A Guide to Resetting Lenovo Laptops With/Without Lenovo OneKey Recovery

Lenovo laptops are recognized as the world's largest personal computer vendor by unit sales. However, it sometimes encounters performance issues and malware attacks, leading users to reset the device. When users intend to resale the device, they prefer to factory reset it for a fresh start. For this purpose, there is a Lenovo OneKey Recovery program that restores the system to its default factory position.

Besides this option, Lenovo lets users manually reset the laptop or reinstall the operating system. If you aren't aware of both resetting aspects on your laptop, this guide is for you. It brings detailed insights into the Lenovo restore key and guides to reset the laptop with or without using it.

Part 1. What is Lenovo OneKey Recovery, and How Does It Operate?

Simply put, OneKey Recovery is a tool pre-installed in Lenovo computers, such as IdeaPad 110 and ThinkPad. It is designed to restore the system to its factory settings when your system gets corrupted, and no other option is left. Moreover, it can update your system's backup to the latest one, ensuring your important data is preserved.

How Does it Operate?

1. Lenovo laptops contain hidden recovery partitions, factory images, and OneKey recovery tools.
2. To enter the OneKey environment, users need to turn off their laptops and press the NOVO button. If their systems are functional, they can press the Start menu and search OneKey Recovery.

   

3. Afterward, users will need to choose whether to create a backup or initiate system recovery. They can select a factory default reset or user backup, which restores the system to a previously created backup.
4. This feature works only on Lenovo laptops with Windows 7 and later. Additionally, the recovery partition must be intact because if deleted or corrupted, this system recovery Lenovo will not work.

Note: System recovery will erase all your data on the C:/ drive; thus, you must backup important files beforehand.

Part 2. Using Lenovo OneKey To Reset Lenovo Laptop [Direct Solution]

If your Lenovo laptop isn't bootable and you need a blank slate, you should use the Lenovo OneKey (NOVO) button. Otherwise, you are advised to create a backup first by accessing OneKey from settings. For your ease, below are the steps to proceed with the Lenovo factory reset through the OneKey feature.

Create a Bootable System Backup

Step 1. Access the "Start" menu on Lenovo to choose the "All Programs" option. Afterward, tap "Lenovo" and "Lenovo OneKey Recovery" to get a pop-up menu. Using it, press the "System Backup" option and enter the next screen.

Step 2. Next, choose a backup destination by expanding the menu under “Select Destination” and click “Next” to continue.

Reset Lenovo Laptop with Novo Button (OneKey Recovery Button)

Step 1. Power off your PC, hold the "Novo" button to get the Lenovo OneKey feature and click the “System Recovery" option that appears next.

Step 2. Choose “Restore from Initial Backup” or “Restore from User’s Backup” based on your situation and continue with the “Next” button.

Reset Lenovo Laptop with OneKey Recovery Settings

Instructions. Access the "All Programs" option using the "Start" menu and choose "Lenovo" to navigate towards Lenovo OneKey Recovery. Click the "System Recovery" option and confirm the process by tapping "Yes" in the next menu.

Part 3. How to Reset Lenovo Laptop Without Using OneKey Recovery?

When you are going to resell your device, you can use "Reset this PC" through settings to reset your device. Conversely, when your system isn't responding, and there is no OneKey Recovery, try the Wondershare Recoverit software. To learn about them both and their different use cases, the following is an in-depth discussion and guide on them:

1. From PC Settings

In case you remember your system password and your system is working as it should be, you can proceed to system reset through PC settings. You can learn how to factory reset Lenovo without OneKey recovery through the simple steps next.

Step 1. Press Start key using your keyboard and access its search bar to type the "Reset This PC" and click the “Open” from the right side.

Step 2. Using the next screen, hit the “Reset PC” button, which comes under “Recovery Options” section.

Step 3. From the next window, make your choice between "Keep my files" or the other one as needed. Following that, Windows will be installed with your personal files or everything removed.

2. Using Wondershare Recoverit

If you can't reset Lenovo laptop because it abruptly turns unresponsive and doesn’t even have a Novo button for OneKey Recovery, you should use Wondershare Recoverit. This software can recover critical files from crashed Windows systems and retrieve all your data without booting issues. Besides performing system crash recovery, it can recover data from crashed computers.

It rescues over 1000 lost or deleted file formats with over 2000 storage device support. During the recovery process, your data integrity and quality are guaranteed with its security capabilities. Additionally, the tool operates smoothly for recovery, which makes it accessible to non-technical users. To access a crashed system, it lets you create a bootable USB drive or disk to access and recover data.

Key Features

1. Solve Various Scenarios: No matter if your computer faces a blue screen of death problem, not bootable error, or freezing, this tool can help you boot and restart it.
2. No Data Loss Promise: After the recovery process, it ensures your videos, documents, and photos are previewed to show no data loss.
3. Three-Step Recovery: To rescue your crashed Lenovo, users only need a functional PC and a blank USB drive to create a bootable USB in 3 simple steps.

How to Recover Crashed Windows of Lenovo Through Recoverit?

Recoverit is an ideal way to retrieve back your lost data from a crashed PC and make Lenovo factory reset accessible. Follow the steps next and begin the process, but first, gather a workable PC and a blank USB drive:

Step 1. Begin with the System Crashed Computer Tab

Launch Recoverit, tap the "System Crashed Computer" tab at the left panel and click the "Start" button.

Step 2. Connect the USB and Format it

Connect the blank USB drive with the working PC, select the drive to create bootable media, and press "Create" to begin. Next, confirm the USB drive formatting by tapping the "Confirm" button.

Step 3. Create a Bootable USB Drive & Customize the BIOS

Create a bootable USB drive, and after creating one, attach the USB to the crashed computer. Restart the crashed PC and use the BIOS entry key when the first screen appears. Following that, you can customize the BIOS settings and set the attached USB drive as the primary booting source.

Step 4. Conduct Data Recovery or Reset PC as Needed (Optional)

As the crashed computer becomes bootable, you can factory reset it if needed. Otherwise, you can recover data through “Data Recovery” or “Hard Disk Copy” to retrieve back data and set up the system.

Conclusion

In the end, it must be said that you have learned about Lenovo OneKey Recovery in detail. This guide also highlights how you can use this feature to reset your frozen or unbootable computer. Additionally, it revealed 2 ways to factory reset Lenovo without the OneKey recovery button. From them, Wondershare Recoverit seems more efficient, and it goes beyond crashed Windows recovery, letting you recover all data types.