Select Start > Settings > System > Recovery. Resetting reinstalls Windows 11, but lets you choose whether to keep your files or remove them, and then reinstalls Windows. You can reset your PC from Settings, the sign-in screen, or by using a recovery drive or installation media. Manually attempting to restart the device yourself during this process could cause the reset to fail. If you don’t know your BitLocker key, see Find my BitLocker recovery key.ĭuring the resetting process, it is possible that your screen may go black for a long period of time (occasionally upwards of 15 minutes) and that your device may attempt to restart itself during this period.

If you’ve encrypted your device, you’ll need your BitLocker key to reset your PC.

You suspect your device has been infectedĬlick one of the recovery options below and follow the steps to try to get things working again. Your PC isn't working well and you recently installed an app Go back to your previous version of Windows You want to reinstall your previous operating system Use a recovery drive to restore or recover your PC Your PC won't start and you've created a recovery drive Use installation media to restore your PC Your PC won't start and you haven't created a recovery drive Use installation media to reinstall Windows 11

Your PC won't start, you haven't created a recovery drive, and resetting your PC didn't work Your PC isn’t working well and it’s been a while since you installed an app or changed system settings Your PC isn't working well and you recently installed an update If you're having problems with your PC, the following table can help you decide which recovery option to use.

Microsoft installation media