Reset This PC Stuck at 99% – Real Fix That Works

Quick answer: Boot from a Windows USB installer, open Command Prompt, run diskpart, then clean the drive, and reinstall Windows. That's the fast way for advanced users.

You start a Reset This PC – keep files or remove everything – and it gets stuck. Could be at 12%, could be 61%, most often it's 99%. The screen sits there for hours. The spinning dots keep going but nothing changes. This happens because Windows can't touch certain system files while they're in use, or there's a driver that blocks the reset process. The real trigger is often a recent Windows update that left junk behind, or a failing hard drive sector. I've seen it on Dell Inspirons and HP Pavilion laptops running Windows 10 version 22H2. The fix isn't waiting longer – it's forcing a clean install.

What You'll Need

• A second computer to create a Windows installation USB
• A USB drive (8GB or bigger) – everything on it gets erased
• 15-40 minutes of time
• Your Windows product key (if the license is tied to hardware, you might not need it)

Step 1 – Create a Windows Installation USB

1. On another PC, go to Microsoft's download page.
2. Click "Download tool now." Run the Media Creation Tool.
3. Accept the license terms.
4. Choose "Create installation media (USB flash drive)." Click Next.
5. Select your USB drive from the list. Click Next.
6. The tool will download Windows and make your USB bootable. Wait for it to finish – you'll see "Your USB flash drive is ready."

Step 2 – Boot from the USB

1. Plug the USB into the stuck PC.
2. Restart the PC. As soon as you see the manufacturer logo (Dell, HP, Lenovo), tap F12 (or F2, F10, Esc depending on your model) repeatedly.
3. You should see a boot menu. Use arrow keys to select your USB drive. Press Enter.
4. The Windows setup screen appears – blue background, white text. That's good.

Step 3 – Open Command Prompt and Clean the Drive

1. On the setup screen, press Shift + F10. A black command prompt window opens.
2. Type diskpart and press Enter. After a moment you'll see DISKPART>.
3. Type list disk and press Enter. You'll see your drives listed. Look at the Size column – your main drive is probably Disk 0. Be sure – don't pick a USB drive.
4. Type select disk 0 (replace 0 with your disk number if different). You'll see "Disk 0 is now the selected disk."
5. Type clean and press Enter. It runs for a few seconds, wipes all partitions. You'll see "DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk."
6. Type exit twice to close both prompts.

Step 4 – Reinstall Windows Fresh

1. Back at the Windows setup screen, click "Install now."
2. If it asks for a product key, click "I don't have a product key" – Windows will activate later from your hardware if it's tied.
3. Choose the edition (likely Windows 10 Home or Pro). Click Next.
4. Accept the license terms. Click Next.
5. Choose "Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)."
6. You'll see one big "Unallocated Space" entry. Select it. Click Next.
7. Windows creates partitions and installs. It'll restart a few times. Let it finish.

Step 5 – Verify and Restore Your Files (If You Chose Keep Files)

Wait – this is important. The clean command wipes everything. If you had files you wanted to keep before the stuck reset, they're gone now. That's the trade-off. If you need those files, stop here and boot from a Linux live USB (like Ubuntu) to copy files off the drive first. Then come back and run the clean. I always say: before any reset, back up to an external drive. But if you're reading this, you're probably past that point.

Alternative Fix – Try a Clean Boot First

If you don't want to wipe everything, try this before the USB route:

1. At the stuck reset screen, force shut down by holding the power button 10 seconds.
2. Boot into Safe Mode: turn on PC, as Windows logo appears, hold power button again to interrupt. Repeat 3 times. On the fourth boot, you'll see "Automatic Repair" screen.
3. Click Advanced Options -> Troubleshoot -> Advanced Options -> Startup Settings -> Restart.
4. After restart, press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode.
5. In Safe Mode, open Settings -> Update & Security -> Recovery -> Reset This PC. Try again. It often works because no extra drivers are loaded.

Prevention Tip – Don't Let Updates Stack Up

This stuck reset almost always follows a failed Windows update. To stop it happening again: don't let updates pile up. Once a month, go to Settings -> Update & Security -> Windows Update and install pending updates. Restart regularly. If an update fails (you see a yellow triangle), run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. And check your drive health – download CrystalDiskInfo (free) and run it. If it shows yellow or red, replace the drive before trying any reset.

"I was stuck at 99% for 6 hours. This fixed it in 20 minutes." – That's what a user told me last week. The clean install works because it bypasses whatever Windows broke.

One more thing: after the fresh install, run Windows Update a few times. There'll be drivers and cumulative updates to download. Let them finish. Then you're good.