Feature described as "push-button reset"

Microsoft has detailed a Windows 8 feature that will allow users to 'refresh' the operating system or reset their computer to original factory settings. The reset option will wipe all personal data, apps and settings before reinstalling Windows, while the refresh capability will keep personal data, apps and settings while reinstalling the operating system.

In a blog post>, Windows program manager Desmond Lee admits that there are times when users desire to go back to a "good and predictable state" when their computer is not working at optimum performance, though the variety of third-party tools capable of resetting the system do not provide a "consistent experience."

The implementation of an official reset feature appears to address criticisms from users who complain of eventual performance degradation from Windows-based computers. Current Windows editions make the process slightly more complicated than the "push button" process described by Lee, however Windows 8's Metro app platform is claimed to be capable of automatically reinstalling software after the system is refreshed.

The reset option is designed for users who want to wipe the computer clean in an attempt to completely restore the original state, which benefits situations such as selling a computer. To protect personal data, the system also provides options to write a single pass of random data over the hard drive to protect against modest attempts at data recovery.

The company claims the refresh process takes slightly more than eight minutes, while wiping data from an unencrypted drive is said to take approximately 24 minutes.

By Electronista Staff