How to Factory Reset an Unresponsive Laptop
If your laptop has frozen solid, won’t boot properly, or is riddled with pop-ups and sluggish performance, a factory reset is often the most reliable fix. A factory reset wipes your laptop’s software back to its original, out-of-the-box state — removing installed programs, personal files (depending on the option you choose), and any lingering glitches, viruses, or corrupted system files along with them.
People typically reach for a factory reset when their laptop has become unresponsive or keeps freezing, when it’s showing signs of malware infection, or when they’re preparing to sell or hand the device down to someone else. Whatever your reason, there’s one rule that comes before everything else: back up your data first, if you possibly can. We’ll cover exactly how to do that below — and what your options are if the laptop is too unresponsive to let you.
Before you dive in, it helps to know what you’re signing up for.
Benefits of a factory reset:
Risks to keep in mind:
This step cannot be overstated. Once you choose “Remove everything” or erase the drive, your files are gone unless you’ve saved them elsewhere first.
Ways to back up your data:
What to prioritise backing up:
If your laptop won’t boot at all, you may not be able to back up in the usual way — we’ll cover what to do in that situation shortly. If you’re unsure how to safely pull data off a machine before wiping it, our guide on how to back up a MacBook before repairs walks through the process in more detail, and applies to most pre-reset situations too.
Scenario 1: The laptop is still somewhat responsive
If you can still navigate your desktop, even slowly:
Scenario 2: The laptop is completely unresponsive and won’t load Windows
This is where most people actually land when searching for this guide. If you can’t get past a frozen screen or Windows won’t load at all:
If your laptop is displaying a Blue Screen of Death rather than simply freezing, it’s worth reading up on what that specific error means first, since some BSOD causes are hardware-related and won’t be solved by a reset.
Many manufacturers — Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and others — build their own recovery partition or dedicated recovery software into the laptop, separate from Windows’ native tools. These are usually accessed by tapping a specific function key repeatedly right as the laptop powers on. Because these key combinations and menu layouts differ between brands and even between models from the same brand, it’s best to check your laptop manufacturer’s support website for the exact steps for your device before you start.
For more general troubleshooting before you commit to a full reset, our rundown of common Windows laptop problems and solutions covers a few fixes worth trying first.
For Macs with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, and later):
For Intel-based Macs:
Once inside macOS Recovery:
If your MacBook is completely unresponsive and won’t enter Recovery Mode at all, that can point to a deeper hardware fault rather than a simple software freeze — our guide on why a Mac won’t start after an update and our page on MacBook screen or system troubleshooting are good next steps if Recovery Mode itself isn’t loading.
If your Mac is still responsive before you begin, go to System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and sign out, making sure Find My Mac is turned off. This is especially important if you’re selling or giving away the laptop — skipping this step can leave Activation Lock enabled, which will prevent the next owner (or you, if something goes wrong) from setting up the Mac at all.
Once the reset finishes, your laptop will behave like it’s fresh out of the box. From here:
If the reset fails partway through: Restart the laptop and try again. Repeated failures can point to a failing hard drive or SSD, in which case a reset won’t be a lasting fix.
If you can’t create or find recovery media: You may need another working computer to create a bootable USB drive using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool (Windows) or Apple’s official resources (macOS).
If your laptop shows signs it’s already been compromised, such as unusual pop-ups, browser redirects, or extreme slowness before you even attempt a reset, it’s worth learning what a malware infection typically looks like so you know what you’re dealing with, and understanding what virus and malware removal typically costs if you decide professional removal is a better route than a full wipe.
When to consider professional help: If your laptop won’t respond even to a hard shutdown, won’t enter recovery or startup options at all, or you’re worried about permanently losing irreplaceable files, it’s time to bring in a specialist rather than risk making things worse. A computer crash doesn’t always mean your data is gone — professional data recovery can often retrieve files even from a laptop that won’t boot. If you’re dealing specifically with a MacBook or iMac in this state, our MacBook and iMac data recovery service and general laptop repair services are there for exactly this scenario. Windows users facing the same issue can check our Windows laptop repair services, and if you suspect the freezing or crashing is hardware-related rather than something a reset will solve, our computer repairs team can properly diagnose the cause first.
A factory reset can genuinely breathe new life into a laptop that’s become unresponsive, sluggish, or compromised by malware — but only if it’s done with the right preparation. Back up everything you can before you start, understand the difference between “Keep my files” and “Remove everything,” and don’t be afraid to call in professional help if your laptop won’t cooperate even at the recovery-menu stage. Done right, a factory reset gives you a clean, fast, reliable machine again without the cost of buying a new one.
