How to Reset Your Windows 11 PC While Keeping Your Files

Before You Reset: Important Steps

Before we start, there are things you need to do. Taking these steps now can save you trouble down the road.

1Back Up Your Important Files (Just in Case!)

Even though resetting your Windows 11 PC with the ‘Keep my files’ option is designed to save your personal documents, photos, and videos, it’s always smart to back them up first. This way, you have an extra copy of all your important data stored safely outside your computer, just in case anything unexpected happens during the reset process.

• What to back up: This includes your documents, photos, videos, music, and any other personal files you saved or downloaded.
• Where to back up: You can use an external hard drive, a USB drive, or online storage like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

2Get Your App Installers and License Keys Ready

Resetting your Windows 11 PC will remove all your installed programs, so you’ll need to reinstall them later. Gather your app installers and any license keys or product codes now, as they won’t be retrievable after the reset.

3Check Your BitLocker Recovery Key (If You Use It)

If you’ve turned on BitLocker to protect your Windows 11 drive, you must find your BitLocker recovery key before you reset your PC. Without this key, you won’t be able to get back into your files after the reset. Your recovery key is usually saved to your Microsoft account, so check account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey on another device.

Your BitLocker recovery key typically saves to your Microsoft account. Locate the key by visiting account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey using a different device. You can also print the recovery key for safekeeping.

How to Reset Your PC and Keep Your Files

Now that you’re prepared, let’s reset your PC. We’ll do this through ⚙️ Windows Settings, which is the most direct way.

Step 1Go to Recovery Settings

To start resetting your Windows 11 PC, you first need to open the Recovery settings. Click the ⊞ Start button (the Windows logo) in the bottom-left corner, then click ⚙️ the Settings icon (it looks like a gear), or press the Windows key + I on your keyboard. In the Settings window, click on ‘System’, and then select ‘Recovery’ from the menu on the left.

1. Click the Start button (the Windows logo) in the bottom-left corner.
2. Click the Settings icon (it looks like a gear). Or, press Windows key + I on your keyboard.
3. In ⚙️ the Settings window, click on System.
4. Scroll down the menu on the left and click on Recovery.

Step 2Start the Reset

Once you are in the Recovery settings on your Windows 11 PC, look for the ‘Reset PC’ option. You’ll see a button that says ‘Get started’ next to it. Clicking this ‘Get started’ button is the first action you take to begin the process of restarting and resetting your computer.

The "Recovery options" screen in Windows 11 shows a "Reset PC" button. Clicking "Get started" next to "Reset PC" begins the process of restarting your computer.

Step 3Choose “Keep my files”

When you reset your Windows 11 PC, the most important choice you’ll make is selecting ‘Keep my files’. This option will reinstall Windows and remove all your installed apps and personal settings, but it will leave your personal files, like documents and photos, untouched. This is the option you’ll want to select if you want to reset your PC and keep your data.

• Keep my files: This option reinstalls Windows. It removes apps and settings but keeps your personal files. This is the one you want!
• Remove everything: This option reinstalls Windows and removes all your files, apps, and settings. Use this if you want a completely fresh start or are giving your PC away.

Click on Keep my files.

Why: Choosing “Keep my files” tells Windows to keep your documents, pictures, music, videos, and other personal files, found in folders like Desktop, Documents, and Downloads. All installed apps, like games or software, will be removed.

Step 4Choose How to Reinstall Windows

After you choose to ‘Keep my files’ during your Windows 11 reset, you’ll need to decide how Windows reinstalls itself. You can pick ‘Cloud download’, which gets the latest version of Windows directly from Microsoft’s servers, or ‘Local reinstall’, which uses files already on your computer. If you have a stable internet connection, ‘Cloud download’ is usually recommended for the most up-to-date system.

• Cloud download: This downloads a new copy of Windows from Microsoft’s servers. It’s usually best because you get the latest version with all updates. You need a good internet connection for this.
• Local reinstall: This uses the Windows files already on your computer. It’s usually faster if your internet is slow, but it might not have the newest updates.

Choose the option that best suits your internet speed. If you have good internet, Cloud download is often the best choice.

Step 5Check Extra Settings

Before you finalize the reset of your Windows 11 PC, take a moment to review the ‘Extra settings’. This screen shows important details about what will happen, such as whether apps that came with your PC will be reinstalled or if there are options related to cleaning your data. If you see a ‘Change settings’ link, click it to make sure the options align with keeping your files and only removing unwanted apps.

Click “Change settings” if this option appears. This setting might show options for cleaning data, which is not ideal for keeping files, or for deciding if preinstalled apps should be put back.

Make sure ⚙️ the settings are what you expect. Double-check that your personal files will be kept and that you are not choosing to erase all data.

Click Confirm or Next to continue.

Why: This screen is your last chance to review the details. Look carefully to make sure you haven’t accidentally chosen an option that would delete your personal files.

Step 6Confirm and Start the Reset

You’re almost done! Windows will now show you a final summary and ask if you’re ready to start.

Read the summary screen carefully. It will say again that Windows will be reinstalled, apps and settings will be removed, but your personal files will be kept.

Click the Reset button.

Step 7Wait for the Reset to Finish

Resetting your Windows 11 PC can take a significant amount of time, often ranging from 30 minutes to several hours. Your computer will restart multiple times during this process.

Your PC will restart several times during this process.

The computer screen may turn black for up to 15 minutes or more during the reset process. This black screen is a normal part of the procedure. Do not force the PC to shut down or 🔄 restart the computer during this time, as doing so could cause data loss or system damage.

You will eventually see a progress bar showing you how far along it is.

Step 8First Setup After Reset

Once your Windows 11 PC has finished resetting, you’ll go through the initial setup process, similar to when you first got the computer, but with your personal files still safely on your device. You’ll be prompted to select your region, keyboard layout, and connect to 📶 Wi-Fi. You will likely need to sign in with your Microsoft account again before Windows finishes setting up your desktop.

• You’ll be asked to choose your region, keyboard layout, and connect to 📶 Wi-Fi.
• You’ll probably need to sign in with your Microsoft account again.
• Windows will then 🔃 install updates and get your desktop ready.

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/reset-your-pc-0ef73740-b927-549b-b7c9-e6f2b48d275e

Summary

Resetting your Windows 11 PC while keeping your files is a great way to fix issues or refresh your system without losing data. By backing up files, gathering app installers, and choosing the ‘Keep my files’ option in Settings, you can successfully reinstall Windows.