Cannot reset Windows PC

[Bfking23]

I’ve been trying to reset my computer to factory default because I’am unable to download a Windows update, however my PC isn’t even letting me reset, I’ve tried a few different ways and it just keeps saying there was an error and nothing changed.

[keskparane]

Are you out of disk space?

[aisle9]

If you can't install a Windows update and it won't let you reset, your OS is probably shot. First, find another drive, USB thumb drive, whatever, and get the files you want to keep off of that PC. You might not have to wipe everything, but if your OS is on its deathbed, getting the important stuff off and safe is priority one.

 

Next, open a command prompt as an administrator, and type the below exactly as it appears:

/sfc scannow

 

This will run for a while and show you a message. If that message is that there were no system integrity violations, or that it was able to repair them, you can try again with the update. If it tells you that there are corrupted files it can't repair, RIP your OS.

 

If it gets to that point, you can try to do a system restore to a point before you tried to install that Windows update and run sfc /scannow again to see if it comes back clean. If that doesn't work, your next best bet is to wipe the drive and reinstall Windows.

 

In the future, it's best to never touch the Windows Update button. Too many patches that come out break things, and it's the people who are constantly installing Windows updates that get those patches first and get screwed the hardest.

[Bfking23]

1 hour ago, aisle9 said:

If you can't install a Windows update and it won't let you reset, your OS is probably shot. First, find another drive, USB thumb drive, whatever, and get the files you want to keep off of that PC. You might not have to wipe everything, but if your OS is on its deathbed, getting the important stuff off and safe is priority one.

 

Next, open a command prompt as an administrator, and type the below exactly as it appears:

/sfc scannow

 

This will run for a while and show you a message. If that message is that there were no system integrity violations, or that it was able to repair them, you can try again with the update. If it tells you that there are corrupted files it can't repair, RIP your OS.

 

If it gets to that point, you can try to do a system restore to a point before you tried to install that Windows update and run sfc /scannow again to see if it comes back clean. If that doesn't work, your next best bet is to wipe the drive and reinstall Windows.

 

In the future, it's best to never touch the Windows Update button. Too many patches that come out break things, and it's the people who are constantly installing Windows updates that get those patches first and get screwed the hardest.

I tried the command prompt and it said it was not recognisable, so how would I wipe the drive and reinstall Windows? Because I’ve had enough of this problem and I don’t mind factory resetting the computer 

[aisle9]

23 minutes ago, Bfking23 said:

I tried the command prompt and it said it was not recognisable, so how would I wipe the drive and reinstall Windows? Because I’ve had enough of this problem and I don’t mind factory resetting the computer 

First, use the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's site and an 8GB USB flash drive (bigger works if that's what you've got) to create a USB installer for W10. Then get any and all data you want saved off of the drive and backed up somewhere else. Make notes of programs, settings, even your desktop, anything that's going to make life easier after the wipe. Take screenshots if that helps.

 

After you have everything you need off of there, shut down the PC, plug in the USB drive, then press the button for the boot menu and run the USB drive. Once you're in there, go through the steps to install Windows. When you get to the "choose a location" page, wipe and delete each partition one by one until all you're left with is unallocated space. Click on that empty space and click "New", then let Windows set up its partitions and finish the installation. Let Windows finish installing, then set up your PC and never touch the "Check for Updates" button again.

[Bfking23]

1 hour ago, aisle9 said:

First, use the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's site and an 8GB USB flash drive (bigger works if that's what you've got) to create a USB installer for W10. Then get any and all data you want saved off of the drive and backed up somewhere else. Make notes of programs, settings, even your desktop, anything that's going to make life easier after the wipe. Take screenshots if that helps.

 

After you have everything you need off of there, shut down the PC, plug in the USB drive, then press the button for the boot menu and run the USB drive. Once you're in there, go through the steps to install Windows. When you get to the "choose a location" page, wipe and delete each partition one by one until all you're left with is unallocated space. Click on that empty space and click "New", then let Windows set up its partitions and finish the installation. Let Windows finish installing, then set up your PC and never touch the "Check for Updates" button again.

I just tried this method and I can’t thank you enough for helping me, this was the most unknown and annoying thing that’s happened, and you completely fixed it, thanks for the help and details. 

[Bfking23]

2 hours ago, aisle9 said:

First, use the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's site and an 8GB USB flash drive (bigger works if that's what you've got) to create a USB installer for W10. Then get any and all data you want saved off of the drive and backed up somewhere else. Make notes of programs, settings, even your desktop, anything that's going to make life easier after the wipe. Take screenshots if that helps.

 

After you have everything you need off of there, shut down the PC, plug in the USB drive, then press the button for the boot menu and run the USB drive. Once you're in there, go through the steps to install Windows. When you get to the "choose a location" page, wipe and delete each partition one by one until all you're left with is unallocated space. Click on that empty space and click "New", then let Windows set up its partitions and finish the installation. Let Windows finish installing, then set up your PC and never touch the "Check for Updates" button again.

Would you happen to know how to find my HDD again, I can only see the drive that Windows is installed on but I also had a HDD that is not showing up in file explorer now.

[aisle9]

7 hours ago, Bfking23 said:

Would you happen to know how to find my HDD again, I can only see the drive that Windows is installed on but I also had a HDD that is not showing up in file explorer now.

Are you sure Windows did the partitioning right? There should be 2 or 4 partitions before it installs. I've had Windows 10 install itself onto unallocated space before and the results were...weird.