Windows 8 Refresh

Performing a Refresh

This will show you how to use a new feature in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 to refresh your PC to keep all personal data, Metro style apps, and important settings from the PC, and reinstall Windows.

If a recovery image provided by your PC's manufacturer is present, Windows 8 will use that image when you refresh your PC. Otherwise, Windows 8 will use your installation media when you refresh your PC.

• If the PC was upgraded from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 and the PC has a Windows 8 recovery partition, refreshing the PC will restore Windows 8 again. To put it back to how it was, you’ll need to manually upgrade to Windows 8.1 after the refresh has finished.

General Information

Difference between Refresh and Factory Reset

1. In a Refresh, the PC boots into Windows RE (Recovery Environment).

2. Windows RE scans the hard drive for data, settings, and apps, and exports them (on the same drive).

3. Windows RE installs a fresh copy of Windows.

4. Windows RE imports the data, settings, and apps it has set aside into the newly installed copy of Windows.

5. The PC restarts into the newly installed copy of Windows with the imported data.

Refresh Requirements

• You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps.

• If UAC is set to "Always notify me", then you will not be able to use the refresh and reset Windows 8 features.

  • These features require UAC to be set to the default or lower level to work.

• If you have an OEM PC that came with Windows 8 preinstalled and updated to Windows 8.1, then when you refresh Windows, it will restore Windows 8. Afterwards, you will need to update to Windows 8.1 via the Store again.

Which Settings will be Preserved

• All user accounts.

• Files in all users' C:\Users\(user-name) folders. (ex: Desktop, My Documents, My Music, etc...)

• Wireless network connections

• Apps from the Windows Store will be kept.

• Mobile broadband connections

• BitLocker and BitLocker To Go settings

• Drive letter assignments

• Personalization settings such as lock screen background and desktop wallpaper

• Choices you made during Windows Welcome, such as computer name and user accounts, will not change.

• Network, Libraries, and Windows Update settings will not change.

• Customer Experience Improvement Program settings will not change.

• Windows Error Reporting settings will not change.

• Some drivers may or may not be removed.

Which Settings will NOT be Preserved

• If you create a custom recovery image, the refresh will also contain any installed desktop apps, and the Windows system files in their current state.

• File type associations

• Display settings

• User settings

• Windows Firewall settings

• App settings

• All installed 3rd party desktop programs (not Store apps). A list of removed apps will be saved on your desktop after the refresh is finished to let you know which programs were You PC settings will be changed back to their defaults.

• Installed Windows Updates will be removed.

• Some drivers may or may not be removed.

Refresh Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 at Boot

1. Boot to the System Recovery Options using the laptop's recovery key (for example, F9 on Acers), your Windows 8 installation DVD or USB thumb drive, or ISO file if in a virtual machine, and click/tap on the Refresh your PC option.

2. Click/tap on Next.

3. If prompted, select the Windows 8 or 8.1 that you want to refresh.

4. Click/tap on Refresh.

5. Windows 8 or 8.1 will now start to be refreshed.

6. When it's finished, you can now log back on to a refreshed Windows 8 or 8.1.

   • If any apps were removed during the refresh, you will find a Removed Apps.html file on the desktop detailing what it removed and at what time.

   • You will also now have a Windows.old folder that has been placed in the root directory of the Windows 8 or 8.1 drive that contains a copy of the previous Windows 8 or 8.1 installation before it was refreshed. This folder can be quite large in size, so the tutorial below will show you how to delete it if you like.

Refresh Windows 8/8.1 from within Windows 8/8.1

1. While signed in as an administrator in Windows 8 or 8.1, do step 2 or 3 below depending on which option you would prefer to use.

2. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on the Recovery icon, click/tap on the If you're experiencing problems with your PC, you can refresh it in PC settings link, and go to step 4 or 5 below. (see screenshot below)

3. Open PC settings, and do step 4 or 5 below for the Windows 8 you have installed.

4. If you have Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1

   1. On the left side in PC settings, click/tap on Update & Recovery.

   2. On the left side in Update & Recovery, click/tap on Recovery, click/tap on the Get started button under the Refresh your PC without affecting your files section on the right side, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

5. If you have Windows 8 or Windows RT

   1. Click/tap on General on the left side, click/tap on the Get started button under the Refresh your PC without affecting your files section on the right side, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

6. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.

7. If prompted to Insert media, insert or connect your Windows installation DVD or USB, or ISO file if in a virtual machine.

8. Click/tap on Next.

9. Click/tap on Refresh.

10. Windows 8 or 8.1 will now start to be refreshed.

11. When it's finished, you can now log back on to a refreshed Windows 8 or 8.1.

Creating A Custom Refresh Image

It's a good idea to be creating one of these any time that we finish setting up a new Windows 8 device or after we finish installing everything after a reinstalling Windows 8 on a device. 

This will help save a lot of time if you need to refresh the PC in the future.

You will be able to roll back to everything already in working condition, and the only thing left to do is to install any new updates and any programs that were installed since the refresh was made.

First Time Procedures

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

   • You can right-click the bottom left corner of your screen and select it from the context menu.

2. We will use the recimg.exe utility with the following command.

   • recimg /createimage C:\CustomRefreshImages\Image1

     • Make sure to note any tickets with the exact command you used to prevent any confusion in the future.

     • We are using the "CustomRefreshImages" folder on the C: drive because we can create multiple images and switch between them.

Multiple Image Procedures

1. To create another image, type the following:

   • recimg /createimage C:\CustomRefreshImages\Image2

2. When using the /createimage parameter, the image you create is automatically set as the default refresh image.

3. If you have multiple images you can choose the active image by using the /setcurrent parameter.

   • recimg /setcurrent C:\CustomRefreshImages\Image1

4. You can also use the /showcurrent parameter to show the active image.