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Barbara_1943's avatar
Barbara_1943
Copper Contributor
Sep 04, 2020

Resetting my laptop

When the Windows 10 upgrade was free I upgraded one of my laptops from Windows 7 to Windows 10. I am now resetting that laptop back to factory specs. I have gone through the process and now it is at the window where it wants me to put in my language, etc. My question is when it loads windows again will it load Windows 10 or will it load Windows 7?

9 Replies

  • KapilArya's avatar
    KapilArya
    MVP
    Sep 04, 2020

    Hello Barbara_1943,

    IMO, if you reset using Windows 10 Reset feature, you should be back to Windows 10, as it is simply a reinstall. You can choose either to keep files or remove everything.

     



    While if you opt to Reset factory settings, it would load the OEM partition and hence Windows 7 in your case.

    Regards.

    • Barbara_1943's avatar
      Barbara_1943
      Copper Contributor
      Sep 05, 2020
      Thanks for the input. The guide I used to wipe the hard drive was the option to remove everything. It didn't say anything about resetting it to factory condition. I guess the only way to know for sure before I give it away is to go ahead and set it up again and if it goes to Windows 10 then I can wipe it again.
      • Barbara_1943's avatar
        Barbara_1943
        Copper Contributor
        Sep 05, 2020
        I booted up the laptop and happened to notice that the logo on the screen was a Windows 10 logo and not a Windows 7 logo. So I assume that it reset it to Windows 10. Do y'all think this is a safe assumption?
  • FooTek's avatar
    FooTek
    Copper Contributor
    Sep 04, 2020

    Barbara_1943 

     

    If you are restoring fromm a factory image it will reload whatever OS is contained within that factory image. Which I believe you said was windows 7.

     

    I am not sure if Windows 7 will then auto download the Windows 10 upgrade files and ask you to upgrade.

     

    If it does not, you can then go to the windows download tool and upgrade it once more.

     

    I followed this article a few months ago and it worked flawlessly.

     

    https://www.onmsft.com/how-to/how-to-still-get-a-free-windows-10-upgrade-in-2020

     

    Excerpt from above web site:

     

    Begin by downloading the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft’s “Download Windows 10” webpage. This gives you everything you need to perform the upgrade. Run the program once it has downloaded.

     

    Link to Windows 10 download page: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

    Link to download tool: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209

    • Barbara_1943's avatar
      Barbara_1943
      Copper Contributor
      Sep 04, 2020
      Thank you so much for your reply. I was hoping someone would answer that has done this before. I was hoping to pass the laptop on without any of my information on it. Do you think if I booted from the recovery drive that it would go back to Windows 10?