Factory reset in Windows 11 allows you to reset your PC to a fresh state, either keeping personal files or removing everything. However, many users encounter issues where Reset this PC fails, gets stuck at a certain percentage, shows errors like “There was a problem resetting your PC,” or simply does nothing.
In most cases, factory reset not working in Windows 11 is caused by corrupted system files, disabled recovery environment, Windows Update issues, insufficient disk space, or damaged recovery images, not a hardware problem. The steps below will help you fix the issue and successfully reset your PC.
How to Fix Factory Reset Not Working in Windows 11
Follow the steps in order. After each step, try resetting your PC again before moving on.
1. Restart Your PC and Try Reset Again
Temporary glitches can interrupt the reset process.
- Click Start > Power > Restart
- Let Windows 11 fully reboot
- Open Settings > System > Recovery
- Click Reset PC and try again
This clears temporary processes that may block reset.
2. Make Sure Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) Is Enabled
Factory reset relies on Windows Recovery Environment.
- Right-click Start and open Windows Terminal (Admin)
- Run the following command:
reagentc /info
- Check Windows RE status
- If it shows Disabled, enable it using:
reagentc /enable
- Restart your PC
If WinRE is disabled, reset will always fail.
3. Use Cloud Download Instead of Local Reinstall
Local reinstall often fails due to corrupted system files.
- Open Settings > System > Recovery
- Click Reset PC
- Choose Cloud download
- Select Keep my files or Remove everything
- Follow on-screen instructions
Cloud download uses fresh Windows files from Microsoft servers.
4. Run SFC and DISM Scans
Corrupted system files can block reset.
- Open Windows Terminal (Admin)
- Run:
sfc /scannow
- After completion, run:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Restart your PC
These tools repair system files required for reset.
5. Check Available Disk Space
Insufficient space can stop the reset process.
- Open This PC
- Check free space on drive C:
- Make sure at least 20–25 GB is available
- Delete temporary files if needed
Factory reset requires extra working space.
6. Reset Windows Update Components
Reset uses Windows Update services internally.
- Open Windows Terminal (Admin)
- Run the following commands one by one:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptsvc
net stop msiserver
- Restart your PC
- Try resetting again
Broken update services commonly cause reset failures.
7. Start Reset From Windows Recovery (Advanced Startup)
Sometimes reset works only from recovery mode.
- Open Settings > System > Recovery
- Under Advanced startup, click Restart now
- Go to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC
- Choose reset options and continue
This bypasses issues inside the running Windows session.
8. Disable Third-Party Antivirus Temporarily
Security software can interfere with reset.
- Temporarily disable third-party antivirus
- Make sure Windows Security remains enabled
- Start the factory reset again
Re-enable antivirus after reset is complete.
9. Create a New Windows User Account and Try Reset
User profile corruption can block reset.
- Open Settings > Accounts > Other users
- Create a new local administrator account
- Sign in to the new account
- Try resetting the PC
If it works, the original profile was corrupted.
10. Use Windows 11 Installation Media (Last Resort)
If reset keeps failing, reinstall Windows manually.
- Create a bootable USB using Windows Media Creation Tool
- Boot from the USB
- Select Install Windows
- Choose Custom install
- Reinstall Windows 11
This guarantees a clean system when reset fails completely.
Final Thoughts
Factory reset not working in Windows 11 is usually caused by corrupted system files, disabled recovery environment, or broken update components, not hardware failure. In most cases, enabling WinRE and using Cloud download reset fixes the issue quickly.
Before resetting, always back up important data. If reset fails repeatedly, reinstalling Windows using official installation media is the safest long-term solution.
