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October 8th, 2022 18:00
How to Reset XPS 15 -- not reinstall Windows
XPS 15 9500
My 18 month old XPS 15 with Windows 10 Home is running perfectly with all Windows and Dell updates applied. I am going to give this XPS to my wife, and I want to reset it so that she can log on with her own Windows/MS account and then install her own applications. We don't want any of my information, applications or data to remain on the XPS. In other words, we can a fresh start for my wife. I do NOT want to reinstall Windows from the factory image because I have installed so many updates since the XPS was brand new.
Do I do Settings > Recovery > Reset? Will that remove my user info, my apps and data, thus allowing my wife to start with a "clean slate" and log on with her own Microsoft account?
Thanks very much for any advice. (I don't want to screw this up!)
John
filbert
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October 8th, 2022 20:00
You don’t need to reset the computer. As you say, you don’t want to lose all the Windows and Dell updates.
I can think of some ways to do this. Here is one:
Assuming that the Windows license came with the laptop, its activation is tied to the motherboard. So, it will remain. All you need to do is remove the association with your Microsoft Account, and then your wife can login with her Microsoft Account. .
First, if there are applications you no longer wish to leave on that computer, you could uninstall them now. Also, backup your user files and licence keys for any applications that you plan to uninstall and may want to reinstall elsewhere
You can login here and remove that device from your Microsoft Account:: https://account.microsoft.com/devices
Once you have disassociated your account with that laptop, your user files, settings, etc. will not be accessible. At that point, your wife can login with her Microsoft Account. Then, she should access the Store app and download an app. After some time, the laptop will become added to her Microsoft Account.
If she doesn’t want to use a Microsoft Account (some of us don’t, for privacy reasons), she can creat a Windows local account.
Tesla1856
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October 8th, 2022 22:00
1. Yes.
2. If you select those options during it, Yes. It re-installs Windows and then you have to do the "Windows First Time Setup" again.
If you weren't so specific about needing to remove every trace of your info, you could probably just setup a new User (with Admin rights like you had).
filbert
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October 9th, 2022 10:00
Yes, those apps will be available to her.
You may go through the OOBE for her account upon first login. That's normal for any new account. The computer will be hers, no worries.
Yes.
Yes, they will be available.
You don't need to disassociate her MS Account from the Inspiron. Her MS Account can remain active on both laptops, so various settings, Office preferences, Edge Favorites, etc. will be available to her on both laptops. That's one of the benefits of an MS Account.
filbert
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October 9th, 2022 14:00
It's not entirely surprising that you had issues with Zoom and other video call apps on Windows 11. While they should work, Windows 11 does still have some growing pains. And driver support is still an issue for some devices. I'm sure at some point it will all get sorted out, but at the moment Windows 10 is a better choice for many people.
I have not used Dell Migrate, so I can't give you a specific opinion. I know that many such migration apps may work most of the time, but sometimes cause unexpected issues.
Personally, I would not use any migration app. I prefer to perform clean installs of Windows and install apps myself, as that is predictable, reliable and less likely to bring over defunct and unnecessary baggage. I may be "old school" about Windows, though, so factor that into your reading of my opinion.
Also, I meant to mention this before:
I would create two accounts on the XPS for your wife. I would create an Administrator account and a standard user account. She (and in fact, almost everyone) should use a standard user account as their normal day-to-day account. Administrator should be reserved for installs, adjusting system-wide Windows settings, UAC elevation, etc.
It's much safer using a standard user account, so that any malware incursion doesn't gain Admin access. Even I, as a more-knowledgeable-than-average user, run in a standard user account, and use my Admin account just for tasks as I mentioned above.
filbert
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October 10th, 2022 06:00
I can't see how that's a Dell responsibility. That seems to me to be a Microsoft and Zoom issue.
Yes. Family is mainly for children's accounts on which you want to enable filters to block certain web sites, limit app use, etc. Your wife needs a standard user account.
It worked for me. Since I became a Tech Expert here, I disabled email notifications because I received too many. It worked before I disabled it. Check your spam/junk folder, and "Promotions" in Gmail. Perhaps the messages are being filtered to a folder like that.
johnblaustein
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October 9th, 2022 10:00
Hi filbert and Tesla1856,
Thank you both for your replies and suggestions.
I am not concerned about "security," and don't mind if some of my info remains on the XPS. I can easily uninstall apps that my wife won't use--like Photoshop and Lightroom--and leave the ones she will use, like Zoom and Dell SupportAssist. And of course I'll backup and remove all of my data. The objective is that the XPS will be hers and not mine--her username, her MS account, her apps.
I have never created a second User Account on a Windows PC. Question: if I create a new User for my wife with admin rights, and she logs in with her MS account, will she have access to my apps, or will she have to install them again into her account? If she can have access to my apps (those I don't uninstall of course) and use her own MS account, that would accomplish what I'm after. We don't need or want the "Windows First Time Setup." We just want the computer to be hers and not mine anymore. (I hope that's clear.)
Question: after I create a new User account for my wife and she logs in with her MS email address and password, can I delete my User account--making hers the only one on the XPS?
filbert....
-- yes, the Windows license came with the XPS.
-- yes, I can uninstall all of the apps that I use and that she won't want to use. And of course I will backup all of my data. Ideally the apps that I have now that she will use can remain and usable once I remove the computer from my MS account and she logs in with hers. If it doesn't work that way, I can uninstall all apps from my User account and reinstall them into her User account once "I'm gone" from the computer.
-- yes, my wife has a MS account which she needs because she has Office 365 (which I don't use). She currently has an old Inspiron that isn't working well and will move to the XPS. We'll log her out of the Inspiron once she is successfully using the XPS.
Tesla1856....
-- I overstated my need to remove every trace of my account. So sorry. As you said, and filbert agrees, simply creating a new User account for my wife is the way to go. (I've done a full reset on other PCs in the past and it doesn't always go well.) As mentioned above, I don't want to do a "Windows First Time Setup."
I'm sorry to be so confused, and I really appreciate the help from both of you. Perhaps you can further clarify what I need to do based on my additional information and questions above.
John
johnblaustein
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October 9th, 2022 11:00
filbert,
I can't thank you enough for taking the time to answer my questions in such detail. I feel confident now in how to proceed.
John
johnblaustein
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October 9th, 2022 13:00
filbert,
May I ask you another question?
As I mentioned, I am replacing my wife's current old Inspiron with my XPS. What I didn't say is that I'm going to order another XPS for myself. I'm wondering if you have any experience with Dell Migrate. I'm thinking I could use it to move all of my apps, settings and data from the current XPS to the new one I'll be ordering. Does Migrate work well? I'm perfectly happy installing all of my apps on the new XPS and using Dropbox or Google Drive to move my data, but Migrate might make it easier and will transfer my settings as well. Your thoughts?
You might wonder why I'm not just buying the new XPS for my wife. We have an unfortunate history! I bought her a new Inspiron a couple of months ago, and it came with Windows 11. She uses Zoom for singing and dancing lessons. For some reason, Zoom on Windows 11 had problems that could not be solved. When singing or talking was happening at the same as music playing, the sound would be choppy and cut out. I spent literally hours on the phone with Dell tech support, and I posted the issue on the Zoom site. Regrettably, I had to return the new Inspiron--Dell couldn't fix it. My current XPS has Windows 10 on it, and Zoom works perfectly for my wife's Zoom classes. Go figure!! The exact same setup won't work on Windows 11 and will work on Windows 10. That's why she will use the Windows 10 XPS (and I'll get the new one that comes with Windows 11). I think the Zoom on Windows 11 problem had to do with RealTek drivers, but Dell couldn't fix it. By the way, the problem was the same using Skype or Google Chat, so it wasn't isolated to just Zoom.
Thanks again!
John
johnblaustein
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October 9th, 2022 16:00
filbert,
It's hard to believe that with so many Zoom users on Windows 11 that Dell/MS can't find a solution.
I will avoid Dell Migrate for the reasons you give. It's just not that hard to set up a new Windows installation.
I like your approach of using an Admin acct and a standard acct. Of course I have another question : When I look at Settings > Accounts > Family and Other Users, there is a choice--Your Family and Other Users. Since I'm not concerned with safety issues or how much screen time someone gets, I'm thinking it's best for me to select Other Users for my wife's account. Agree?
I'm finding the forum notification system isn't working properly. I have "Email me when someone replies" checked on. I also have Preferences set to notify me when threads I subscribe to get replies. None of it works--I get no emails. My email address works fine with ordering products and Dell support. Do you have any suggestions to fix this?
John
johnblaustein
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October 10th, 2022 09:00
Thanks, 3 Argentum.
Your instructions make perfect sense! I checked the three dots and I am subscribed to the thread. Weird. Fortunately, I don't often need forum help, so when I do I can easily check the page for replies to my questions. You guys are all great to offer so much help.
johnblaustein
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October 10th, 2022 09:00
"I can't see how that's a Dell responsibility. That seems to me to be a Microsoft and Zoom issue."
The Zoom issue seems to be related to a RealTek sound driver. One user on the Zoom forum said that his problem was solved when Dell provided him with a RealTek driver that had not been installed with Windows Update. I couldn't try that driver because I had already returned the Inspiron.
The forum notifications aren't in spam or anywhere else. Who knows?
Thanks again for all of your help!
d5123101
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October 10th, 2022 09:00
There's a lot I could add but I think filbert and Tesla covered most of it. As for the forum notifications make sure you are subscribed to this post. Scroll all the way up, you'll see "Dell Support Forums ... How to Reset XPS 15 to give to my wife not reinstall Windows" and to the right of it (and below the picture that says XPS for the title of the main forum) three dots, check that you a subscribed there (subscribing to your original post may not always send you reply notifications). Hope that makes sense.
johnblaustein
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October 10th, 2022 10:00
Ooops.... I meant d5123101. Sorry.
d5123101
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October 11th, 2022 06:00
No worries, I've had trouble with the notification e-mails before as well.
johnblaustein
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October 18th, 2022 11:00
Hi filbert, Tesla and d5123101,
You were all so helpful that I thought I'd follow up and let you know that I successfully "removed myself" from the XPS and added an account for my wife. Since I wanted to end up with only one user account on the computer, I added my wife as an administrator account. When I logged into that account, I was surprised that I did not see most of the apps from my account (the original account). I thought the apps would be available to both user accounts. I handled this by logging onto my account and uninstalling everything except the Windows and Dell apps. This was easy because I don't have many apps on the XPS (compared to my desktop PC). Then, in the new account, I installed the apps my wife will use. Because the new account uses my wife's Microsoft account to log on, and she has Office 365, there was a notification to install that. Easy. After confirming that the new user account was working well, I removed my account (the original account). No problem doing that, although my username still shows up in File Explorer under Users. The folder is empty, but it won't let me delete it. There is no harm in leaving it there.
Now, when the computer boots up, the sign in screen knows it's my wife's account, and the apps are all hers. Success. My wife's old Inspiron still has several apps that she is signed into--Office, Zoom, Chrome--and I will sign her out of those shortly before resetting that to hand onto the next person.
I should note that I also went to my MS account and unlinked the XPS from my account. My wife's account now shows the XPS linked to her MS account. And my new XPS is linked to my MS account.
I want to thank you all again for the help.
Two separate, but somewhat related subjects: 1) I sure wish Dell and McAfee weren't so attached to each other. And it would be nice if McAfee made it a little easier to uninstall its various components. 2) I find it very annoying that Windows 11 defaults to using OneDrive as its default location to store Desktop items and has backing up set as the default for Desktop and two other folders. I don't want to use OneDrive, and I found it annoyingly difficult to get out of it. Google helped. Just my 2c.
Thank again!
John