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How To Reset HP Laptop

HP is one of the most well known computer manufacturers. They make very high quality and reliable laptops. From time to time, they need to be reset, so here’s how to do it.

Generally, you go to the start menu on Windows, and then click the arrow next to the ‘Shutdown’ option at the bottom right hand side. It brings up 6 different options, select ‘restart’. Alternatively press and hold the power button until it turns off. Then press the power button to turn it back on.

Using black laptop while on the desk

Various components on an HP laptop can need to be reset individually, such as the keyboard, or internet connection. Below, I will explain how to reset the most common parts of an HP laptop, as well as how to do a factory reset.

How To Reset HP Laptop

An HP laptop like other electronic devices can have a glitch. This can completely freeze an HP laptop, or certain functionality wont work. In order to fix these issues, a reset is a very good place to start so here’s how to reset your HP laptop.

In general, select restart from the Windows start menu. It can be accessed by clicking the lower left hand side of the screen. Or, by pressing the Windows key on the keyboard. Then press the arrow next to the ‘Shutdown’ option on the lower right hand side of the start menu and select ‘Restart’.

On top of doing a regular reset, the BIOS can also be reset, and it can be reset to factory settings. These are more specific fixes. Below, I will cover all of these and how to do resets on an HP laptop for the most common issues.

How To Reset HP Laptop to Factory Settings

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After using an HP laptop for some time it can tend to get slower and slower. After a certain amount of time, you can need to completely reset your HP laptop back to factory settings. To do that, here’s the steps to take.

Overall, enter the Settings on your computer by opening the Start menu and then typing in ‘Settings’. The Settings app will show up, click on it. Then in the search bar type in ‘reset’, and choose ‘Reset this PC’. After that select ‘Get started’. It will walk you through the factory reset.

It’s important to note that there are a few different ways to factory reset an HP laptop. These can be required if you get what’s called a ‘boot loop’ error. This is where your HP laptop won’t enter Windows, and you can’t use your laptop from Windows.

Instead it restarts over and over again.

How To Reset HP Laptop Administrator Password

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The Administrator password is required to make important changes to an HP laptop. It’s typically set when the manufacturer sets up Windows on your laptop, or it may have been changed later on. To reset it, here’s what you should do.

As a general rule, once you’re logged into Windows, hold down the windows key on the keyboard, and the ‘i’ button. This will open up the settings menu. Then type in ‘password’ in the search box on the top left. ‘Change password’ option will show up. Click on that, and then do the following.

Some additional options will show up which are the ‘sign-in options’. This includes:

  • Windows Hello Face
  • Windows Hello Fingerprint
  • Windows Hello PIN
  • Security Key
  • Password

Choose the password option. It will then have options there to create a new password, or to change your existing password. If you want to change the existing password you need to first put in the old password.

If you can’t remember what this is there is no way to change it. You will need to do a factory reset of Windows. There is also the option to put a password hint, to help you remember your new password.

How To Reset HP Laptop Password

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A password is required to log in to Windows on an HP laptop. It’s possible you forgot what your password is, or want to change it to something else. So, this is what to do to reset your HP laptop password.

In general, this is done by changing it on the user account in the Settings app. First open up the Settings app by opening the start menu. From the start menu type ‘Settings’. Then click on Settings. After that click on Accounts > Your info > Then follow the steps below.

Select, ‘Manage my Microsoft Account’, and then ‘More options’. A drop-down menu will appear. One of the options is ‘Edit profile’.

From there select “Change your password.’ Input the new password you want for that user account. It’s possible to have multiple user accounts on Windows.

For example, one for yourself and one for other members in your family. To change the password for each account, do the same thing but select each of the different accounts.

How To Reset HP Laptop Battery

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An HP laptop battery can not hold its charge very well. It can also only work when it’s plugged into the power. Therefore, a good option is to reset the laptop battery, here’s how to do that.

As a general rule, first disconnect the power cord to your HP laptop. Then take the battery out, and set it aside. After that, press and hold the power button on your laptop for at least 30 seconds. Then put the battery back in and turn it on again, with or without the power cable.

If this doesn’t work to fix your battery, the connectors may be a bit dusty or have corrosion on them. This can stop your HP laptop battery from connecting properly, and being able to charge.

A laptop battery can also be replaced completely. These can be purchased from HP themselves brand new.

How To Reset HP Laptop BIOS

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The BIOS is the operating system behind Windows. It directly communicates with the components in your computer. It can be necessary to reset your HP laptop BIOS completely, these are the steps to take to do it.

In general, enter the BIOS by repeatedly pressing the F10 key. After that, select the option that says ‘Load Setup Defaults’ at the very bottom of the screen. It will say what button it is to select but it’s typically the F9 key. After that, press the button that corresponds to ‘Save and Exit.’

Each HP laptop is a little bit different. The keys it says to use to select can vary. But, the steps to do it are the same, which are to select Load Setup Defaults.

After doing so it will ask you to confirm it, either yes or no. Then select ‘Save and Exit’. This will exit the BIOS and boot your computer.

How To Reset HP Laptop BIOS Password

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There can be a password set to enter the BIOS or to make changes to the BIOS. Typically, this isn’t set by default and someone has added it after you bought your computer and started using it. You can want to change it to something else, or reset it completely, here’s how to do that.

Enter the BIOS and then select Security > Set User Password and/or Set Supervisor Password. First set the supervisor password. Select it by pressing enter. It will then prompt you to enter the new password twice. Then set the user password in the same way.

It’s not possible to remove the HP laptop BIOS password completely if you’ve forgotten what it is. HP has stated on their official website that they need to send out a new component, at an additional cost. And to contact them using the instructions on this page.

There are a few methods floating around the internet such as removing a battery on the motherboard. However, doing so will void the warranty on your laptop. It also requires a few special tools to do it.

How To Reset HP Laptop Camera

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The individual components on your HP laptop can have an error, and will suddenly stop working. A very good method to fix components such as the camera is to reset them. It’s very simple and quick to do, here’s instructions for how to do it.

Overall, open up the ‘Device Manager’, and disable the camera by right clicking it in the list of devices, then enable it to reset it. To access the Device Manager, open the start menu by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard. Then type ‘Device Manager’, and select it when it comes up.

When you do that the Device Manager window will open. It will show a list of all the devices on your computer. And a list of all of the components such as the motherboard, and graphics card.

Look through this list for your camera. It will say ‘camera’ with the model number. And have a webcam icon.

Right click on it with your mouse and some options will come up such as ‘update the driver’, and ‘disable’. Select ‘disable’, and then right click on it and select ‘enable’.

How To Reset HP Laptop CMOS

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The CMOS is a part of a computer that never turns off. It’s responsible for keeping very important info that your computer needs to start up and has a battery to keep it always on. For certain issues with your computer it can need to get reset, so here’s how to reset the CMOS on your HP laptop.

In general, HP says to remove the CMOS battery to reset the CMOS. This is done by removing the cover on your HP laptop, locating the CMOS battery, unclipping it, waiting for 30 seconds, and clipping it back in.

Here’s a video from HP where they show to reset the CMOS on an HP laptop:

How To Reset HP Laptop Clock

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There are two places on an HP laptop that store the time. The first is on the Windows operating system, the other is in the BIOS. But, how do you reset the clock on an HP laptop?

Overall, it can be changed in the Windows settings, or in the BIOS. To change the time on Windows click the time and date at the bottom right hand side of the screen. Then click on ‘Date and Time Settings’, and adjust it there. To reset the clock in the BIOS, follow the instructions below.

To enter the BIOS restart your computer, and as it’s powering up repeatedly press the F10 key. This will enter the BIOS. Once in the BIOS there are a few menus at the top of the screen.

The first one it starts on ‘Main’ has the option to change the date and time for the BIOS. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to hover over it.

Then press ‘Enter’ to edit it. Put in the correct date and time that you want.

How To Reset HP Laptop Charger

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There can be an issue with your HP laptop where it doesn’t charge, or it isn’t holding a charge. Therefore, a good option is to reset your laptop charger. So, here’s what you need to do to reset your HP laptop charger.

In general, unplug the laptop charger at both ends. Then disconnect the adapter in the middle of the cord. This is the black rectangular box. Not all power cables can be disconnected in the middle into two parts. Leave it for 30 seconds. Then plug it back together, and/or plug back in.

If your HP laptop is still not charging after that then your charger can be faulty. But, the battery can also be faulty. A good way to check is to remove the battery, and plug the charger in.

After that power on your HP laptop, if it powers up then the battery is faulty. And you should get a replacement.

How To Reset HP Laptop Not Enough Space

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When your HP laptop doesn’t have enough hard drive space it will begin to run more slowly. You can also get a pop up that tells you to free up space so many times that you might be ready to just factory reset your whole computer.

Overall, open the start menu by pressing the windows key, or clicking the start menu at the very bottom of the screen. Then type using your keyboard ‘settings’. The Settings app will show in the start menu, click on it, then select Updates and Security > Recovery > Get Started > Reset this PC.

After that it will ask you if you want to delete everything, or keep the existing files. Choose which one you want to do. Generally, you should free up some space by doing a disk cleanup, and deleting any programs and files you no longer use.

A good first step is to use ‘Add/Remove Programs’. In the app you can sort programs by ‘last used’. Delete any programs that haven’t been used in over a month.

The downloads folder on your computer typically has a lot of files that you never use. There is also a disk cleanup tool in Windows that will clear a lot of space by deleting temporary files.

To access it open the start menu and type in ‘disk cleanup’. Then choose disk cleanup which appears in the start menu.

How To Reset HP Laptop Keyboard

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The laptop keyboard on an HP laptop is built in. Therefore, you can’t unplug it and plug it back in to reset it. When it’s not working, or not working properly a good idea is to reset it, so this is how to do it.

In general, you should uninstall it from the Device Manager, then restart your computer. As it’s restarting Windows will reinstall your keyboard again. To do that type ‘device manager’ in the start menu. Then click it to open it. Locate the keyboard, right click on it and select ‘uninstall’.

This works for keyboards that are built into your laptop, as well as, external keyboard that you plug or connect to your laptop. After that restart your laptop by holding down the power button, or by selecting restart from the start menu. From the start menu select the arrow next to the ‘Shutdown’ option in Windows.

One of the options that comes up is restart. Click on that to restart.

As you computer restart Windows will detect that the keyboard is not installed, and it will automatically install the software. This will be a clean install and doing so resets your keyboard.

How To Reset HP Laptop Mouse

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A mouse plugs into one of the USB ports on your computer. Often a mouse can just stop working and needs to be restarted. But, how do you do that exactly?

As a general rule, go to the device manager and uninstall it. Then restart your HP laptop. As it’s restarting it will reinstall your mouse. Do this by pressing the Windows key, or click the Windows icon at the bottom left of the screen. Then do the following steps.

Type in ‘device manager’, and the device manager tool will show on the start menu. Click it to open it. There will be a long list of all the devices on your laptop.

Locate the mouse. It will say ‘Mouse’ and have a mouse icon. Right click it with your mouse and some additional options will come up. Select ‘uninstall’.

After that restart your HP laptop. Once it has restarted it will reinstall your mouse, and it should be working perfectly. If it’s not there, unplug your mouse, and plug it back in.

Windows will auto detect it, and begin installing the drivers. If it doesn’t try plugging it into a different USB port.

How To Reset HP Laptop Hard Drive

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The harddrive on an HP laptop is responsible for storing all of the files and programs permanently. A harddrive can malfunction, or you may want to wipe the hard drive. This makes it necessary to reset it, so here’s instructions for how to reset your HP laptop hard drive.

Overall, an HP hard drive will reset when you do a standard reset through Windows. However, an HP laptop hard drive can be formatted. Doing so deletes everything that’s on it. To format an HP laptop follow the steps below.

Open the start menu by pressing the windows button on your keyboard. Or, by clicking the windows icon in the bottom left hand side of the screen. Then type in ‘disk management’.

This will bring up an option in the start menu that says ‘create and format hard disk partitions.’ There are two cases with the way your harddrives are set up. In one case you can right click on the harddrive such as the C drive and then select ‘format’.

In other cases the ‘format’ option will be grayed out. If the ‘format’ option is grayed out then use the freeware program Partition Wizard.

How To Reset HP Laptop Motherboard

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If you’ve identified that your HP laptop motherboard is having issues, then doing a restart on it is a very good idea. Below are step by step instructions for how to reset your HP laptop motherboard.

In general, go to the start menu, then type settings, open settings, then click on ‘update & security’. Then select ‘recovery’ from the left sidebar. Under the ‘advanced setup’ heading there will be an option to restart now. Click on that and then do the steps below.

After your computer restarts it will load a blue screen and give you advanced troubleshooting options. Click on ‘ troubleshoot’ and then click on ‘advanced options’.

Finally, select UEFI firmware settings, and then click restart. This will reset your motherboard.

How To Reset HP Laptop WiFi/Network Adapter/Settings

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From time to time the internet can stop working all together. Doing a reset of the WiFi and network adapters is a way to fix it. Here’s instructions for how to do that.

As a general rule, click on the WiFi icon in the bottom left, and toggle it off and then on again. Next, go to the device manager by typing device manager in the start menu. In the list of devices click on ‘network adapters’, then right click on each of these and disable and then enable them again.

An additional step if it’s still not working is to forget the Wi-Fi network and then add it again. To do that go to the start menu and type in settings, and select click on settings. After that click on Wi-Fi, choose the Wi-Fi network you use.

And then click forget. Then click on the Wi-Fi network at the bottom right of the screen. Following that, select the WiFi network you connect to and input the password to connect to it.

How To Reset HP Laptop Screen/Display Settings

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The default display settings for Windows are very simple to use. You can change a few settings here and there but want to revert everything back to normal. This is how to do that.

In general, open the start menu and click type in ‘settings’. Then click on settings when it comes up. A new window will open with some different options. Click on system, and then click on ‘advanced display settings’. Then do the steps below.

Select ‘advanced sizing of text and items’ but clicking on it. And adjust these settings back to normal. After that change the theme back to the default theme.

Do that by going to the settings again, as you did above. Then click on ‘Personalization’. After that, it will show the theme.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on May 27, 2022.

Choose the default theme which is ‘Windows’. The folders also have a default view.

How To Reset HP Laptop Touchpad

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The touchpad can be disable or enabled. The setting to change it, and the revert it back to the default is very difficult to find. Here’s exactly how to reset the touchpad on your HP laptop.

In general, go to the settings menu by holding the windows key, and the ‘i’ button on your laptop at the same time. Then select the option that says ‘devices’. Then select ‘Touchpad’ on the right, and then select ‘additional options’ on the right hand side. After that, do the following.

A new window will open with the options for the touchpad and for the trackpoint, if you have one. As you may know the trackpoint is the round button type thing in the middle of your keyboard that can also be used as a mouse. When the touchpad is enabled you can select ‘settings’.

Click on that, and then on the bottom left is an option that says ‘Defaults’. When you click that it reverts all the settings for your HP laptop touchpad back to the default.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on May 27, 2022.

How To Reset HP Laptop Sound

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The sound is very important for a lot of different things on an HP laptop. There are various bugs that can cause the sound on your HP laptop to not work at all. This is how to reset the sound on an HP laptop.

As a general rule, first restart your HP laptop. If you’re still having an issue then go to the Device Manager and disable and then enable the sound component and devices. To do that open the start menu and type in Device Manager, then click on the Device Manager when it shows up.

A list of all the components on your computer will open in a new window. Right click on ‘Audio input and outputs’ and then select disable. Then right click on it again and select enable.

How To Reset HP Laptop Function Keys

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At the top of virtually all keyboards are function keys such as F1, and F2, all the way up to F12. These can be set incorrectly, and it’s necessary to reset them back to the default. Here’s step by step how to do that.

Go to the control panel by opening the start menu and typing in ‘control panel’. The control panel will show in the start menu. Click on it, and then click on ‘language’. Choose the language you’re using.

How To Reset HP Laptop Fingerprint

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The fingerprint reader on your HP laptop makes it impossible for anyone to sign into your computer, and replaces a password. But, if you’re giving away your laptop, selling it, or want to stop using your fingerprint reader then you need to reset it. So, here’s how to do that.

Overall, first open the settings, then go to sign in options. After that click on ‘Windows Hello Fingerprint’, and select modify/change. From this option you can delete it. To access the settings press open the start menu and type settings. Then do the following steps.

The ‘Settings’ app will show a few different options. At the top is a search bar, in the search bar type in ‘sign in options’. This will bring up a list of the different options.

Choose either ‘change sign in requirements’ or ‘sign-in options’. Either of these will bring you to the same menu.

It displays a bunch of different options. To change, delete, or reset the fingerprint select ‘Windows Hello Fingerprint’.

There is a restart option in the start menu. To access it press the start menu button on your keyboard or click the windows icon at the very bottom left of your screen, then click on the arrow next to ‘Shutdown’ on the right hand side. This will bring up options, select restart.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on May 27, 2022.

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