# Refresh W8



## nerv11 (Sep 2, 2009)

Hi, my W8 copy is getting a bit stale at this point and I know I have some sort of spyware on it. I recall there being some sort of "master refresh" option somewhere to refresh the whole system without the need of a disc (and I actually can't locate mine).
Cany anyone help me out?
Thanks.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

How to restore, refresh, or reset your PC - Microsoft Windows Help

I don't believe a refresh cleans a virus so you will need to speak to our virus team after you do a refresh.


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Remember that the Reinstall (which Microsoft used to call Reset) is just that -- a clean reinstall of the operating system -- everything you have installed will be wiped clean and you will have to re-enter your product key and possibly re-activate Windows (depending on how it was installed and if your BIOS stored the activation information). This option can be performed from the Windows 8 install on the hard drive but is best performed from a Windows 8 boot disk made from a known virus-free computer or ordered from MS. 

The Refresh option is a bit less comprehensive and will reinstall the OS from its recovery backup, which is on the install drive. This option will remove all non-Windows 8 apps but most of your other settings will remain intact.

However, there are other less drastic methods of ensuring that your system is running properly.

Right-click at the far left-lower corner of the screen and select Command Prompt (Admin).

Type "chkdsk /r" and press Enter. When asked, agree to run the program on next boot and then reboot. This will check your hard drive and correct any errors it can or give you a report of what it can't. Be patient as this will take some time to complete.

After Chkdsk completes, open the Admin prompt again and type in "sfc /scannow" and press Enter. This will check your Windows install for errors and report any that can't correct.

If neither of the above commands finds any problems then you probably don't need to reinstall or refresh Windows 8.

Windows 8 Defender does a pretty good job of getting rid of malware. Tracking cookies and non-nefarious adware can usually be removed by clearing your browser cache and temporary files. Delete cookies, etc. via Internet Options in IE and then use CCleaner to clean out your temp files.

As noted above, if you still think there may be something more nefarious lurking on your system then post in the malware removal section.


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