Desktop computers, on the other hand, are equipped with cases that are easier to open and typically have lots of space inside. It’s easier to swap out your old components with newer components. It does not take a computer expert to make these upgrades, either. Enjoy Ultra HD resolution for your portable entertainment, gaming and content creation. A powerful laptop and a tablet in one ultraportable device. Models with an SSD enable extra speed. Solid state drives. SSDs are smaller, faster, quieter and more durable than hard drives, and use less power.
Note: For information about this topic in Windows 10, see Recovery options in Windows 10.
If you're having problems with your PC, you can:
Refresh your PC to reinstall Windows and keep your personal files and settings. Refresh also keeps the apps that came with your PC and the apps you installed from the Microsoft Store.
Reset your PC to reinstall Windows but delete your files, settings, and apps—except for the apps that came with your PC.
Restore your PC to undo recent system changes you've made.
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If you're having trouble starting (booting) your PC, see Windows Startup Settings (including safe mode), and go to the “Get to Windows Startup Settings in the Windows Recovery Environment” section. You can refresh, reset, or restore your PC from the Windows Recovery Environment.
If you want to back up and restore your personal files using File History, see Set up a drive for File History.
Before you start to refresh or reset your PC
In most cases, once you start to refresh or reset your PC, it’ll finish on its own. However, if Windows needs missing files, you’ll be asked to insert recovery media, which is typically on a DVD disc or thumb drive. If that happens, what you’ll need depends on your PC.
If your PC came with Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1, you’ll need the discs or thumb drive that came with your PC. Check the info that came with your PC to see if your PC manufacturer provided these discs or media. In some cases, you might have created them when you first set up your PC.
If you don’t have either of those, you can make them if you have a USB thumb drive of 16 GB or larger. Having a recovery drive can help you troubleshoot and fix problems with your PC, even if it won’t start. For more info, see Create a USB recovery drive.
If you upgraded your PC to Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 with a DVD, use that disc. If you don’t have Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 media, contact Microsoft Support.
Refresh, reset, or restore
Select any of the following for more detailed info.
Refresh your PC without affecting your files
If your PC isn't performing as well as it once did, and you don't know why, you can refresh your PC without deleting any of your personal files or changing your settings.
Note: If you upgraded your PC from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 and your PC has a Windows 8 recovery partition, refreshing your PC will restore Windows 8. You’ll need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 after the refresh has finished.
Warning: Apps you installed from websites and DVDs will be removed. Apps that came with your PC and apps you installed from Microsoft Store will be reinstalled. Windows puts a list of removed apps on your desktop after refreshing your PC.
To refresh your PC
Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings.
(If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)Tap or click Update and recovery, and then tap or click Recovery.
Under Refresh your PC without affecting your files, tap or click Get started.
Follow the instructions on the screen.
Reset your PC
If you want to recycle your PC, give it away, or start over with it, you can reset it completely. This removes everything and reinstalls Windows.
Note: If you upgraded your PC from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 and your PC has a Windows 8 recovery partition, resetting your PC will restore Windows 8. You’ll need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 after the reset has finished.
Warning: All of your personal files will be deleted and your settings will be reset. All apps that you installed will be removed. Only apps that came with your PC will be reinstalled.
To reset your PC
Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings.
(If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)Tap or click Update and recovery, and then tap or click Recovery.
Under Remove everything and reinstall Windows, tap or click Get started.
Follow the instructions on the screen.
Note: You'll be asked to choose whether you want to erase data quickly or thoroughly. If you choose to erase data quickly, some data might be recoverable using special software. If you choose to erase data thoroughly, this will take longer but it makes recovering data less likely.
Restore your PC to an earlier point in time
If you think an app or driver that you recently installed caused problems with your PC, you can restore Windows back to an earlier point in time, called a restore point. System Restore doesn’t change your personal files, but it might remove recently installed apps and drivers.
Notes:
System Restore isn't available for Windows RT 8.1.
Windows automatically creates a restore point when you install desktop apps and new Windows updates, if the last restore point is older than 7 days. You can also create a restore point manually at any time.
To restore your PC to an earlier point in time
Refurbished Laptop And Desktop Computers
Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.
(If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.)Enter Control Panel in the search box, and tap or click Control Panel.
Enter Recovery in the Control Panel search box, and then tap or click Recovery.
Tap or click Open System Restore, and then follow the instructions.
Get additional help in the Microsoft community
If you need additional help refreshing, resetting, or restoring your PC, check out the Repair and Recovery community pages in the Windows forum for solutions that other people have found for problems they've experienced.
More commonly known as a driver, a device driver or hardware driver is a group of files that enable one or more hardware devices to communicate with the computer's operating system. Without drivers, the computer would not be able to send and receive data correctly to hardware devices, such as a printer.
What devices need drivers?
Hardware devices that are unknown by the operating system or that have features that are unknown by the operating system all require drivers. Below is a list of hardware devices and peripherals that require drivers.
What devices may not need drivers
Today's operating systems have a lot of generic drivers that allow hardware to work at a basic level without needing drivers or software. However, if that device has features unknown to the operating system, it will not work without drivers. For example, you could plug any keyboard into a computer and expect it to work. However, if that keyboard has any special keys or features, they will not work until the drivers are installed.
NoteThe operating systems generic driver may not be updated as often as the drivers from a hardware manufacturer or computer manufacturer.
What happens if a driver is not installed?
If the appropriate driver is not installed, the device may not function properly, if at all. With some devices, the device may work, but all of its features may not work. For example, a computer mouse usually works without drivers, but if it has more buttons than the traditional mouse, those extra buttons will not work until the drivers are installed.
For Microsoft Windows users, missing drivers may cause a driver conflict or an error that is shown in the Device Manager. If problems or conflicts are encountered with drivers, the computer manufacturer or hardware manufacturer releases a driver update to fix the problems. If updated drivers are available, those drivers need to be installed to replace the existing driver code.
Can a driver make my computer do more?
Installing a driver only makes the hardware installed in the computer function properly. If the correct driver is not installed, installing the latest driver for the hardware can take full advantage of the device. However, you cannot install a driver for hardware not installed in the computer and expect it to make your computer faster or more capable. In other words, installing video card drivers for a video card that's not installed in the computer does not give your computer all the capabilities of that video card. In this example, you'd need the video card hardware and the video card drivers to be installed.
Related pages
- Full listing of computer drivers and help documents relating to drivers.
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