Resetting Windows

[JohHed]

Hi,

I'm having a few issues with the pc I bought a few months ago. Things like the Start menu not working as expected, some programs (Xbox app for example) not working, some folders not showing up.
I don't do anything other than gaming, flatscreen and VR, so there's nothing installed other than games and related apps/drivers.

I thought the easiest fix would be to reset Windows, but I haven't messed around with PCs since Windows XP so wanted to check if there was any risk, and what I need beforehand.

ie Will I need to find my Win11 product key before I start? Not sure how to find it if so! Anything else I should do before I start?

Thanks

PC specs in case it's relevant:

Processor (CPU) AMD Ryzen 7 8700F Eight Core CPU (4.1GHz-5.0GHz/24MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard ASUS® PRIME A620M-K (mATX, AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0)
Memory (RAM) 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz (1 x 32GB)
Graphics Card 12GB MSI GEFORCE RTX 4070 SUPER VENTUS 2X OC - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive 2TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2,
PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7450MB/R, 6900MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply CORSAIR 650W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable 1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling PCS FrostFlow 100 V3 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card ASUS PCE-AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 (1201Mbps/5GHz, 574Mbps/2.4GHz + Bluetooth 5.2)
USB/Thunderbolt Options MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT
EDIT:
Missed some changes made during the build:
Graphics Card Change to [12GB ASUS TUF GEFORCE RTX 4070 SUPER OC EDITION - HDMI, 3 x DP] from [12GB MSI GEFORCE RTX 4070 SUPER VENTUS 2X OC - HDMI, DP, LHR]
Power Supply Change to [CORSAIR 750W CX SERIES™ CX-750 POWER SUPPLY] from [CORSAIR 650W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET]

 

[TonyCarter]

Was that a pre-built, or did someone configure it for you, as it's not very well configured...but limited budgets do make us all cut corners sometimes

That PSU is below the recommended 750W (ATX3) PSU that MSI recommends for that GPU; the RAM is slow and in single-channel; the motherboard is an 'office-spec' one; whilst the 8700F is not the hottest CPU the PCS coolers are really poor choices; single, large SSD is a no-no as you have no redundancy/backup if it fails or Windows needs reinstalling.

Before you do anything, one of the techies on here may ask to see some Task Manager, memory usage, crash logs, etc, to see if they can offer advice before you scrub it.

If you really want to start from scratch (i.e. you will lose all your apps/installs), then follow @Martinr36's guide for it.

W11 clean install instructions

• Download a new copy of Windows using the (Second option on linked page) to an 8GB (min) USB. Media Creation Tool
• Boot that USB and choose a Custom Install.
• Delete all UEFI partitions on the system drive (EFI System, Recovery, MSR Reserved, Primary).
• Select the unallocated space that results and click the Next button. The installer will create the correct partitions and install Windows.
• Run Windows Update repeatedly, even across reboots, until no more updates are found.
• You may need/want to download and install the latest graphics driver from the Nvidia/AMD website (they change so regularly the latest version isn't always in the Windows libraries).

This is also worth a watch:

 

[JohHed]

Was that a pre-built, or did someone configure it for you, as it's not very well configured...but limited budgets do make us all cut corners sometimes

That PSU is below the recommended 750W (ATX3) PSU that MSI recommends for that GPU; the RAM is slow and in single-channel; the motherboard is an 'office-spec' one; whilst the 8700F is not the hottest CPU the PCS coolers are really poor choices; single, large SSD is a no-no as you have no redundancy/backup if it fails or Windows needs reinstalling.

Before you do anything, one of the techies on here may ask to see some Task Manager, memory usage, crash logs, etc, to see if they can offer advice before you scrub it.

If you really want to start from scratch (i.e. you will lose all your apps/installs), then follow @Martinr36's guide for it.

W11 clean install instructions

• Download a new copy of Windows using the (Second option on linked page) to an 8GB (min) USB. Media Creation Tool
• Boot that USB and choose a Custom Install.
• Delete all UEFI partitions on the system drive (EFI System, Recovery, MSR Reserved, Primary).
• Select the unallocated space that results and click the Next button. The installer will create the correct partitions and install Windows.
• Run Windows Update repeatedly, even across reboots, until no more updates are found.
• You may need/want to download and install the latest graphics driver from the Nvidia/AMD website (they change so regularly the latest version isn't always in the Windows libraries).

This is also worth a watch:

Thanks for the response

It was a pre-built, but I 'upgraded' some of the options until I hit my budget
I posted from my original invoice and forget to include some amendments that were made during the build. Oops! A couple of changes:

Graphics Card Change to [12GB ASUS TUF GEFORCE RTX 4070 SUPER OC EDITION - HDMI, 3 x DP] from [12GB MSI GEFORCE RTX 4070 SUPER VENTUS 2X OC - HDMI, DP, LHR]
Power Supply Change to [CORSAIR 750W CX SERIES™ CX-750 POWER SUPPLY] from [CORSAIR 650W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET]

I used to be good at this stuff, but a couple of decades away from PC building/gaming has me feeling rather left behind
Thanks for the link. Like you say, I'll hang on in case there's a less brutal fix!

 

[TonyCarter]

The GPU change may have cost you £50-£100, but will have got you zero extra performance as they're both 4070 Super OC editions (if I was generous, I'd say there may be ±1% difference due to cooling performance).

The PSU change was a side-grade, not an upgrade, because whilst you've increased the headline power limit, you've reduced the quality of components, over-current/surge protections, efficiency rating; noise levels and cable modularity for upgrades.

The problem with ALL pre-builts is that the headline-grabbing components are great (CPU, GPU, big SSD)...but the components that determine longevity are not so great (case, PSU, cooler, motherboard, etc.) - and each component is as important as the next...that's exactly what the 'Check my Spec' forum on here is for. Not to make you spend more cash, but to try and get the most for your budget - even if it sometimes sounds like we're telling people they can't afford what they're after.

 

[JohHed]

Hindsight and all that! I'll have to live with it for now At some point I'll start looking at the best way to upgrade, starting with the biggest chokepoints and working up.

The GPU change was just a stock issue, they didn't have the one I ordered originally!

 

[TonyCarter]

The GPU change was just a stock issue, they didn't have the one I ordered originally!

Been through that pain myself. First it was CPU delayed, then GPU delated, then PSU out of stock - probably cost me an extra £500 upgrading to whatever they had in stock in the end