Then Press ENTER to get into the recovery environment.Ĥ. Once the Novo Button Menu pops up, press and hold the down arrow key to select the System Recover option. Then connect your laptop to a power source using its AC adapter and press and hold the NOVO key (Recovery key) for 5 seconds.ģ. Or the Recovery file is removed or destroyed, please see the second method.ġ.
Or there’s a clean install of the system and you’ve cleared the system drive. If your ThinkPad doesn’t have a OneKey Recovery button. The Recovery key is often on the right or left side of the keyboard deck on a ThinkPad next to the Power button.
How to Reset Your ThinkPad to Factory Settings Without a Password Method 1: OneKey Recovery To install applications and programs not included in the default configuration, you must download them from the internet or the original installation disc. Install any other third-party applications or programs you need to your ThinkPad. Copy and paste the data files and you backed up before restoring the ThinkPad to its original configuration. Step 6:Īt this time, you can connect your external USB flash drive, hard drive or the recovery disc you created into the laptop. Your ThinkPad will then restart and boot into Windows. When prompted, you can press any key on the ThinkPad keyboard to restart the laptop.
NOTE: Since this is a factory reset, the restore process will also reinstall any third-party software you may have removed from your laptop after purchase. Then, enable the Restore Factory Default option and follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall and customize your Windows operating system.
Now, press the F11 key after the ThinkPad Recovery menu appears. Then, press the down arrow key until the cursor highlights the ThinkPad Product Recover Program option. After a few seconds, the ThinkPad Product Recover Program menu will appear on the display. Next, turn on your ThinkPad and press the blue Access IBM or Access ThinkPad key as soon as you see the IBM or Lenovo logo (on most ThinkPads, the blue key is right above the top row of keys on the keyboard). Why? Because you don’t want to run out of power before completing the process. Shut down your ThinkPad and connect it to a power outlet using the AC adapter. Steps for Factory Resetting a Lenovo ThinkPad Step 1: Now you’re ready to begin the factory reset of your ThinkPad. Don’t lose your critical documents, pictures and applications. If your ThinkPad has a CD or DVD burner, you can burn the files onto a blank disc instead. Then copy and paste files to the external device. You can do this by connecting a USB flash drive or external hard drive to the ThinkPad.