Refresh, Reinstall or Restore Windows 8
Save yourself time by choosing the right recovery method
In Windows 8, you actually have three main options for recovering the operating system: refresh, reinstall and restore. While all of these options can be used to recover Windows, they all operate a bit differently.
Each of the following Windows 8 recover methods performs a specific type of operating system reset:
By choosing the according recover method for your particular scenario, you may be able to save yourself some time and also reinstall Windows properly. Here are some tips for using each of the main recover methods.
Refresh – You can refresh without losing your photos, music, videos and other personal files
The Windows 8 Refresh option allows you to refresh Windows while still keeping your personal files and data that you have saved on your PC. As described in Windows 8, here’s what will happen if you Refresh a PC:
Refresh your PC
To Refresh your PC in Windows 8, start by launching theCharmsmenuand clicking theSettingslisting. Next, select theChange PC Settingsoption.
Scroll down to theGenerallisting and click theGet startedbutton listed underRefresh your PC without affecting your files.
You can also check out my other post oncreating your own Windows backup image, which will allow you to install all of your apps and programs, create your image and then be able to restore to that image instead of losing all your programs.
Reinstall – Remove everything and reinstall Windows
The Windows 8 reinstall option allows you to completely reinstall the operating system without having to manually reformat the hard drive and install using a Windows 8 disc or USB drive. When you reinstall Windows 8 using the Reinstall option:
To Reinstall Windows 8, start by launching theCharms menuand selecting theSettingslisting. Select theChange PC settingsoption from the menu.
Scroll down to theGenerallisting and select it. From the right-side submenu, locate theRemove everything and reinstall Windowsoption and click theGet startedbutton.
Restore – Restore Windows from an Earlier Time (System Restore Point)
The Windows 8 Restore option allows you to restore, or roll back Windows to an earlier time when a System Restore point was created. This option reverts Windows to the state of the System Restore point. Here are a few details of how the Restore option operates:
Read my post on how toenable/disable and use System Restore. To restore Windows 8, start by launchingControl Panel. From the Control Panel, scroll down to theRecoverylisting and click to select it.
From the Recovery window, select theOpen System Restoreoption.
This will launch the System Restore panel, where you can select a System Restore point to revert Windows to.
Those are the three main ways to recover the operating system in Windows 8. Also, check out my other post on how toclean install Windows 10. Enjoy!
Founder of Help Desk Geek and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications.Read Aseem’s Full Bio
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