Can you restore a Windows computer to Initial Setup without reinstalling windows?

Riczter on 22/07/2013 - 20:30
Last edited 22/07/2013 - 21:33

You know when you reinstall windows, you turn it on and you have to do the initial setup stuff like set the time, enter a user name, join a network, etc. And then after that you need to install all the drivers and then its ready to use.
Can you manually get it back to that initial setup mode so that next time it starts up it goes back to that initial setup, without having to reinstall all the drivers again?

I'm assuming it can be done because when you buy a new laptop, when you start it you have to perform the initial setup, yet after that all the drivers are already installed, which suggests the manufacturer must have a way to make the laptop go back to the inital setup after installing all the device drivers and software.

Any ideas?

Computing

Comments

  • freakitude on 22/07/2013 - 21:50

    your question is not very clear to me.

    but i'll try to answer anyway.

    most laptops have recovery partitions or an option to create recovery media.

    you can boot into recovery mode to restore your system to clean slate. that means your hard disk will wiped/rewritten and your system restored to factory default giving you that "initial setup".

    if you talking about removing factory softwares or crapware. i suggest formatting partitions and reinstalling windows manually. then install drivers/required softwares.

    you can later keep a partition or harddisk backup using cloning tools like norton ghost or acronis true image.

  • ukmark on 22/07/2013 - 21:58
    +1

    You can "reseal" Windows so you go through the setup screens again, but this doesn't put the OS back to day one. All of your settings, programs and files will be there.

    As previously said, if your computer is branded (HP, Acer, Dell, etc.) then there will most likely be a recovery partition which will re image the computer to factory defaults including repartitioning of the hard drive (losing programs, data and settings).

    If you have a "whitebox", you will need to reinstall Windows.

    • Riczter on 22/07/2013 - 22:47

      So how do you "reseal"?

      There's a couple of things i'd like to be able to do:

      1: On a new laptop, after setting it up, install basic software like office, and antivirus and all the windows updates, remove all the bloatware, and THEN "reseal" it, so next time it starts it goes through the initial setup and asks for a username etc.

      2: If after using a laptop for a few weeks I didn't like it and wanted to return it to factory settings and sell it on gumtree or something. I guess then you would use the recovery partition right? But once it restarts and enters that initial setup, how do you get out of it? You have to go through the whole setup process. There's no way to safely shut it down from that initial setup is there? You could hold the power button till it turns off, but then the "Windows did not successfully shut down" screen appears on the next boot.

      Is there a way to restore the recovery partition, then shut the computer down so that the next time it starts it enters the initial setup and is like its brand new? From memory I've tried to do this before, but after it has recovered it restarts instead of shuts down, and theres no way to back out of the initial setup, so I dunno how to do it…

  • p1 ama on 23/07/2013 - 00:38
    +1

    Just turn it off once you get to the initial screen. It will be there again when it is turned on next.

    • Riczter on 23/07/2013 - 09:38

      But there's no shut down button, meaning you have to turn it off by cutting the power or holding the power button, meaning the next time it starts, it will come up with the "Windows did not shut down correctly" safe mode boot options, which doesn't look good.

  • wharlie on 23/07/2013 - 06:20
    +3

    You need sysprep.
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302577
    We use it when rolling out pcs to users.
    You setup windows and install your drivers and apps then run sysprep.exe -reseal.
    Next time it boots it will run the mini setup wizard.

    • Riczter on 23/07/2013 - 09:39

      That potentially sounds like what I'm after. So say on the first setup I create an account "User" and install all my stuff, then run sysprep… is the "User" account removed/replaced with the account that the new user creates?

      • wharlie on 23/07/2013 - 15:53

        When you start your customizations don't go through the Windows Welcome wizard to create a user. Instead enter Audit Mode by typing Ctrl-Shift-F3 at the start of the wizard. The system will now reboot into Audit Mode and you are logged on as the built-in Administrator. You can now make the changes to the system and run sysprep when you are finished. Using this procedure you will not create a new user each time you modify a system. You can also delete the users you created earlier from Audit Mode.
        http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/434…

        • Riczter on 23/07/2013 - 16:38

          cool thanks, does this work with win 7 and 8?

        • Riczter on 03/08/2013 - 20:02

          ah man this is perfect! I can't believe that this is not more common knowledge. But thanks heaps wharlie. Exactly what I was searching for :)

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