Reset Windows

My Acer laptop PC running Windows 10 is getting slow and sluggish. I've decided that I'm going to re-set Windows and see if that makes it run better.

I know that prior to re-setting Windows I shall need to transfer anything that I want to keep, e.g. documents, files, music, etc. to some external device otherwise I could lose them. I am aware there is an option to re-set Windows and keep your files but I want to do a complete re-set.

In addition, I know that any apps I've downloaded such as CCleaner will also be lost. I can, of course, readily download them again once the re-set is complete.

I have two questions that I would like to ask. First, if there is any malware on my PC (I don't suspect there is) would that be destroyed by the re-set? Secondly, will a re-set take me back to when Windows 10 was launched or until a more recent time? I ask the last question because if it takes Windows 10 back to its original state I would have an untold number of Windows Updates to obtain.

Please comment if you believe I have missed any important considerations to be taken account of prior to re-setting Windows 10.

 

Hey mark59, I reset my friends PC and once the reset was done, he still had the latest version of Win 10. At least it was on his PC. As for a reset removing malware, yes it will remove malware but it's best to not keep your files just in case malware is hiding in them. To remove malware, a clean install would be the best option.

 

Thanks for your response. My enquiry about a reset getting rid of malware was academic because I don't suspect I have any. I have recently had a problem managed by a MajorGeeks malware specialist and the PC had problems but not malware.

A clean install is the best option but practically I will have to go for a not-the-best-option solution. I simply don't want to lose my files so at some point they will get put back on the PC. Before I do the reset I'm copying them to an external hard drive. When I reset the PC I will choose the option to do a clean install. Prior to putting any files back on the reset PC I will scan the external hard drive for malware using several different programs.

 

There is the option to reinstall and keep your files or erase everything, but personally I never really trusted the reset and keep files option. Saving your files then putting them on a clean install like you are going to do is the smartest and safest way.