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Resetting Your Computer
Resetting your computer is a bigger deal because Windows RE does remove all your data, settings, and apps, and returns the computer to its factory setting. For this reason, you’ll use Reset only when you are preparing to hand off your computer to another user or donate it to a non-profit organization or recycling center.
To begin the reset, tap or click the Control Panel tile, and tap or click the General category. On the right side of the screen, scroll down to Reset Your PC and Start Over. Tap or click Get Started, and Windows RE launches, telling you what will happen when you choose this option. If you want to continue with the reset, click Next (see Figure 4).
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Figure 4 Windows RE tells you what will happen if you reset your computer.
Windows RE then erases and reformats your hard disk. You can choose a Quick or Thorough option, which determine whether Windows RE overwrites any of your user data with random data to ensure others can’t retrieve it using a data recovery method (Thorough) or simply erases your data (Quick).
A clean version of Windows 8 is then installed, and your Windows 8 computer reboots, fresh and clean and as sparkling as it was the first day you took it out of the box.