How to Recover a Hard Drive on a PC

Recovering a hard drive on a PC resets the computer to factory settings.

Recovering a hard drive on a PC may be necessary if it has been damaged or if you plan to sell or give away your PC and want to ensure your personal information does not stay on the computer when the new owner receives it. Recovering a hard drive may take a few minutes to complete and no special expertise is needed to recover the hard drive.

Instructions

1. Click "Start" and type "Recovery" into the Start Search field. Press "Enter."

2. Select "Recovery Manager" from the list that appears.

3. Click "Advanced Options" and choose "System Recovery." Click "Next."

4. Select "System Recovery" when the PC restarts and click "Next."

5. Click "No" if a prompt appears and asks you to use "Microsoft System Restore." Click "Next."

6. Select "Back up your files first (recommended)" when the prompt appears if you wish to re-install programs on your computer or another computer. Follow the on-screen instructions. If you do not want to backup your files, simply click "Next." Wait as the computer destroys data and recovers the hard drive. The recovery process could potentially take several hours.

References

• HP: Recover PC Hard Drive

Resources

• Microsoft: Windows Backup & Restore