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

Has your Windows 10 PC ever been in a problem that you have to reset to fix the issue? I have. But have you ever wondered what to do, if problems arise even when you try to reset your computer?

This might sound ridiculous and far-fetched but it is possible and there are a number of known reports of people seeing a problem that reveals itself with the message “There was a problem resetting your PC. No changes were made”. This will not be a problem for you, once you finish reading this article. 

Why Do I see “There Was a Problem Resetting Your PC. No Changes were made.” error message?

The Reset this PC option on your computer is used to resolve issues with the operating system. Resetting a computer will offer you a fresh start with the software on it.

However, there are times when you may not be able to reset your computer. In order to reset your computer and address more significant issues, you need to fix this problem first.

When things go well, you’ll be able to reboot your computer at any time you choose. A message that reads “There was a problem resetting your PC” may appear when you attempt to reset Windows 8, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10.

There are a number of reasons that can cause this problem on your Windows 10 computer. They are-

1. You may have a corrupt file in your storage disk.
2. An improper shutdown may have caused some system files to be deleted. 
3. Your PC manufacturer enabled compression during production.
4. The Operating System (Windows 10) was pre-installed. This applies to laptops, mostly.

Fixing the “There was a problem resetting your PC” problem in Windows 10 computers

Before we start fixing the “There was a Problem Resetting your PC” problem, there is something you need to do.

Backing up the PC

Before you start the process, it is important that you backup all the necessary system files so that data may not be lost during the process that you will have to run/undergo, while re-enabling the resetting process. You can back up your files to an external storage drive or cloud storage on the internet.

You have complete control over when and how you want to recover these files. Depending on your internet connection and the number of your files, data recovery might take anywhere from a few seconds to many hours.

Allowing the computer to do a factory reset is possible via a variety of means. Finding the root of the problem and wiping it clean is the goal of these procedures, which are designed to prevent a repeat of the issue. Fortunately, there is a solution to this Windows 10 error message.

Solutions To Fix “There was a Problem Resetting your PC” error

1. Reinstall Windows 10 Operating System on your system
2. Disable the REAgentC.exe on your PC
3. Run an SFC (System File Checker) scan
4. Run a Disk Check (CHKDSK)
5. Run the DISM tool
6. Rename System and Software Registry 
7. Run the Windows Startup Repair
8. Refresh the PC through the Windows Defender 
9. Create a Restore Point in your System

Methods to Fix the “There was a Problem Resetting your PC” error message

Fix 1: Reinstall Windows 10 Operating System on your system

Re-installing the Operating System on your computer is an excellent way of resetting your PC. This requires you to enter the activation key that you used to activate the OS when you first purchased the computer.

This will completely clean your computer and thus, remove the cause of the “There was a Problem Resetting your PC. No Changes were made” issue on your computer.

It is important that you remember the product key because if it is lost, you will have to pay for a new OS, which costs slightly over a hundred dollars. Back up your files before you reinstall Windows 10.

Fix 2: Disable the REAgentC.exe on your PC

Disabling the Windows Recovery Environment and enabling it again can help you fix this issue.

This is what you have to do:

1.  Launch the Command Prompt tool as an admin. Search for Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator

2. Enter the following commands one by one in the Command Prompt window:

reagentc /disable

reagentc /enable

Hit Enter after typing in the commands each time. This will disable and re-enable the Windows Recovery Environment on your PC.

Fix 3: Run an SFC (System File Checker) scan

A System File Checker (SFC) scan is run to look for corrupt files on your PC. This is done through the Command Prompt tool. After all, a corrupt file can be causing this problem on your computer. 

This is what you have to do:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Only then the changes you make to the system will be saved. 
2. Enter this command and hit Enter:

sfc /scannow /offbootdir=’drive letter’:\ /offwindir=’name of the drive’:\windows

3. The alphabet C here denotes where to check the files. You can change this to the name of the drive which you want to check.
4. Once the scan is complete, close the Command Prompt, restart your system and reset your PC.

Fix 4: Run a Disk Check (CHKDSK)

The Disk Check command tests the integrity of the storage disks on your PC. This can also be used to locate the problem which does not let the users reset their PC. This feature uses Command Prompt to be activated, too.

1. Open the Command Prompt, type this :

chkdsk ‘drive letter’: /f /r /x

2. After you press the Enter key, it’ll ask you if you wish to schedule a scan when you restart your system the next time. Type Y and press Enter. 
3. Restart the PC and it will check your system for errors and fix them, by itself. 

Fix 5: Run the DISM tool 

The System File Checker and the DISM are alternates for each other.

This is how to run the DISM tool:

1. Open the Command Prompt as the admin and enter the following command line:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /restorehealth

2. This is a long process. Once it is complete, restart your PC. 

Fix 6: Rename System and Software Registry 

The System and Software Registry hive is a group of files, key, and subkey values that help run the OS. Renaming this can fix the “There was a Problem Resetting your PC” error message on your PC. 

Follow these steps:

1. Open Command Prompt as an admin and type the following commands one at a time and press enter after each command:

cd %windir%\system32\config
ren system system.001
ren software software.001

Close the Command Prompt window and restart your computer. Type Exit to close it. This is a possible fix to resolve your issue.

Fix 7: Run the Windows Startup Repair

The Windows Startup repair tool is the general troubleshooter for the Windows 10 OS. This can clear the hindrance that stops you from resetting your PC. You just need a disk or a USB drive that contains the Windows 10 OS setup files in it.

The steps to launching the Startup Repair tool are as follows:

1.  Insert the CD/DVD or the USB drive with the OS installation media and restart your computer. 
2. Choose the language that you want to proceed with and select Next.
3. In the following window, click on Repair your computer.
4. You will see the Automatic Repair window. In this, choose Troubleshoot.
5. Follow this path:

Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Repair

6. This process will take some time to scan the system for issues or other problems that could be causing the “There was a Problem Resetting your PC” error to pop up when you try to reset your system. Once this is complete, you can remove the disk/drive and start your PC. 
7. Try to reset the system and see if this issue persists.  

Fix 8: Refresh the PC through the Windows Defender 

The “There was a problem resetting your PC” issue can be fixed by doing a full PC refresh. Typically, this is done in order to eliminate To avoid data loss on your system disk storage, you should perform a backup of your information before attempting this procedure.

1. Open the Windows Settings, which is present on the left part of the Start menu.

2. Click on the Update & Security option and then choose Windows Security from the left pane, once you are in the Update & Security menu.

3. Click on the Device performance & health settings, at the bottom.
4. In the Fresh Start category, select the Additional Information option.

5. You will be redirected to the Microsoft support website. Scroll down and click on the link that says Give your PC a fresh start. You can then follow the instructions, present in that. 

Fix 9: Create a Restore Point in your System

The System Restore tool brings your system to a state it was in during a time, that was saved with all the configurations. You can create restore points, where you can reset your PC without the “There was a problem resetting your PC” issue. 

This is what you can do:

1. Go to the Advanced Startup option by plugging a drive with the OS installation media and restarting your PC.
2. Open Troubleshoot and choose Advanced Options.
3. In the Advanced Options window, select System Restore. The System Restore window opens. 
4. You can also search System Restore in the search bar and open the first result.

5. The System Properties window opens. Under the System Protection tab, click on the System Restore button.

6. Choose the desired restore point and click Next on the System Restore window

7. If it is present, you can see other restore points and details about them.
8. Click Finish, then. Click on Yes, when Prompted. This will create a System Restore Point on your Windows 10 system. 

Frequently Asked Questions