{"id":190699,"date":"2026-03-17T06:08:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T06:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/?p=190699"},"modified":"2026-03-17T06:13:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T06:13:28","slug":"will-factory-reset-remove-virus-on-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/will-factory-reset-remove-virus-on-windows\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Factory Reset Remove Virus on Windows?"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><p>To perform a factory reset when your PC gets compromised by a virus or malware is often suggested as a potential fix. But is it enough to make your device safe again? Well&hellip; in majority of cases, it does, but not always. The purpose of this blog is to break it down for you&mdash;when a reset fixes the issue and when it ends up being a risky move.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-factory-reset?\">What is Factory Reset?<\/h2><p>A built-in recovery feature, Factory Reset reinstalls the OS &amp; drivers to a default state, restores system settings, and removes any third-party app that wasn&rsquo;t originally shipped with the machine.<\/p><p>While you can choose to keep your personal files, if the goal is to remove a virus or malware&mdash;perform a complete wipe. And of course&hellip; don&rsquo;t forget to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/always-backup-data\/\">back up your important files<\/a> before executing this nuclear option.<\/p><p>A built-in recovery feature, Factory Reset reinstalls the OS &amp; drivers to a default state, restores system settings, and removes any third-party app that wasn&rsquo;t originally shipped with the machine.<\/p><p>While you can choose to keep your personal files, if the goal is to remove a virus or malware&mdash;perform a complete wipe. And of course&hellip; don&rsquo;t forget to if the virus attacks only specific files, like office docs or media files before executing this nuclear option.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"will-factory-reset-remove-virus-on-my-computer?\">Will Factory Reset Remove Virus on My Computer?<\/h2><p>Barring some specific cases, performing a complete factory reset will remove the virus from your computer. For ex., if the virus attacks only specific files, like office docs or media files, a full reset will delete these compromised files and restore your system back to its default state.<\/p><p><strong>Factory Reset will remove virus if:<\/strong><\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The infection only affects user-level files<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Malware is limited to docs, installed apps, or media<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The recovery partition is intact and uncompromised<\/li>\n<\/ul><p>But the situation flips when a malware compromises system-level components. You see &ndash; upon performing a reset, the computer installs a clean copy of the OS contained in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/top-10-solutions-fix-inaccessible-partitions\/\">Windows recovery partition<\/a>. But if an advanced malware (firmware or rootkits) compromises the recovery partition itself &ndash; you can&rsquo;t rely on it to restore your system.<\/p><p><strong>Factory Reset will not remove virus if:<\/strong><\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Malware has infected the recovery partition<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Infection has spread to firmware-level<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>System-level components are compromised<\/li>\n<\/ul><p>To mitigate such threats, Windows introduced the Cloud Download feature starting with version 20H1. When you select this option, the system sources fresh installation files directly via Microsoft&rsquo;s servers instead of relying on local files.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-factory-reset-windows?\">How to Factory Reset Windows?<\/h2><p>You can use a fresh computer and download an antivirus scanner on a USB drive and run the scan on the infected computer. Doing so can even help resolve the infection without performing a complete reset. If that doesn&rsquo;t work, proceed with a backup by saving your essential files to an external drive or cloud storage. &nbsp;<\/p><p>But refrain from storing them blindly; instead, scan the backup using antivirus software on a separate computer. Skipping this step can lead to reinfection.<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open the <strong>Settings<\/strong> app.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to <strong>Update &amp; Security<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Recovery<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Reset this PC.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"792\" height=\"847\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Update-Security.png\" alt=\"Update &amp; Security\" class=\"wp-image-190701 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.9350809873445745;width:515px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Update-Security.png 792w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Update-Security-281x300.png 281w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Update-Security-768x821.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Reset PC.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select <strong>Remove everything<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Choose-an-Option.png\" alt=\"Select Remove everything\" class=\"wp-image-190702 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5014802815327897;width:654px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Choose-an-Option.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Choose-an-Option-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Choose-an-Option-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose <strong>Cloud download<\/strong> for a more secure reinstall.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Choose-Cloud-download.png\" alt=\"Choose Cloud download\" class=\"wp-image-190703 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5014802815327897;width:659px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Choose-Cloud-download.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Choose-Cloud-download-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Choose-Cloud-download-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Change settings.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Change-settings.png\" alt=\"Click Change settings\" class=\"wp-image-190704 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5014802815327897;width:665px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Change-settings.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Change-settings-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Change-settings-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Toggle on <strong>Clean data?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Clean-data.png\" alt=\"Toggle on Clean data\" class=\"wp-image-190705 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5014802815327897;width:664px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Clean-data.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Clean-data-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Clean-data-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Confirm and let the process complete.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-factory-reset-a-non-booting-windows-pc?\">How to Factory Reset a Non-Booting Windows PC?<\/h2><p>To Factory Reset a non-booting Windows PC, enter the <strong>Windows Recovery Environment<\/strong> (WinRE) and perform a reset.<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hold down the <strong>Shift<\/strong> key while selecting <strong>Power<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Restart <\/strong>to enter <strong>WinRE.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Troubleshoot <\/strong>&gt; <strong>Reset this PC.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/troubleshoot.jpg\" alt=\"Click Troubleshoot &gt; Reset this PC\" class=\"wp-image-190706 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.333342014114951;width:664px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/troubleshoot.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/troubleshoot-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/troubleshoot-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select <strong>Remove everything<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Remove-everything.jpg\" alt=\"Select Remove everything\" class=\"wp-image-190707 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.333342014114951;width:666px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Remove-everything.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Remove-everything-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Remove-everything-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select <strong>Cloud download.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You will be asked if you want to keep this PC set up. Click <strong>No.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select<strong> Fully clean the drive.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"670\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Fully-clean-the-drive.png\" alt=\"Select Fully clean the drive\" class=\"wp-image-190708 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Fully-clean-the-drive.png 670w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Fully-clean-the-drive-300x172.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Reset <\/strong>to confirm.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"541\" height=\"359\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Reset-to-confirm.png\" alt=\"Click Reset to confirm\" class=\"wp-image-190709 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5069858541893362;width:669px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Reset-to-confirm.png 541w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Reset-to-confirm-300x199.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 541px) 100vw, 541px\" \/><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-keep-your-pc-secure?\">How to Keep Your PC Secure?<\/h2><p>You don&rsquo;t need expensive software to keep your PC secure. Most virus infections can be prevented through smart habits and layered security best practices.<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Always keep your system updated. These often ship <strong>&ldquo;zero-day&rdquo;<\/strong> patches that fix security holes before hackers can exploit them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do not download third-party apps from untrusted sources. If possible, use only Microsoft Store to download apps and keep them updated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Windows Defender is one of the best antivirus engines in the world, keep it active.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use an Ad-Blocker to prevent viruses delivered via <strong>&ldquo;malvertising&rdquo;.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid using <strong>&ldquo;Cracked&rdquo;<\/strong> or pirated software as they may contain hidden Trojans.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"summing-up\">Summing Up<\/h2><p>Once your PC is fully cleaned, it&rsquo;s time to rebuild. Install a strong antivirus program first. Then scan your backup drive carefully before restoring any files &mdash; don&rsquo;t skip this step. Reinstall your important programs directly from their official websites. Avoid using old setup files that might still carry hidden&nbsp;&nbsp; threats. Always back up your data using the 3-2-1 rule and if the files still go missing, you can recover them quickly using a dedicated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/windows-data-recovery.php\">Windows data recovery software<\/a>&mdash;<strong>Stellar Data Recovery Standard<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To perform a factory reset when your PC gets compromised by a&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/will-factory-reset-remove-virus-on-windows\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Will Factory Reset Remove Virus on Windows?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":190700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[692],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-190699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-windows-data-recovery-standard","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Will Factory Reset Remove Virus on Windows?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Yes, factory reset can remove most viruses from a Windows PC by wiping apps, files, and system settings. Learn when reset works and how to to safely reset\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/will-factory-reset-remove-virus-on-windows\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Will Factory Reset Remove Virus on Windows?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Yes, factory reset can remove most viruses from a Windows PC by wiping apps, files, and system settings. 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