Note: Reinstall device drivers will change the current configuration of your computer. Reinstall device drivers
only when it is necessary to correct a problem with your computer.
Solving recovery problems
Note: Ensure that your rescue device is set as the first boot device in the startup device sequence in
the Setup Utility program. See "Selecting a startup device" on page 36 for detailed information about
temporarily or permanently changing the startup device sequence. For more information about the Setup
Utility program, see "Using the Setup Utility program" on page 33.
If you cannot access the Rescue and Recovery workspace or the Windows environment, do one of the
following:
• Use a rescue medium to start the Rescue and Recovery workspace. See "Creating and using a rescue
medium" on page 62.
• Use recovery media if all other methods of recovery have failed and you must restore the hard disk drive
to the factory-default settings. See "Creating and using recovery media" on page 59.
It is important to create a rescue medium and a set of recovery media as early as possible and store them
in a safe place for future use.
Recovery information for the Windows 8.1 operating system
This section contains the following topics:
•
"Refreshing your computer" on page 64
• "Resetting your computer to the factory-default settings" on page 64
•
"Using the advanced startup options" on page 65
• "Recovering your operating system if Windows 8.1 fails to start" on page 65
Refreshing your computer
If your computer does not perform well and the problem might be caused by a recently installed program,
you can refresh your computer.
Attention: If you refresh your computer, the programs preinstalled on your computer and the programs that
you installed from Windows Store will be reinstalled. However, all other programs will be uninstalled.
To refresh your computer, do the following:
1. Move the pointer to the top-right or bottom-right corner of the screen to display the charms. Click
Settings ➙ Change PC settings ➙ Update and recovery ➙ Recovery.
2. In the Refresh your PC without affecting your files section, click Get started.
Resetting your computer to the factory-default settings
You can reset your computer to the factory-default settings. Resetting the computer will reinstall the
operating system and all the programs that come with your computer.
Attention: If you reset your computer, all your personal files and settings will be deleted. To avoid data loss,
make a backup copy of all the data that you want to keep.
To reset your computer, do the following:
1. Move the pointer to the top-right or bottom-right corner of the screen to display the charms. Click
Settings ➙ Change PC settings ➙ Update and recovery ➙ Recovery.
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ThinkCentre M79 User Guide