Open Settings, then System, then Recovery, and choose Reset this PC with Remove everything. Press F9 at startup on models that include the ASUS Recovery partition. Back up first, especially before handing down a laptop.
Maybe the laptop crawls, maybe a virus got in, or maybe it is going to a younger sibling at varsity. Whatever the reason, you can reset an ASUS laptop to factory settings in about an hour with no tools and no disc. There are two routes: the reset built into Windows, and the F9 recovery key that ASUS builds into many models. This guide takes you through both, in the order you should try them.
Open Settings, then System, then Recovery, and choose Reset this PC, then Remove everything. If Windows will not start, switch the laptop off, press the power button and tap F9 repeatedly at the ASUS logo on models that include the ASUS recovery partition. Back up first, because both routes erase your files. If the machine is too tired to be worth resetting, an ASUS Vivobook Go 15 8GB/256GB Core i3 is R8,499.
A reset with Remove everything deletes every file on the C: drive, and there is no undo. Spend ten minutes here and you will not lose anything you care about.
Photos you have not yet copied are the usual casualty. OneDrive is free for the first 5GB, but uploading a few gigabytes over mobile data in South Africa gets expensive quickly, so use a drive if you are not on fibre.
If device encryption is switched on, find your BitLocker recovery key on the recovery key page of your Microsoft account, since you may be asked for it in the startup menus.
This is the route to use when the laptop still starts, even slowly. Plug in the charger first, because a reset can run for an hour or more and a flat battery halfway through can leave the system corrupted.
The laptop restarts several times. Expect 20 to 60 minutes with Local reinstall on an SSD, and longer on an older hard drive.
If it crashes before you can reach Settings, hold Shift while clicking Restart on the sign-in screen, then choose Troubleshoot, then Reset this PC.
Many ASUS laptops ship with a hidden recovery partition, and F9 is the shortcut into it. Use it when Windows refuses to boot, when the Settings route fails, or when you cannot sign in.
Models without an ASUS recovery partition may not respond to F9, and a replaced or repartitioned drive will not have one at all. If nothing happens after several attempts, use the Windows route above. A successful F9 recovery leaves the laptop at the Windows welcome setup, as it was on day one.
The MyASUS app, under Customer Support, also has diagnostics for checking battery and storage health before and after you wipe.
Remove everything does not always mean unrecoverable. On the Additional settings screen, turn on Clean data when the laptop is leaving your hands. This overwrites the drive instead of just deleting file entries, so a buyer in Johannesburg or a cousin in Stellenbosch cannot recover your old photos and statements with free software. It adds up to several hours on a large hard drive and is quicker on an SSD.
Before you hand it over:
If you are buying a laptop for the person who is receiving it, ASUS laptops on special and the wider laptop specials are worth a look. The ASUS Vivobook 15 16GB/512GB Ryzen 5 is R11,399.
Almost always, yes, because Remove everything reinstalls Windows and deletes every program and file. Scan anything you copy back from your backup before you open it, since a virus can sit in a document or an old installer.
No. Windows is reinstalled, and the digital licence stays linked to the laptop. You will not need to type a product key afterwards.
Keep my files removes apps and settings but leaves your personal folders alone. Remove everything wipes the whole drive. Choose the second option for a sale or a hand-down.
Between 20 and 60 minutes with Local reinstall on an SSD, and an hour or more with Cloud download on a slow connection. An F9 recovery takes around 30 to 60 minutes.
If it still freezes, overheats or fails to charge on a clean Windows, the cause is probably hardware rather than software. Run the battery and storage checks in the MyASUS app, and note any error codes before you decide what to do next.
No. Leave the hardware alone. A reset only touches the software on the drive.
Ready for a fresh start on a new laptop? If a reset will not save an old machine, browse the ASUS range in our laptops category and find a Vivobook that fits your budget.
Almost always, yes, because Remove everything reinstalls Windows and deletes every program and file. Scan anything you copy back from your backup before you open it, since a virus can sit in a document or an old installer.
No. Windows is reinstalled, and the digital licence stays linked to the laptop. You will not need to type a product key afterwards.
Keep my files removes apps and settings but leaves your personal folders alone. Remove everything wipes the whole drive. Choose the second option for a sale or a hand-down.
Between 20 and 60 minutes with Local reinstall on an SSD, and an hour or more with Cloud download on a slow connection. An F9 recovery takes around 30 to 60 minutes.
If it still freezes, overheats or fails to charge on a clean Windows, the cause is probably hardware rather than software. Run the battery and storage checks in the MyASUS app, and note any error codes before you decide what to do next.
No. Leave the hardware alone. A reset only touches the software on the drive.
No: MSI lists one PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 slot for the B2RWEKG, so more storage means replacing the drive. A 512GB drive fills fast with games, and our SSD shelf (R1,199 to R15,499) only helps if you pick an NVMe M.2 model.
Read more
Yes: a USB 2.0 port tops out at 480 Mbps, so a gigabit adapter cannot reach 1 Gbps there. Heading to a Johannesburg bring-your-own-computer LAN, use a USB 3 port or a PCIe card like Evetech's Cudy 10Gbps at R1,090.
Read more
Yes, use outdoor-rated cable even in conduit, because conduit under the eaves can still collect moisture. Highveld sun and summer storms test any jacket, and a ready-made CAT-6 5m lead at R79 suits indoor patching, not an exposed run.
Read more
No, not comfortably: the MSI PRO B650M-P has one x16 slot plus two x1 slots, and the Elgato 4K Pro needs PCIe 2.0 x4. Evetech sells the board at R2,499, and a graphics card fills the x16 slot.
Read more
Two: one PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 2280 slot and one PCIe 4.0 x1 slot, so the second drive runs on a quarter of the lanes. Put a fast Gen4 NVMe, such as the WD Blue SN5100 500GB at R1,999, in the x4 slot first.
Read more
Most cases are driver or setup faults: Fast visual styles need DirectX 12 feature level 12_0. Fix the driver or remote session first; if the card is the cause, Evetech's Nvidia shelf starts at R1,099 and includes RTX models.
Read more
Expedition 33 at R40,000 needs a balanced SA build plan, not a fixed FPS promise. Use the budget as a planning cap, then compare CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, cooling, case fit, and upgrade room before buying.
Best place to buy a gaming PC in Durban North should be shortlisted around the job it must do. South African buyers should compare fit, performance, compatibility, and upgrade room, warranty path, and upgrade room before treating any pick as best.
Expedition 33 low FPS on RTX 5060 settings and driver checks start with frame caps, scaling, and drivers. SA gamers can compare CPU limits, overlays, and heat before cutting image quality or changing hardware.
How much depreciation on gaming hardware in SA should be shortlisted around the job it must do. South African buyers should compare fit, performance, compatibility, and upgrade room, warranty path, and upgrade room before treating any pick as best.
Check when Chrome saves power, compare a repeatable task on battery and separate browser changes from battery health and Windows settings.
Find Chrome's caption control, check language and audio and bring back the floating bubble when captions disappear during playback.
Open the simplified Chrome reader, adjust type and spacing and check whether the page supports the view before changing your display setup.
Find an open Chrome tab by title with a keyboard shortcut or the address bar, and keep important links in bookmarks for later.
Yes, Football Manager 27's published minimum names Intel HD 530, so integrated graphics can be enough. Steam lists 6GB RAM minimum and 12GB recommended, which puts Evetech's HP 15-fc0115ni at R10,799 in range.
No firm answer yet: Shrek 2 Remastered reaches PC on 10 November 2026 and its published requirements are not settled. Set a Rand ceiling first, since Evetech's Nvidia shelf runs from R1,099 to R33,999.
Free up to 212 GB on your PS5, because Rockstar says the install size depends on the device. That is a heavy pull on capped South African LTE, and Evetech lists a 500GB WD Blue SN5100 NVMe M.2 2280 drive at R1,999 to check against Sony's fit rules.
Yes, but wired only: Steam lists full DualSense support for Sonic Pico Park as USB only. For a braai-weekend couch session, a spare MARVO GT-90 Gamepad is R269 at Evetech and the GameSir Nova Lite is R349.
