Factory resetting a Lenovo laptop wipes every file, app and setting and puts Windows back exactly as it shipped from the factory. I have reset more Lenovo machines than I can count — IdeaPads that had slowed to a crawl, ThinkPads being handed to a new employee, and a Yoga that nobody could remember the password for. The good news is that Lenovo gives you more than one route in, and at least one of them works even when you cannot log into Windows at all. This guide covers every method I actually use: the built-in Windows reset, the hardware Novo button, the login-screen recovery trick, the F11 recovery partition, and a bootable USB drive as the last resort. Everything below is written for both Windows 10 and Windows 11, and I have flagged the spots where the two differ. If you want the condensed version, the best methods to factory reset a Lenovo laptop covers the same ground in less detail. One warning before you start: a factory reset is not reversible. Back up anything you care about first, because once the wipe begins there is no undo button. Which Reset Method Should You Use? The right method depends entirely on one question: can you still sign into Windows? Here is how the five options compare. In my experience the Windows Settings route handles about eight out of ten resets. The Novo button is the one I reach for when someone has genuinely lost access to the machine. What a Factory Reset Actually Does to Your Lenovo A factory reset reinstalls Windows from scratch and deletes the user partition along the way. Your documents, browser profiles, saved Wi-Fi networks and installed programs all go. What it does not do is touch the hardware. A failing battery, a dying SSD or a cracked hinge will be exactly as broken afterwards as it was before. It also does not remove a BIOS or supervisor password. That is a firmware-level lock, and no amount of resetting Windows will clear it — that one needs Lenovo support and proof of ownership. Resets are genuinely effective against software rot, though. Malware, broken driver installs, corrupted Windows updates and years of accumulated startup clutter all disappear in one pass. Something worth knowing if your laptop is a few years old: Windows 10 has reached end of life , so if you are resetting an older Lenovo it is worth choosing the cloud download option to pull a current build rather than reinstalling a stale one. Expect the whole process to take 30 to 90 minutes. Cloud downloads take longer on slow connections, and mechanical hard drives are noticeably slower than SSDs. Method 1: Factory Reset a Lenovo Laptop From Windows Settings If you can sign in, this is the method to use. It is built into Windows, it needs no Lenovo software, and it works identically on IdeaPad, ThinkPad, Yoga, Legion and ThinkBook models. Step 1: Open Settings and Go to Recovery Click the Start menu and select the gear icon on the left-hand rail to open Settings — the shortcut Windows key + I does the same thing in one keystroke. In Windows 10 you want Update & Security > Recovery . In Windows 11 the same page moved to System > Recovery . You will land on a page with a Recovery heading and a short list of options in the left sidebar, exactly as shown below. Step 2: Start Reset This PC Under the Reset this PC section, click Get started (Windows 10) or Reset PC (Windows 11). Both open the same reset wizard. Windows explains what is about to happen in a short paragraph above the button. Ignore the Advanced startup section underneath for now — that is a different tool. If the button is greyed out or the page throws an error, the recovery image on the drive is probably damaged. Skip ahead to the bootable USB method further down. Step 3: Choose Keep My Files or Remove Everything Pick Remove everything for a true factory reset. This is the option that wipes personal files, apps and settings and returns the laptop to out-of-box condition. Keep my files is the gentler alternative — it strips out apps and settings but leaves your documents alone. I use it when a machine is misbehaving but the owner is keeping it. If you are selling or donating the laptop, Remove everything is the only correct choice. Anything less leaves recoverable traces of your data behind. Step 4: Choose Cloud Download or Local Reinstall Cloud download pulls a fresh copy of Windows from Microsoft; local reinstall rebuilds from files already on the drive. Cloud download needs roughly 4 GB of data and a stable connection, but it gives you a clean current build. I default to it whenever the Wi-Fi is decent. Local reinstall is faster and works offline, but if the on-disk recovery files are the reason your laptop is broken, it can simply reproduce the same problem. Windows then shows a summary screen. Confirm it, and the reset begins — the laptop will restart several times on its own. Keep the charger plugged in for the entire process. Losing power mid-reset is the one thing that can genuinely leave a laptop unbootable. Microsoft documents the finer points of each option on its recovery options for Windows page if you want the full breakdown. The same wizard is used across brands, so the generic Windows laptop reset guide applies here too. Method 2: Factory Reset a Lenovo Laptop With the Novo Button (No Password) The Novo button is Lenovo’s own hardware shortcut into recovery, and it is the single most useful thing on the chassis when you are locked out. Because it runs before Windows loads, it does not care whether you know the password . Almost every IdeaPad, Yoga and Legion made in the last decade has one. Step 5: Power Off and Locate the Novo Button Shut the laptop down completely — not sleep, not restart. Hold the power button for ten seconds if Windows will not respond. Now find the Novo button. It is a tiny recessed pinhole, usually on the left edge near the charging port, sometimes next to the power button, and on some ThinkPads on the underside. It is small enough to miss entirely, so look for a curved arrow icon printed next to it. You will need a straightened paperclip or SIM ejector tool to press it. Step 6: Open the Novo Button Menu and Pick System Recovery Press the Novo button for one to two seconds and release. The laptop powers on into the Novo Button Menu instead of Windows. You will see four or five entries: Normal Startup, BIOS Setup, Boot Menu, System Recovery and on newer models UEFI Diagnostics. Use the arrow keys to highlight System Recovery and press Enter. The mouse does not work on this screen, which catches people out constantly. If you only see BIOS Setup and Boot Menu with no System Recovery entry, the recovery partition has been removed — jump to the USB method. The BIOS access guide covers what the other entries on this menu actually do. Step 7: Select Troubleshoot System Recovery boots into the blue Windows Recovery Environment. You get three tiles: Continue, Use a device and Troubleshoot. Choose Troubleshoot — it is the bottom tile, labelled “Reset your PC or see advanced options.” Continue would just boot you back into the Windows you cannot get into, so ignore it. Mouse and touchpad usually work again from this screen onwards. Step 8: Reset This PC and Remove Everything Select Reset this PC, then Remove everything to run the full factory wipe. Windows may ask which drive to clean and whether to “just remove my files” or “fully clean the drive.” The full clean takes hours but overwrites the data properly — worth it if the laptop is leaving your hands. You may also be asked to pick an account and enter its password. If you genuinely cannot, back out and use the USB method instead, which never asks.

Confirm the final warning and the reset starts. From here it is hands-off until you reach the Windows setup screen. Alternative Reset Methods When the First Two Fail Not every Lenovo cooperates. These three fallbacks have got me out of trouble on machines where the Novo button was broken or the recovery partition had been deleted. Reset From the Login Screen With Shift + Restart If you can reach the login screen but not get past it, hold Shift while clicking Power > Restart. Keep Shift held until the blue recovery menu appears. From there the path is identical to Method 2: Troubleshoot, then Reset this PC, then Remove everything. This is my go-to when a laptop has no Novo button, and it works on any Windows machine — the same trick is the backbone of resetting a laptop without a password on other brands. Use F11 for the Lenovo Recovery Partition On older Lenovo models with OneKey Recovery, tapping F11 repeatedly as the laptop powers on opens Lenovo’s own recovery environment. Choose Recovery, then the factory reset option, confirm the data-loss warning and let it run. Timing matters — start tapping the moment you press power, before the Lenovo logo finishes drawing. If Windows loads instead, shut down and try again. This route restores Lenovo’s original factory image, bloatware included, rather than a clean Microsoft build. Reinstall From a Bootable USB Drive When the recovery partition is gone, a bootable USB is the only reliable option left. You will need a second working PC and an 8 GB or larger flash drive. Download the Windows Media Creation Tool on the working PC and use it to build installation media on the USB stick. Plug the drive into the Lenovo, restart, and tap F12 repeatedly to open the boot menu. Select the USB device from the list. Follow the installer, delete the existing Windows partitions when it offers custom install, and let it write a fresh copy. This wipes everything, including any password. Reinstall Lenovo’s drivers afterwards from Lenovo Support — a clean Windows install will not include the trackpad, function-key or power-management drivers Lenovo ships. What to Do Before and After the Reset Back up first, and be thorough about it. I copy Documents, Desktop, Pictures and Downloads to an external drive, then check for anything stashed in AppData that I would miss. Export browser bookmarks and confirm your password manager is actually syncing to the cloud. Locally stored vaults are the single most common thing people lose in a reset. Deauthorise licensed software before wiping — Adobe, Office and some music production tools tie activations to the machine and only allow a limited number. Note your Windows edition too. Home and Pro reactivate automatically from the digital licence tied to the motherboard, so you should not need a product key. After the reset, run Windows Update repeatedly until it comes back clean, then install Lenovo Vantage to pull the correct drivers and firmware for your exact model. Give it a full charge cycle as well. In my testing, battery reporting is often wildly inaccurate for the first day or two after a reinstall. If you are handing the laptop on, sign out of your Microsoft account and remove the device from account.microsoft.com so it stops appearing in your device list. Still Not Working? If the reset fails partway through with “There was a problem resetting your PC,” the recovery image is corrupt. The USB reinstall method bypasses it entirely. A laptop stuck in a boot loop after a failed reset usually needs the USB route too — hold power for ten seconds to force it off, then boot from the installer. If the Novo button does nothing at all, try holding it slightly longer, and make sure the laptop is genuinely off rather than in modern standby. Some ThinkPads use F11 or a BIOS menu entry instead of a Novo button. Being asked for a BitLocker recovery key is normal on business ThinkPads. Retrieve it from account.microsoft.com/devices or your work IT department — there is no way around it. Resetting a different brand? I have separate walkthroughs for HP laptops , Dell laptops without a password and ASUS laptops . And if you need to capture any of these recovery screens for someone else, here is how to take a screenshot on a Lenovo laptop . Frequently Asked Questions How long does it take to factory reset a Lenovo laptop? Most resets finish in 30 to 90 minutes. Local reinstall on an SSD is usually done in around 30 minutes, while a cloud download adds 10 to 30 minutes depending on your connection speed. Older machines with mechanical hard drives can take two hours or more. The “fully clean the drive” option is the slowest of all because it overwrites every sector, so only choose it if you are giving the laptop away. Can I factory reset a Lenovo laptop without the password? Yes. The Novo button and the Shift + Restart trick both run before Windows authentication, so neither requires your account password. If the reset wizard asks you to verify an account partway through and you cannot, a bootable USB reinstall bypasses the check entirely. The one lock none of these defeat is a BIOS or supervisor password, which needs Lenovo support and proof of purchase. Where is the Novo button on a Lenovo laptop? On most IdeaPad and Yoga models it is a pinhole on the left edge near the charging port, marked with a small curved arrow. Some models put it beside the power button, and a handful of ThinkPads place it on the underside. If your model has no Novo button at all, use Shift + Restart from the login screen or tap F11 during startup instead. Will a factory reset remove viruses from my Lenovo? Choosing Remove everything wipes the Windows partition and eliminates the overwhelming majority of malware, including ransomware and browser hijackers. Keep my files is far less reliable because infected documents can survive in your personal folders. Firmware-level infections can persist through any reset, but they are extremely rare on consumer laptops. Do I need a product key after resetting my Lenovo laptop? Almost never. Windows 10 and 11 licences on Lenovo machines are digital entitlements tied to the motherboard, so Windows reactivates automatically once you connect to the internet. If it does not, sign in with the Microsoft account that was linked to the device and use the activation troubleshooter. Only replacing the motherboard usually requires a support call. The short version of everything above: Back up your files, bookmarks and software licences before you start. If you can sign in, open Settings > Recovery and click Reset this PC . Choose Remove everything for a true factory reset. Pick Cloud download for a fresh Windows build, or Local reinstall to work offline. If you are locked out, power off and press the Novo button , then choose System Recovery . In the blue recovery menu, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Remove everything . No Novo button? Hold Shift while clicking Restart on the login screen. If the recovery partition is missing, reinstall from a bootable USB drive and reboot with F12. Afterwards, run Windows Update and install Lenovo Vantage to restore drivers. For a second walkthrough of the same process, see how to reset to factory settings on a Lenovo laptop . The love of tech is strong with Mkpoikana, he has worked for numerous large publications online, providing tech insights, news and reviews. He is a great member of our team and has several years experience of writing for tech companies.