AOMEI Partition Assistant
[Answered] How Long Does It Take To Reset A PC?
How long does it take to reset a PC? It typically takes between 30 minutes and 3 hours. If the process gets stuck, you can refer to this tutorial to safely and quickly perform a factory reset.
By Irene / Updated on April 16, 2025
How long does it take to reset a PC?
I have had my HP Windows 10 PC for about 3 years, no heavy adobe software but has a few Microsoft Office, a few art apps, about 8 photos folders over 4 - 20 photos, iTunes library of about 400 songs, most of these audio files are on my computer, and of course 3 years of words documents. I have been backing up the important files, and removing what I need, how long does it take to factory reset a PC? Any tips to make factory reset as fast as possible (without rushing and messing up?)
- Question from answers.microsoft.com
How long does it take to reset a laptop or desktop? The time to reset a PC depends on the data stored on the PC, the more data stored on it, the more time resetting a PC will cost. In general, resetting a PC will cost about 30 minutes to 3 hours.
However, some users report the reset process getting stuck at points like 1%, 8%, 62%, or 99%, which can extend the reset time significantly—sometimes even up to half a day. This can be caused by disk errors, Windows installation issues, or drive failures. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to safely reset a Windows PC and how to fix problems if the process gets stuck.
What does resetting a PC mean?
When the Windows OS is used for a long time or it's damaged, the PC performance would become dissatisfying, so users may choose to reset it. Does a reset delete everything? There are different kinds of PC reset methods: soft reset, hard reset, and factory reset.
Soft reset: It refers to reboot the computer or log out the account, this operation will remove cache from your PC.
Hard reset: When there's errors on you PC, you can taking out and reinstall the battery, then restart the computer. The result of hard reset is the same as the software.
Factory reset: This method will delete all data on the current PC, then set the PC to the default value. If you want to know more about Factory reset vs format, you can click to get more details.
In the "Reset PC" task, you may have two options: "Keep my files" and "Remove everything". The first option will reserve the files, then all applications and PC settings will be removed. The second option will delete all data on the PC, reset it as the new one.
🌟Back up the data before resetting the PC
Before you reset your PC, it's important to know that this process will erase all data on the system drive, including personal files, apps, and settings. To avoid losing important information, you should back up your data first.
A good way to do this is by cloning your disk using AOMEI Partition Assistant. This reliable tool helps you safely copy everything from your current disk to another one. It offers two cloning options: "Clone Disk Quickly", which copies only the used space, and "Sector-by-Sector Clone", which copies the entire disk, including empty space. With its clear and user-friendly interface, it makes it easy to protect your data before resetting.
After the reset, it also helps manage your disk and partitions with useful features like moving programs to another drive, converting disk formats, and more.In short, cloning your disk before a factory reset is a smart step to make sure your data stays safe and can be easily restored if needed.
AOMEI Partition AssistantThe Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer
Step 1. Connect the destination disk to the PC, install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant. Click “Clone Disk” in the main interface.
Step 2. Choose the hard disk that you need to clone as the source disk and click "Next".
Step 3. Select the destination disk to store the data on the source disk, and then click "Next".
Step 4. Then, you can check the source and destination disk in the next window or change to "Sector to Sector clone", and click the "Confirm" button to continue if there is no problem.
Here, you can also click the "Settings" button to adjust the partition size on the destination disk.
Step 5. After returning to the main interface, check the pending operation and click "Apply" and "Proceed" to commit the operation.
Tip: If you want to reset the Windows Server PC and backup data on it, you can turn to the Server Edition.
Step-by-step: How to safely factory reset a PC?
Although you have knew how long does it take to reset a PC on Windows 10. For some users, resetting a PC is not a simple work. In this part, we'll detail the process to reset the PC.
Step 1. Press "Win + I" to open the Windows Settings, click "System" and "Recovery" in turn, then click the "Reset PC" button.
Step 2. There're two options to reset the PC, choose one according to your needs.
Step 3. The wizard will ask if you're ready to Reset your PC, click "Reset".
Bonus reading: How to fix PC stuck in resetting issue
How long should a factory reset take in Windows 10? As we explained before, it generally takes 30 minutes to 3 hours. But if it takes longer, it may mean that you’ve encountered the "PC stuck in resetting" problem. Here are some solutions you can try.
Fix 1. Disable the Internet connection
Some users reflected that the Internet will affect the PC resetting, so when the PC stuck in resetting, you can disable the Internet connection.
You can unplug the Ethernet cable from the PC, then turn off the router.
Fix 2. Change the BIOS settings
Some BIOS functions will also have bad influence on the PC resetting, you change the BIOS settings to fix it.
Step 1. Disable the Secure Boot, then enable the Legacy Boot.
Step 2. If the CSM is available, open it. Then enable the USB boot.
Step 3. Set the USB/disc drive as the boot drive.
Step 4. Save the new settings, then reset your PC.
Fix 3. Run Startup Repair
The PC resetting stuck issue may cause by some system problems. You can deal with them with the Startup Repair.
Step 1. Download the Windows 10 installation files on a DVD or USB drive.
Step 2. Enter the BIOS, then set the DVD/USB drive as the boot order. The key to enter BIOS on Windows 11 various from manufacturers. If you have downloaded AOMEI Partition Assistant, you can directly run this software to access to BIOS with ease.
AOMEI Partition AssistantThe Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer
Step 3. When getting into the installation interface, select "Repair your Computer".
Step 4. Click "Troubleshoot", "Advanced Options" and "Startup Repair" in order.
Fix 4. Clean install Windows 10
If the above methods cannot work, you can try to clean install the Windows OS on the PC.
Verdict
How long does it take to reset a PC? Resetting a Windows PC usually takes between 30 minutes and 3 hours, depending on how much data is stored. To avoid problems and save time, it’s important to back up your data first using reliable tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant. This not only protects your files but also helps manage your disk efficiently after the reset. If the process gets stuck, there are several ways to fix it, including checking your Internet connection, adjusting BIOS settings, using Startup Repair, or doing a clean install. With careful preparation, resetting your PC can be smooth and effective.
AOMEI Partition AssistantThe Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer
