Windows 10 laptop

[lewashby]

My brother has a Windows 10 laptop. I use Linux so I'm a little out of the loop when it comes to Windows. He's having problems and wants me to wipe it out and re-install it. Will I need to load the OS onto a USB drive first? If so where and how do I get to that menu? Or is it more likely to work like a tablet where everything can web wiped out and re-installed from the interface with no additional hardware needed? Thanks.

[rproffitt]

Slow down. Windows 10 has a menu pick where you can factory reset the machine and save yourself from driver hell.

I'd do that first.

[lewashby]

Thanks. Can you tell me how to find that menu?

[rproffitt]

Sure. Here's a google so you can pick which you like best.
https://www.google.com/search?q=windows+10+reset

[lewashby]

Thanks, resetting now.

[Reverend Jim]

If you are restoring to factory then I suggest that once restored you download two programs (both free)

EaseUS Partition Master

Macrium Reflect Free Home Edition

Install EaseUS and run it to shrink the system drive to something like 120 gig. Then creade a partition on the unused space and assign D: as the drive letter.

Relocate the folders

Documents
Music
Videos
Pictures
3D Objects
Downloads

To folders you create on D: named

My Documents
My Music
My Videos
My Pictures
My 3D Objects
Downloads

Apply all outstanding WIndows updates.

Then install Macrium Reflect and take a full image of C and save it in D:\Images

Once you have installed/configured your/his apps take another image. These two image files should be copied to an external drive. These will be used to reload a working and configured Windows system if the current system gets fubar.