The Problem

You start Reset this PC, it runs for a while, then reports There was a problem resetting your PC. No changes were made. Sometimes it also says Undoing changes, and you land back on the desktop exactly as before.

Reset needs a healthy recovery environment (WinRE) and a valid recovery image. If either is missing, damaged, or disabled, the reset aborts before it can do anything. Nothing was deleted — you have time to fix this properly.

Back up first. Every step here is safe, but you are one command away from a full wipe. Start with set up automatic backups or copy your files to an external drive.

Symptoms

There was a problem resetting your PC. No changes were made.
Could not find the recovery environment.
Reset gets to a percentage, then reboots and rolls back.

Step 1: Back Up Before Anything Else

Copy Documents, Pictures, Desktop, and Downloads to an external drive or OneDrive.
Note which apps you will need to reinstall and where your licence keys are.
If Windows will not boot, pull the files from the Recovery Command Prompt, or see how to recover deleted files.

Step 2: Check That the Recovery Environment Is Enabled

Open Terminal (Admin) and run:
```
reagentc /info
```
Read Windows RE status. If it says Disabled, enable it:
```
reagentc /enable
```
Run reagentc /info again and confirm it now reports Enabled with a valid location.
If enabling fails, continue to Step 4 — the WinRE image itself is damaged.

Step 3: Repair System Files

Reset reads from the component store. Corruption there stops it immediately.

In Terminal (Admin):

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Then:
```
sfc /scannow
```
Restart and try the reset again. Details: repair Windows 11 with SFC and DISM.

Step 4: Use a Cloud Download Instead of Local Reinstall

This is the single most effective fix — it ignores the damaged local image entirely.

Settings → System → Recovery → Reset PC.
Choose Keep my files or Remove everything.
When asked how to reinstall, pick Cloud download rather than Local reinstall.
You need a working internet connection and roughly 4 GB of download.

Step 5: Free Up Disk Space

Reset needs several gigabytes of working room and fails quietly without it.

Settings → System → Storage.
Clear Temporary files, including Windows Update Cleanup and any Previous Windows installation(s).
Aim for at least 20 GB free on C:. See free up disk space when C: is full.

Step 6: Try the Reset from the Recovery Environment

Running it outside a live Windows session avoids apps and drivers blocking the process.

Hold Shift while clicking Restart from the Start menu power button.
Choose Troubleshoot → Reset this PC.
Pick Cloud download again if offered.
If you cannot boot at all, force-restart during the logo three times to reach the same menu — see how to enter Safe Mode in Windows 11.

Step 7: Rebuild WinRE from the Windows Image

Use this when reagentc /enable refuses.

Download the Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft on any working PC.
Double-click the ISO to mount it — note the drive letter, for example E:.
In Terminal (Admin):
```
reagentc /disable
```
Copy a fresh winre.wim into place:
```
xcopy /h E:\sources\install.wim C:\Windows\System32\Recovery\
```
If your ISO ships install.esd instead, skip to Step 8 — the in-place upgrade is simpler.
Re-enable and verify:
```
reagentc /enable
reagentc /info
```

Step 8: Do an In-Place Upgrade Repair Instead

This replaces every Windows file while keeping your apps, settings, and data — and it fixes the reset problem as a side effect.

Download the Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft and double-click to mount it.
Run setup.exe from inside Windows, not from a boot menu.
Choose Keep personal files and apps.
Allow 30-60 minutes. Full guide: reinstall Windows without losing data.

Step 9: Clean Install as the Last Option

If the goal was a wipe anyway, install fresh instead of fighting the reset.

Create installation media with the Media Creation Tool on another PC.
Boot from the USB drive and delete the existing partitions during setup.
This erases everything — confirm your backup from Step 1 is complete and readable before you start.
Step-by-step: how to clean install Windows 11.

What Not to Do

Don't retry the same failing reset repeatedly. Each attempt can leave more partial state behind.
Don't delete the recovery partition to free space. That is what reset depends on.
Don't wipe the drive before the backup is verified. Open a few of the copied files and confirm they actually open.

Still Not Working?

If cloud reset, WinRE repair, and an in-place upgrade all fail, suspect the drive. Check it with SSD and hard drive health — a failing drive causes exactly this pattern, and a clean install onto it will fail too.

How to Fix "There Was a Problem Resetting Your PC"