screen below. Users If your PC isn't running well, you can refresh it without losing your photos, music, videos and other personal files. Notifications Get started Search Reset your PC Remove everything and reinstall Windows Share Here's what will happen: If you want to recycle your PC or completely start again, you can reset it to its factory settings • Your personal files and applications will be removed. • Your PC settings will be restored to their defaults. General Get started Privacy Advanced start-up Devices Start up from a device or disc (such as a USB drive or DVD), change Windows start- up settings or restore Windows from a system image. This will restart your PC. Ease of Access Restart now Sync your settings Next Cancel HomeGroun Fig 5. Settings > Change PC Settings > General Fig 6. Refresh your PC > NEXT Do you want to clean your drive fully? Step 4 When you remove your files, you can also clean the drive so that the files can't be recovered easily. This is more secure, but it takes much longer. Just remove my files This will take a few moments. You now Clean the drive fully This will take much more time. have twc choices: Cancel Fig 7. CLICK Just remove my files to begin the process Clean the drive fully: Just remove my files: This apparently wipes the drive, fills it with random characters and re-installs again. Would I trust this? Having watched 24, The Wire, Homeland etc., I'l| have a look into this further before applying it to my Everything is gone, and Windows 8 is back as new. Windows 8 PC. So l'm selecting Just remove my files. Fig 8. The point of no Ready to reset your PC This will remove your personal files and applications from your PC and restore all settings to their defaults. If you use File History, make sure that the latest versions of your files have been copied to your File History drive before you proceed. This will take a few minutes and your PC will restart. return Reset Cancel Resetting your PC (0%) Well, no way back now. After I press Reset - as Fig.6 illustrates – that's it. Fig 9. PC Resetting And Finally That's it - Refresh and Reset in a nutshell. I should point out that you can also use this feature from your Windows bootable media, but why bother? These are good time-saving and overdue features that get your computer back to a good working state, or cleaned-up, in double-quick time. FIREBRAND The fastest way to learn

How to - Windows 8 Refresh and Reset

shared by Firebrand on Apr 04
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In this how to guide created you will learn how to implement 'refresh and reset' features in Windows 8. From a simple refresh removing applications to full on factory reset this Windows 8 Infographic ...

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