How to Restore a Dell Latitude to Factory Settings

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Learn to restore a Dell Latitude laptop to its factory settings.

Computer viruses are a real pain to deal with. One way to combat computer viruses is to restore your computer to its factory settings. This means restoring the settings to the specific date that you bought and set up your Dell Lattitude. There are two ways to do this. You can use the System Restore function available with your Windows operating system; or, you can use the pre-installed system restore utility that comes with your Dell Lattitude laptop.

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Using Windows System Restore

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Step 1

Turn on your computer, and then click on the Windows "Start" icon in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen.

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Step 2

Click on "All Programs," and then select the "Accessories" dropdown menu.

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Step 3

Select "System Tools," and then click on "System Restore." Wait for the System Restore welcome screen to appear. Click on "Restore my computer to an earlier time." Click on the "Next" button to continue.

Step 4

Click on the back arrow next to the calendar until you have reached the date you purchased or set up your computer. Select that date, and then click on the "Next" button to continue. Your computer will automatically restart.

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Using Dell System Restore Utility

Step 1

Turn on your computer, and then press "F8" as your Dell Latitude is booting up to enter the "Advanced Bootup Options" screen.

Step 2

Press the down arrow, and then select "Repair Your Computer." Press the "Enter" key to continue.

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Step 3

Select "English" as the default language, and then click on the "Next" button to continue.

Step 4

Enter your administrative username and password, and then click "OK." Click on "Dell Factory Image Restore," and then click on the next button to continue.

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Step 5

Click on the box next to "Yes, reformat hard drive and restore system software to factory condition." Click "Next" to continue. Wait for the factory restoration process to complete, and then click on the "Finish" button to complete the system restore process.

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