My computer won't allow me to completely reset it

[Arlonz]

I'm hoping someone can help me with a problem I'm having. I want to do a full reset on my home-built PC but the 'Reset this PC' function will not work. It says "Windows has a problem resetting your computer: no changes has been made". I then tried to use the Windows Refresh Tool but got a message saying "There was a problem running this tool" and gave the error code 0x80072f76 - 0x20016. I had more than the 3GB required free space and had an internet connection. I chose the 'Nothing' option to delete everything. I have an SSD drive with Windows 10 Home that was installed on a store bought USB drive.

I've had the computer for about a year and a half and noticed some funkiness so I want to go full fresh start up.

Any ideas why I'm failing and how I can fix it?

 

[SchizTech]

You can achieve a similar result by installing from the USB again, but choosing the existing partition and not formatting the drive. What the installer will do is move the existing stuff into "Windows.old" and install a new copy. Either way your programs would need to be re-installed and you can save your files (only in the manual method I'm describing you'll have to manually go into "Windows.old/Users/[yourusername]" to retrieve the files.

If those files don't matter, then you might as well format. You won't need the key again since Windows 10 activations are remembered by the Microsoft activation servers. Grab an 8 GB USB drive and get the latest version of Windows 10 from here

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

 

[jojesa]

Try this and see if it will allow to reset the PC afterwards
Go to Settings>Update & Security>Recovery>Advanced startup, hit Restart now.
Select Troubleshoot>Advanced options>Command prompt.
If asked, select the administrator account and provide the credentials for it.
In the Command Prompt window, type 'cd %windir%\system32\config' hit enter.
Type 'ren system system.001' hit enter.
Type 'ren software software.001' hit enter.
Type 'exit' hit enter and reboot.
Try resetting your PC again.

Also you could clean install Windows 10 using the latest Media Creation Tool as SchizTech suggested, and you won't have to download a bunch of updates after resetting your PC.

 

[Arlonz]

The files don't matter. I've saved everything of consequence on a separate drive. Does the MediaCreationTool format the drive as well or simply overwrite the existing OS? I'd rather format the drive to ensure any nastiness is removed...but I'm not entirely certain of the exact method used to achieve this. I've looked at enough different sites and threads before posting my question that I'm afraid I've thoroughly confused myself and would rather be thought a fool than proceed thinking I know what I'm fully doing. I have no problem reinstalling from the USB I purchased when I built the computer and updating all the files from Microsoft afterwards as long as I get the fresh start.

 

[SchizTech]

The media creation tool will let you create a copy of the most recent installer image on a bootable medium (USB or DVD). You can use the same stick as before but let the media creation tool place an updated image on the drive. Then boot from that stick as before and when presented with the drive selection, delete everything and let windows create a new partition. When it asks for the key, select "I don't have a license key." Since your PC has an activation stored in the cloud it will automatically re-activate once it gets online.

Be ready to re-install drivers (though Windows 10 will automatically update many of the drivers within a few minutes of starting up the first time) and programs.

 

[jojesa]

Also remove any other drives connected to your computer, you don't want to delete data from the wrong disc. Just leave the disc where windows will be installed during the setup process and after you could plug other discs back.

 

[Arlonz]

Unfortunately, I got the same message 'There was a problem running this tool' for the media creation tool after it attempted to verify the download.

This is why I feel that the only way to fix the issue would be to wipe it all but I should have mentioned that I currently only have the one SSD installed that has the OS on it. I tried the format option before in File Explorer on the drive but it wouldn't allow to as it states I wouldn't be able to use the computer afterward(little surprise). The only thing I can imagine *might* work would be Samsung Magician as it's supposed to erase the SSD(I believe) or might I not be allowed to use it for the same reason I couldn't format the drive(renders the computer inoperable)

Now that I knew the media tool won't work is there are way around this?

 

[SchizTech]

If you still have the original software on the USB drive you used before, use that (then update Windows later)

 

[jojesa]

Unfortunately, I got the same message 'There was a problem running this tool' for the media creation tool after it attempted to verify the download. ...Now that I knew the media tool won't work is there are way around this?

Could you use another computer to create the media creation tool using a USB drive.