diff --git a/electron/main.js b/electron/main.js
index e5d2ff6c..56d45f63 100644
--- a/electron/main.js
+++ b/electron/main.js
@@ -2561,6 +2561,25 @@ ipcMain.handle('get-install-state', () => {
   }
 });
 
+// Factory reset ("Erase all content and settings"). Stop the backend FIRST so
+// nothing rewrites the dir mid-wipe (on Windows a live process even locks the
+// files), wipe everything under userData/data, then relaunch into a clean first
+// run. install.json lives OUTSIDE /data so the install + affiliate identity
+// survives, exactly like a real reinstall would. Best-effort throughout: a
+// failed kill or wipe still relaunches rather than wedging the user.
+ipcMain.handle('hard-reset', async () => {
+  try { killBackend(); } catch (e) { console.error('[hard-reset] killBackend failed', e); }
+  try {
+    const dataDir = path.join(app.getPath('userData'), 'data');
+    fs.rmSync(dataDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    console.log('[hard-reset] wiped data dir');
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error('[hard-reset] wipe failed', e);
+  }
+  app.relaunch();
+  app.exit(0);
+});
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // CDP debugger bridge for the browser sub-agent
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/electron/preload.js b/electron/preload.js
index e7e70ab2..ac4a3e13 100644
--- a/electron/preload.js
+++ b/electron/preload.js
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('openswarm', {
   // Renderer attaches the ref to Stripe checkout + sign-in flows so
   // the cloud can credit the affiliate. Resolves to {} if no state yet.
   getInstallState: () => ipcRenderer.invoke('get-install-state'),
+  // Factory reset: wipes the data dir and relaunches. Never resolves on success (the app exits first).
+  hardReset: () => ipcRenderer.invoke('hard-reset'),
   connectSlack: () => ipcRenderer.invoke('connect-slack'),
   sendCdpCommand: (wcId, method, params, sessionId) => ipcRenderer.invoke('send-cdp-command', wcId, method, params, sessionId),
   cdpCacheSet: (wcId, indexMap) => ipcRenderer.invoke('cdp-cache-set', wcId, indexMap),