Should I use "Reset My Pc" or "Get a fresh start"?

Hi Hikari. I'm Greg, an installation specialist and 9 year Windows MVP here to help you.

A Reset or Refresh will use the Windows 10 image file stored on board to reinstall Windows 10. Only if you run the PC maker's Factory Recovery (which will be labeled that clearly) will it reinstall Windows 8.1 which is not desirable.

The Reset may have been customized by your PC maker to restore all the preinstalled bloatware. So the Fresh Start leaves out the bloatware and only reinstalls the MS Store apps.

You can study the differences here:
Reset: https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-tip-re...
Refresh: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-use...

Finally, the quality of the install in Windows 10 is hugely important and the very best install is the Clean Install which should get you past all difficulties as it has hundreds of thousands of others who have followed the steps in this link and never come back to report another problem: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki.... You can look over the steps which are quite a bit more involved than the automated methods I mentioned first.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and keep me posted. If you'll wait to rate whether my post helped you, I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

________________________________________________________

Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

Hi HikariCalyx

My name is Andre Da Costa; an Independent Consultant, Windows Insider MVP and Windows & Devices for IT MVP. I'm here to help you with your problem.

I recommend you go with Reset my PC because it keeps driver software in tact.

Refresh my PC will remove important drivers you might have download and reinstall.

here are steps how both work including using a Recovery Drive:

How to: Perform a clean install using Reset this PC in Windows 10
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

How to: Create a Recovery Drive for reinstalling Windows 10
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

How to Perform a Clean Install of Windows 10 with the Refresh Tool
https://www.groovypost.com/howto/perform-a-clea...

Hi HikariCalyx

My name is Andre Da Costa; an Independent Consultant, Windows Insider MVP and Windows & Devices for IT MVP. I'm here to help you with your problem.

I recommend you go with Reset my PC because it keeps driver software in tact.

Refresh my PC will remove important drivers you might have download and reinstall.

here are steps how both work including using a Recovery Drive:

How to: Perform a clean install using Reset this PC in Windows 10
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

How to: Create a Recovery Drive for reinstalling Windows 10
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

How to Perform a Clean Install of Windows 10 with the Refresh Tool
https://www.groovypost.com/howto/perform-a-clea...

if i use "reset my pc", will it clean my pc downgrade to windows 8? can i then change the username of Users folder?? will windows be automatically activated??

Hi Hikari. I'm Greg, an installation specialist and 9 year Windows MVP here to help you.

A Reset or Refresh will use the Windows 10 image file stored on board to reinstall Windows 10. Only if you run the PC maker's Factory Recovery (which will be labeled that clearly) will it reinstall Windows 8.1 which is not desirable.

The Reset may have been customized by your PC maker to restore all the preinstalled bloatware. So the Fresh Start leaves out the bloatware and only reinstalls the MS Store apps.

You can study the differences here:
Reset: https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-tip-re...
Refresh: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-use...

Finally, the quality of the install in Windows 10 is hugely important and the very best install is the Clean Install which should get you past all difficulties as it has hundreds of thousands of others who have followed the steps in this link and never come back to report another problem: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki.... You can look over the steps which are quite a bit more involved than the automated methods I mentioned first.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and keep me posted. If you'll wait to rate whether my post helped you, I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

________________________________________________________

Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

So should I clean install now? Will windows activate automatically after that and remain windows 10? 

I read in some articles that resetting pc with keeping nothing resulted some registry entries referring to an unknown SID.

Reset my PC should reinstall Windows 10, but there have been reports of earlier versions being reinstalled, but thats rare.

You can change the name of user folders in Windows 10 now. See the section of the following article how to do that:

https://www.groovypost.com/howto/change-account...

Information in the above link is sourced from a trusted Microsoft MVP blog.

You can Clean install if you have read over the tutorial and understand what is involved. The more thorough you are in following the steps, then the better install it will be: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

Windows 10 will reactivate afterwards with the Digital License. What is the Activation Status and Edition showing at the top of the page at Settings > Update & Security > Activation?

A Reset is not as Clean as a Clean install because it doesn't clear the drive to get it cleanest, but the deep Reset does come close. I don't see any cases where it leaves unresolved SID's. You can try it first to see if it's what you want, then if not do the clean Install: https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-tip-re...

Reset my PC should reinstall Windows 10, but there have been reports of earlier versions being reinstalled, but thats rare.

You can change the name of user folders in Windows 10 now. See the section of the following article how to do that:

https://www.groovypost.com/howto/change-account...

Information in the above link is sourced from a trusted Microsoft MVP blog.

Thanks a lot! I found it! :D

You can Clean install if you have read over the tutorial and understand what is involved. The more thorough you are in following the steps, then the better install it will be: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

Windows 10 will reactivate afterwards with the Digital License. What is the Activation Status and Edition showing at the top of the page at Settings > Update & Security > Activation?

A Reset is not as Clean as a Clean install because it doesn't clear the drive to get it cleanest, but the deep Reset does come close. I don't see any cases where it leaves unresolved SID's. You can try it first to see if it's what you want, then if not do the clean Install: https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-tip-re...

I am not that confident with the clean install process. I have installed Windows previously on an old pc like you did, deleting partitions...but what you have said about bios and UEFI I am new to that. And I am not so sure about how to install drivers manually...Will windows automatically install them??

And I don't have digital license  for Windows 10 pro but Windows 10 home..Will it be automatically activated after connecting to the internet??

Sorry to bother you this much. I'm just on high school. I just don't want to mess up my pc or dad will kill me :3

You are welcome Hikari. Have a great weekend.

You can change the User folder name by one of these methods:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/89060-chang...

UEFI is the new replacement for BIOS. Read more about it here:
https://www.howtogeek.com/56958/htg-explains-ho...
https://www.marksei.com/bios-uefi-explained/

If you have performance issues you can go over this checklist to make sure the install is set up correctly, optimized for best performance, and any needed repairs get done: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

Start with Step 4 to turn off Startup freeloaders which can conflict and cause issues, then Step 7 to check for infection the most thorough way, then step 10 to check for damaged System Files, and also Step 16 to test a new Local Admin account. Then continue with the other steps to go over your install most thoroughly.

Update your drivers from the PC or motherboard maker's Support Downloads web page, using the full model number, Serial Number or Dell Service Tag on sticker. Compare the latest drivers available for download with the ones presently installed in Device Manager reached by right clicking the Start Menu. Make sure you have the latest BIOS or UEFI firmware, Chipset, Display (Video), Sound, USB3, Bluetooth, Network and all other drivers, or else download and install the latest now.

Updating drivers from the Device Manager or Windows Update is rarely enough.

If you do all of this and it performs well enough then you don't need to do a Fresh Start, Reset or Clean Install. But if you want to try one I'd do the Fresh Start: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-use...

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and keep me posted. If you'll wait to rate whether my post helped you, I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

________________________________________________________

Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.