There Was A Problem Resetting Your PC in Windows 10

One of the options in Windows 10 is “Reset your PC,” which restores the users’ Windows to its factory default configuration. This is used to quickly resolve errors within Windows. Additionally, this can be resolved by reinstalling Windows. Resetting the PC of the users is a faster approach in fixing Windows rather than reinstalling Windows from scratch.

However, many times “Reset your PC” option does not work. While the users reset their PC, they will receive an error stating that “There was a problem resetting your PC.” Lastly, the users will not be able to boot into Windows after restarting.

There Was a Problem Resetting Your PC in Windows 10

The issue might be caused due to any of the following conditions which are given by Microsoft itself. Howsoever, it is safe to assume that they are aware of the problem:

  • The PC has arrived with Windows 10 already installed. However, this was not an upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.
  • The PC manufacturer has enabled compression. However, this helps to reduce the disk space required for preinstalled applications.
  • The users have formed a USB recovery drive. They have used the “Create a recovery drive” features in Windows 10.
  • To the USB recovery drive, the users have booted the PC. Then they have selected, Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Remove everything.

Under the above conditions that have been mentioned, the Reset may fail with the error message stating that “There was a problem resetting your PC”. However, the users will not be able to boot into Windows. Here, we will talk about how to actually Fix There was a problem resetting your PC error. All the methods are listed below. It is actually a troubleshooting guide.

How to Fix There Was a Problem Resetting Your PC in Windows 10

Here are some methods which will help the users to solve the problem of resetting their PC. The users can choose any one of the below-mentioned methods according to the problem that they are going to face.

Method 1: Run Startup/Automatic Repair

Step 1: First, the users need to insert the Windows 10 bootable installation DVD. Then they need to restart their PC.

Step 2: When it is notified to press any key, then press any key to continue. This will help to boot from CD or DVD.

Step 3: Then, the users should select their language preferences. After that, click Next. Lastly, click Repair your computer situated in the bottom-left.

Step 4: After that, on the screen of Choose an option, click on Troubleshoot.

Step 5: Then, on the Troubleshoot screen, click on the Advanced option.

Step 6: Then click on Automatic Repair or Startup Repair on the Advanced options screen.

Step 7: The users must wait till the Windows Automatic/Startup Repairs is completed.

Step 8: Lastly, the users should restart. Additionally, they have successfully Fix There was a problem resetting your PC error. If the error is not successfully fixed, then the users are requested to apply other methods.

Method 2: Fix Boot Image And Rebuild BCD

Step 1: The users should first go to the command prompt using Method 1 mentioned above. They have to just click on the command prompt in the Advanced options screen.

Step 2: After that, the users must type the following commands one by one. They must hit Enter after each one.

  1. exe /FixMbr
  2. exe /FixBoot
  3. exe /RebuildBcd

Step 3: However, if the above-mentioned commands fail, then the users should enter the following commands in cmd:

bcdedit / export C:\BCD_Backup

c;

cd boot

attrib bcd -s -h -r

ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old

bootrec /RebuildBcd

Step 4: Then, the users finally exit the cmd. After the process restarts the Windows.

Step 5: The method mentioned seems to Fix There was a problem resetting your PC error. However, if this fails to work, then the users must continue to the next method.

Method 3: Run System File Checker (SFC) and Check Disk (CHKDSK)

Step 1: First, the users have to open the command prompt using the Windows installation disk. This is done by the above-mentioned method.

Step 2: Then, the users have to type the following command in cmd. Consecutively, they must hit enter after each one.

sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c: \ /offwindi chkdsk C: /f /r /x

Note: However, the users should ensure that they should use the drive letter where Windows is currently installed. Additionally, in the above command C:

  • /f indicates a flag which chkdsk the permission to fix any errors associated with the drive.
  • /r is used to let chkdsk search for bad sectors and perform recovery.
  • /x instructs the check disk to dismount the drive before initializing the process.

However, this is the drive on which the users want to run check disk.

Step 3: Lastly, the users should exit the command prompt and then restart their PC.

Method 4: Perform a System Restore

Step 1: First, the users should put in the Windows installation media or Recovery Drive / System Repair Disc. Then they have to select their language preferences. After this process, click on Next.

Step 2: Then click on Repair your computer, which is present at the bottom of the screen.

Step 3: After that, the users should choose Troubleshoot. Then click on Advanced Options.

Step 4: Finally, the users need to click on “System Restore”. The users then have to follow onscreen instructions to complete the restore process.

Step 5: The users are then asked to restart their PC. However, this method might have Fix There was a problem resetting your PC error.

Method 5: Rename the System and Software Registry Hives

Step 1: First, the users must open the Command Prompt from the Advanced Options screen.

Step 2: Then, type they need to type the following command into cmd. Then hit the Enter key:

cd %windir%\system32\config

ren system system.001

ren software software.001

Step 3: After that, the users must close the cmd. This will take the users to the Windows Recovery Environment screen.

Step 4: Lastly, users need to select the Continue option. This will help to boot to their Windows. After a reboot, the users will able to Fix There was a problem resetting your PC error.

Method 6: Recover From Drive

Note: The method which we will be going to discuss now might delete all personal files of the users. However, the users must follow this only if they are sure.

Step 1: First, the users need to insert the USB recovery drive into the computer. Then restart the PC.

Step 2: The users have prompted to Press any key to boot from CD or DVD. Then press any key to continue.

Step 3: After that, users need to select their language preferences. Following this process, click on Next. Then click on Repair your computer that is present in the bottom-left.

Step 4: The users then click on Troubleshoot. This is present on the Choose an option screen.

Step 5: Then click on the Advanced option, on the Troubleshoot screen.

Step 6: The users then need to click Select Recover from the drive or System Image Recovery. This is present in the Advanced options screen.

Step 7: The users need to follow the instructions that are given on the screen to continue.

Method 7: Recover your PC using Recovery USB

Step 1: First, the users have to connect their USB recovery drive to the computer.

Step 2: Then, they have to open Command Prompt from the Advanced Options screen.

Step 3: After that, the users have to type Notepad into cmd. Then hit the Enter key.

Step 4: Then, they have to click on File inside Notepad. After clicking on File, select the Open option.

Step 5: After that, they have to select All Files from the drop-down, present next to File Name. Then the users have to locate the USB drive letters that they are using to boot into Windows.

Step 6: Once the users have known the drive letter, they have to type it and press the Enter key. For example: If the user’s drive letter is F, then type it and press Enter.

Step 7: After that, the users need to type Setup and then press Enter.

Step 8: It will open the user’s Windows Installation setup. The users must follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall or Clean install Windows again.

Method 8: Repair Install Windows 10

However, if none of the above-mentioned methods work for the users, then they can be sure that the HDD is fine. Howsoever, the users will still be seeing the error stating that “there was a problem resetting your PC”.

The reason is that the operating system or the BCD information on the HDD was somehow erased. In this type of case, the uses can try to Repair Install Windows. However, if this also fails, then the only solution left is to install a new copy of Windows. This is known as Clean Install.

Conclusion

These are the few methods that will help the users to Fix There was a problem resetting your PC error. If one method fails to fix the error, then another one is ready to help the users. For further help, one can ask the developers as well.