Fix NS_E_BACKUP_RESTORE_TOO_MANY_RESETS (0XC00D2766)

What's Going On With This Error?

I ran into NS_E_BACKUP_RESTORE_TOO_MANY_RESETS (0XC00D2766) last week on a client's Windows 11 machine. They'd been playing around with backup settings, resetting and restarting backups, and suddenly they hit a wall. The error is simple: Windows Backup tracks how many times you've reset it, and after a certain number (usually around 10), it locks you out. The fix isn't complicated, but you can't just keep clicking reset. Here's the order I use.

The 30-Second Fix: Restart Backup Service

This works about 20% of the time. Don't skip it—it's fast.

1. Hit Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll down to Windows Backup service. Right-click it and select Restart.
3. Also restart Volume Shadow Copy service—backup needs that one.
4. Try running your backup again. If the error's gone, you're done.

If you see the same error, move on. Don't bother rebooting—that almost never fixes this specific code.

The 5-Minute Fix: Reset the Reset Counter in Registry

This is the real fix for most people. Windows stores the reset count in the registry, and you can zero it out.

Warning: Back up your registry first. Right-click the key you're about to edit and choose Export. If something goes wrong, double-click that file to restore it.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Backup\BackupRestore

   If that path doesn't exist, create the BackupRestore key yourself.
3. In the right pane, look for a DWORD named ResetCounter. If it's there, double-click it and set the value to 0. If it's not, skip this step.
4. Close regedit and try your backup again. The error should be gone.

Had a client last month whose entire print queue died because of a similar registry issue—this fix cleared it right up. No idea why Microsoft puts a hard limit on resets, but here we are.

The 15+ Minute Fix: Delete and Recreate Backup Catalog

If the registry tweak didn't work, the backup catalog itself is corrupted or has a stuck counter that registry can't touch. You'll need to nuke it and start fresh.

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to:

   C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Backup\catalog

   You might need to enable hidden files: View tab > Show > Hidden items.
2. Delete everything inside the catalog folder. Don't delete the folder itself—just the files inside.
3. If you can't delete a file, it's in use. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), find Windows Backup process, right-click, and select End task. Then delete.
4. Now go to Settings > Update & Security > Backup (Windows 10) or System > Storage > Advanced backup options (Windows 11).
5. Click More options and scroll down to Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Yes, that's the same tool—click Restore my files and cancel it. This forces a catalog rebuild.
6. Go back and start a new backup. It'll act like the first time.

If that still throws the error, you've got deeper corruption. Run sfc /scannow from an admin Command Prompt, then DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Both of those take 15+ minutes alone. But I've never seen it get past the catalog delete if the registry fix didn't work.

One last thing: if you're on a corporate network with Group Policy, your IT admin might have set a hard limit. Check gpedit.msc under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Backup. But for most home users, the registry fix above is all you need.