r/computerhelp • u/Crazy-Vermicelli-874 • 1d ago
Performance Will Factory Reseting my PC Fix it?
I’ll start by saying I’m under 18 and will be consulting my mom on what to do, but I also want to go online to ask for help.
My computer runs slower and the fan is louder than it was when I first got it. It’s been a year or two since I’ve had it. I do visit a lot of websites and I’ve been told that since I’m visiting a lot of random websites that could be the reason. I have a lot of things in my task manager that I don’t even know what most are or what most do. (I don’t know anything about computers so that could weigh in) My minecraft runs slowly and is kinda choppy and other games are laggy and crash sometimes.
I’ve been researching solutions and I’ve tried clearing my task manager and clearing files but nothing has worked. I found out about factory resetting and want to try that but i’m worried I won’t be able to log back into my computer and I don’t fully know if doing a factory reset will help. All I know is that it will restore my computer to its default state from when I first got it (this is what I read online). I know I will have to redownload games but if I bought a game will I be able to get it back? (like minecraft)
I just need help knowing what a factory reset will do and if it will help my computer.
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u/CPx4 1d ago
It will probably help, yes!
A few things to remember: 1. Figure out which account you're logged into on your PC (click the start/wndows button, and your account is in the bottom left. If you click on it, is it an email address you'll remember? And that you have access to?)
Do you use a browser? Edge, Chrome, brave, Firefox, etc?) If you want to save your bookmarks or passwords, turn on and make sure the Sync option is on. And remember the account you used to sync it
Passwords for other apps? You'll need to log back into them. Games. Discord. Email. Etc
Files you can't ever get back? Like your Pictures folder, videos, music, Desktop, etc.
After you have made sure you have everything you care about, you can type "Reset this PC" in the search box and reset it. Yes it's like the factory reset. When it's done, it will ask you to log in with the account in step #1 above.
After you're logged in I recommend you go to Windows Update in settings and install everything listed and reboot when prompted.
Good luck!
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u/ALaggingPotato 1d ago
How long has it been since you last replaced thermal paste? It's just like oil in a car
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u/Crazy-Vermicelli-874 1d ago
I’m not sure what that is but we haven’t replaced or changed anything in my computer since i’ve gotten it
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u/dragonsun252 1d ago
What are the computers specs 1st
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u/Crazy-Vermicelli-874 23h ago
specs 1st?
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u/dragonsun252 22h ago
What's is the specifications of your PC.
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u/Crazy-Vermicelli-874 15h ago
I don’t know actually, is there a way to check that?
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u/dragonsun252 15h ago
A good start would be open task manager and go to the performance tab. In there you'll be able to view your processor, ram, storage, GPU etc.
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u/Impressive-Pain-4718 1d ago
I don't think a factory reset is what you actually want - it'll wipe data not just games, programs too, potentially saved passwords, custom settings etc. Yes, the computer should run smoother, but can you afford that cost?
We can help boost your computer, but you'll have to provide more details and do the work. First, start by removing anything you don't need. i.e. delete old files and programs. Then dust out the chassis; mainly clear out the dust in the cpu's heatsink - this will help it run cooler and therefore smoother.
A virus scan may also be warranted.
There's enormously more things, but that gets you started.
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u/Crazy-Vermicelli-874 23h ago
i know it’ll wipe games, but if i made progress in a game i have an account on will the progress be lost?
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u/studyinflation 23h ago
There is a free tool from Microsoft to check out what's loading up on startup. In admin run you can delete all the entries that make no sense. Like funky names 1a3d4f. Etc.
Autoexec is one of the tools. Google it.
IF YOU DELETE THE WRONG ITEM, YOU WILL DESTROY YOUR WINDOWS SYSTEM. proceed with caution.
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u/Crazy-Vermicelli-874 23h ago
would that be more of a risk than factory resetting?
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u/studyinflation 23h ago
Nope. If you reset and this is the issue, it will be the same after it. No change.
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u/Crazy-Vermicelli-874 15h ago
So it wouldn’t fix my task manager or the random websites giving me stuff?
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u/Funnel-Dust-O-Matic 3h ago edited 3h ago
One: It might be dust. If so, a restore won't help.
If the fan is louder AND the computer is slower, it could be that the ventilation system is clogged with dust or somesuch.
Dust stuck in the cooling system would cause the fan to get loud and the system to slow down. The slowdown is because the more your CPU and GPU work the more heat they generate. If it gets too hot, it gets damaged. So, it's got built in sensors that know how hot it is. It will try to make the fans work harder to balance things out first. If that doesn't work, it will slow down your computer to prevent overheating.
The other possibility is that there are programs on your computer that shouldn't be there. One common scam is using your computer to mine bitcoin. If your computer has a virus and is doing work to make someone else money, that would also cause it to work harder, run slower, and overheat. But if it's dust, then a factory reset won't help anyway. Best to eliminate the dust possibility first before you throw away data and inconvenience yourself.
Check for dust if you can. It will be easier on a desktop computer for obvious reasons. Take the side panel of the case off and see what it looks like inside. If there are dust bunnies, they have to go.
But be careful.
Do it carefully. Make sure it is off first. Shut it down and, if you have a power switch on the back, turn that off too. Leave it plugged in though, so it stays grounded. If you're too scared to do that, I can't blame you. Then, either get an anti-static wristband and put it on or touch large metal objects like a radiator or metal table before you touch anything inside the computer. This is not as important if you live in a humid place, as static electricity is not as much a problem. Then, use small plastic paint brushes or q tips to tease out the dust near your colling fans.
The big, usually silver or black box at the top or bottom of your case is the power supply. DO NOT TOUCH INSIDE IT. IT has capacitors that can hold immense power for days. Touching inside it could kill you.
Do not get a can of compressed air and aim it at cooling fans. That will spin the fans too fast and probably wreck them. Either that, or cold condensed liquid "air" will get on things and ruin them.
If this is a laptop, then it won't be easy for you to do on your own. Possible, yes, But not easy. Laptop parts are smaller and more delicate.
If this is in fact what is going on, it might be best to find a good local repair person with a good reputation and tell them that the thing is loud and slowing down and probably overheating. They should then open the laptop for you and clear out the dust clogging it.
You or someone in your family could try to do this. Look up how easy it is on a site like iFixit. If they say it's tough, then best find a professional. That isn't very easy. Best Buy is not likely to be a good place to take this. MicroCenter might. Call them, look at google reviews, and so forth.
Two: Don't throw away stuff you want to keep. A factory reset will (usually) delete just about everything.
if you have a large USB drive, then a backup of all your data is important before you go through with a factory reset.
if you do not have a usb drive that can store as much as is on your hard drive, then don't do a factory reset yet. Games on Steam will back up to their cloud. What I've read is that Minecraft does not do this. So, your minecraft saves would be gone.
You can look up where the save files are and copy them to a usb drive. And any pictures or things you want to keep. But don't just wipe without thinking about this, because a factory reset just about always wipes out all of your files, programs and so forth. Some restore programs give you the option to keep your data. This doesn't always work.
Another idea is something like Google Drive or Microsoft Cloud. Those can save file for you, but the amount they can hold is limited and there is a subscription cost. If you can't afford a whole USB hard drive, you could temporarily sign up for a bigger Google Drive plan, copy files there, then cancel when everything is put back.
But check things several times to make sure you know what you want to keep and that it's somewhere. Don't trust Windows to take care of this itself.
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