The Reset this PC option in Windows 10 comes in handy when all troubleshooting fails to fix an issue on Windows 10. By resetting, you can restore Windows 10 to default settings.
The Reset this PC option can be accessed by navigating to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery page. Upon launching the Reset this PC, the tool displays a screen where you need to select whether you want to keep your personal files or delete everything. The screen also clearly says that the apps cannot be preserved.
Reset Windows 10 without losing apps and programs?
Now, many users often email us to ask if it’s possible to retain apps while resetting Windows 10. The answer is, no. Windows 10 doesn’t let you keep apps and programs installed by you during the reset operation. This means that all apps and programs that you installed will be removed. Only apps and programs that your Windows 10 PC shipped with or apps and programs that you got when you perform a clean install of Windows 10 will be saved.
Workaround to reset Windows 10 without losing apps and programs?
Yes, there is a workaround. If you are looking to reset Windows 10, so that you can resolve an issue, you can consider repairing Windows 10 installation instead of resetting it. When you repair the Windows 10 installation, your personal data, installed apps, and programs will be retained. More importantly, this will fix your Windows 10 issues as well. Refer to our how to repair Windows 10 installation without losing apps and data guide for step-by-step instructions.
Repairing the Windows 10 installation is more or less like resetting Windows 10, but without deleting apps, personal files, and settings. It’s just that you will need a bootable Windows 10 installation media to repair the Windows 10 installation. If you don’t have the installation media, download Windows 10 from Microsoft and then create a bootable USB using the Rufus software. However, note that your Windows 10 installation will be upgraded to the latest Windows 10 version (if you the bootable media contains the latest version) if you were running an older version of Windows 10.
The other possible workaround is to create an image backup of Windows 10 after installing your favorite programs and apps and then restore Windows 10 using the image back up when you need to reset Windows 10.
By the way, before resetting, try to restore Windows 10 to an earlier date. It might fix the issue!
Our how to reset Windows 11 PC without losing data guide might also interest you.
