Is it harmful to reset my newly purchased pc to factory settings?

[Jodie.n.r]

I purchased a brand new ASUS notebook few days ago. My friend opened it and set it up for me, without my presence. I am so angry and frustrated because I wanted to have the experience of setting it up my self. So I thought if I reset it to factory settings I will get to set it up as brand new. But is that harmful? Someone told me doing a factory reset for unnecessary reasons may causes premature death of the SSD. Any advice?
PS. I didn’t use the laptop that much, I only browsed the web for less than an hour. I don’t have any files saved either.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Jodie,

if you have nothing to lose, take a look at the following link.

Reset Windows 10 (from within Windows)

If you've got severe problems with Windows 10 and need to perform more drastic measures to get things working again, you can reset the installation. Your PC will be restored to "as new" condition, with all 3rd party apps removed. You can choose...

www.windows10forums.com

Just make sure that Windows 10 is activated before you start!.

You can check in Settings > System > About.

 

[Jodie.n.r]

Hi Jodie,

if you have nothing to lose, take a look at the following link.

Reset Windows 10 (from within Windows)

If you've got severe problems with Windows 10 and need to perform more drastic measures to get things working again, you can reset the installation. Your PC will be restored to "as new" condition, with all 3rd party apps removed. You can choose...

www.windows10forums.com

Just make sure that Windows 10 is activated before you start!.

You can check in Settings > System > About.

View attachment 12237

Thank you for help Wolfie. When you say Windows 10 “activated” do you mean installed?

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Jodie,

no!, I mean that your Win 10 installation is activated (licence key), open Control Panel > System and look down the bottom.

 

[Jodie.n.r]

Hi Jodie,

no!, I mean that your Win 10 installation is activated (licence key), open Control Panel > System and look down the bottom.

View attachment 12239

Oh thank you So much for clarifying. I just checked and yes it is activated. So if I follow the instructions on the link you provided it should bring back my pc the way I purchased it?
How about the thing people say regarding the SSD getting ruined or premature failure if you reset your pc to factory settings too often. Is that true?

sorry for my ignorance and thank you again!

 

[Bighorn]

Just a few years ago a major chain store had Notebooks on display and buying one ran the issue of having to do a factory restore because one of the workers tasked with setting them up also passworded them so shoppers couldn't mess them up then he became unavailable and didn't pass on those settings. The machines were a good buy but had to be reset to remove the passwords.

 

[Wolfie]

Oh thank you So much for clarifying. I just checked and yes it is activated. So if I follow the instructions on the link you provided it should bring back my pc the way I purchased it?
How about the thing people say regarding the SSD getting ruined or premature failure if you reset your pc to factory settings too often. Is that true?

sorry for my ignorance and thank you again!

Hi Jodie,

if you are really unlucky, your SSD will crash out but they all do eventually, SSD's do not have the same shelf life as a HDD. So take what you read about SSD's burning out with a pinch of salt.

See also.

SSD Lifespan: How Long Does an SSD Last?

They'll probably outlast your regular hard disk drives.

www.howtogeek.com

 

[Jodie.n.r]

Just a few years ago a major chain store had Notebooks on display and buying one ran the issue of having to do a factory restore because one of the workers tasked with setting them up also passworded them so shoppers couldn't mess them up then he became unavailable and didn't pass on those settings. The machines were a good buy but had to be reset to remove the passwords.

Thank you Bighorn for sharing your experience. So once you reset it to factory settings everything was as good as new? Or did you face any problems?

 

[Jodie.n.r]

Hi Jodie,

if you are really unlucky, your SSD will crash out but they all do eventually, SSD's do not have the same shelf life as a HDD. So take what you read about SSD's burning out with a pinch of salt.

See also.

SSD Lifespan: How Long Does an SSD Last?

They'll probably outlast your regular hard disk drives.

www.howtogeek.com

Thank you Wolfie for all your advice. That last article you shared was useful. Now I am more familiar with SSD and the effects of data reading and writing. The article explains it well.

The reason I wanted to double check is because my notebook is functioning perfectly and my friend thinks I’m CRAZY for wanting to reset it just to go through windows installation on my own. He doesn’t think my reasoning is worth the risk. But honestly I rather take the risk of resetting than the risk of using a laptop set up by him . Still annoyed with that.

Thank you again for your help!

 

[bassfisher6522]

But is that harmful?

No...it's perfectly safe.

my friend thinks I’m CRAZY for wanting to reset it just to go through windows installation on my own.

No...you're not crazy. That's a perfectly normal response. How else is one supposed to learn.

We do resets with keeping data and wiping data all the time for people. To do what you want is a wipe with out saving data. That will give you the experience you're looking for.

 

[Bighorn]

Thank you Bighorn for sharing your experience. So once you reset it to factory settings everything was as good as new? Or did you face any problems?

Had no problems. The thing about factory reset is it sets the computer to the condition it left the factory, actually assembly plant. If anything does go wrong later it can be done again, just will remove anything you did after getting it.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Jodie,

I forgot to mention, to re-install multiple apps after a fresh install (or reset), use the following link as it makes things so much easier!.

https://ninite.com/

And one other thing, regardless of what type of drive you are using, always make a back up of your data and store it on a separate drive for that just in case scenario!.

 

[Jodie.n.r]

Hi Jodie,

I forgot to mention, to re-install multiple apps after a fresh install (or reset), use the following link as it makes things so much easier!.

https://ninite.com/

And one other thing, regardless of what type of drive you are using, always make a back up of your data and store it on a separate drive for that just in case scenario!.

Hi Wolfie,
I know it has been over 2 months since I made this post. I have fallen seriously ill and was hospitalised therefore never saw your reply and never got to format my laptop or even use it. Now that my health is better I will be returning back to work on Monday, so today I will be doing the factory reset as you have advised.

Thank you again for all your help and all the recommendations you stated in your last reply. I will definitely be using the multiple app downloader you recommended. Your advice of making a backup of my data on a separate drive is a good reminder of the important data I lost in the past due to neglect and laziness, so thank you for reminding me.

My kind regards,
Jodie

 

[Jodie.n.r]

Had no problems. The thing about factory reset is it sets the computer to the condition it left the factory, actually assembly plant. If anything does go wrong later it can be done again, just will remove anything you did after getting it.

That’s good to know. I will be performing the reset today as I have not got to even touch my laptop in the past two months due to my health condition.

Thanks a lot Bighorn.

 

[Bighorn]

You're welcome.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Jodie,

get well soon mate and keep us posted please.