Security News > 2021 > January > Windows 10X feature will prevent unauthorized factory resets
Windows 10X is a new streamlined version of Windows designed for security and performance that Microsoft announced in 2019 and plans to launch in Spring 2021 on a new range of devices.
In addition to a new user interface, Windows 10X also comes with a new feature called "Anti-theft protection," a measure designed to prevent thieves from wiping and re-using stolen devices.
If a Windows 10 device is unlocked, anyone can go into the Settings and use a feature called "Reset this PC" to reset the devices back to factory defaults.
"Anti-theft protection prevents someone else from resetting your device and re-using it. When anti-theft protection is on, you will need to enter your PIN or Microsoft account password before resetting and re-using this device," Microsoft describes the feature in the Settings app.
As Windows 10X was designed for portable devices, enabling a feature that makes it more difficult to reset a device as new makes stolen devices a less valuable target.
Microsoft used a similar feature in Windows Mobile to protect devices when stolen.