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A factory reset, also known as hard reset or master reset, is a software restore of an electronic device to its original system state by erasing all data, settings, and applications that were previously stored on the device. This is often done to fix an issue with a device, but it could also be done to restore the device to its original settings.
Microsoft Product Activation is a DRM technology used by Microsoft Corporation in several of its computer software programs, most notably its Windows operating system and its Office productivity suite. The procedure enforces compliance with the program's end-user license agreement by transmitting information about both the product key used to ...
Hardware reset. A hardware reset or hard reset of a computer system is a hardware operation that re-initializes the core hardware components of the system, thus ending all current software operations in the system. This is typically, but not always, followed by booting of the system into firmware that re-initializes the rest of the system, and ...
For another example, the BIOS keyboard interface interprets many keystrokes and key combinations to keep track of the various shift states (left and right Shift, Ctrl, and Alt), to call the print-screen service when Shift+PrtScrn is pressed, to reboot the system when Ctrl+Alt+Del is pressed, to keep track of the lock states (Caps Lock, Num Lock ...
Product activation is a license validation procedure required by some proprietary software programs. Product activation prevents unlimited free use of copied or replicated software. Unactivated software refuses to fully function until it determines whether it is authorized to fully function. Activation allows the software to stop blocking its ...
A product key, also known as a software key, serial key or activation key, is a specific software-based key for a computer program. It certifies that the copy of the program is original. Product keys consist of a series of numbers and/or letters. This sequence is typically entered by the user during the installation of computer software, and is ...
Reset places less stress on the hardware than power cycling, as the power is not removed. Many computers, especially older models, have user accessible "reset" buttons that assert the reset line to facilitate a system reboot in a way that cannot be trapped (i.e. prevented) by the operating system.
Power cycling is a standard diagnostic procedure usually performed first when the computer freezes. However, frequently power cycling a computer can cause thermal stress. [1] Reset has an equal effect on the software but may be less problematic for the hardware as power is not interrupted.