Windows 8 �System Reset� Screenshot Leaks

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Win7China has obtained a screenshot showing the anticipated System Reset option that will be added to Windows 8. The screenshot shows the option to Restore to Original Factory Settings in the same panel as System Restore.

Described in the screenshot as a facility to "remove all programs you've installed and restore default Windows Settings", this appears to be a reinstallation of the core-OS files using the Windows Pre-Installation Environment (WinPE) image that's been with us since Windows Vista.

WinPE is a system image that's simply copied from the installation DVD to your hard disk to help speed up the initial installation. There has been speculation for some time that this image would be kept intact on the hard disk with Windows 8.

The new System Reset option apparently allows you to keep your user accounts and personal files, so the WinPE image would only rewrite critical operating system files. The registry is kept seperate for each user, with each user account having their own copy. This does mean that problems with the registry wouldn't necessarily be repaired by this new feature. Additionally, many users would balk at a restore option that forces them to reinstall all their software.

Either way this will be an interesting and welcome addition to Windows 8 and, while the operating system is still under development, and features may change, it will be interesting to see if it changes for the final version, due next summer.