I used the Reset this PC option in Windows to completely wipe an older computer before selling it. The process appeared to finish, but now the computer briefly shows a Welcome screen, flashes a restarting message, shuts down, and repeats the cycle. I have an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, 16 GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA RTX 2060. I have limited computer experience, so I'd appreciate clear, step-by-step instructions for getting out of the loop and completing a clean Windows installation.
2 Answers
Yes, the reset loop can be bypassed because the PC can boot directly from installation media instead of trying to start the damaged installation on its internal drive. Use another computer to make the installer USB, then choose the USB from the startup boot menu or change the boot order in BIOS/UEFI. If the installer offers repair options, you can try those first, but since the goal is to sell the machine, a clean installation is usually simpler. Don’t delete partitions on a separate secondary drive unless you specifically intend to erase that drive too.
The most reliable fix is to create a Windows installation USB using another working computer. Download Microsoft’s official Windows Media Creation Tool, use it to prepare a USB drive of at least 8 GB, then start the affected PC and open the BIOS/UEFI boot menu—often by repeatedly pressing Delete, F2, F11, or F12 immediately after powering it on. Select the USB drive as the boot device. In Windows Setup, choose a custom installation and delete the partitions belonging to the old Windows installation before installing to the resulting unallocated space. Be very careful to select the correct internal drive, especially if the computer has more than one drive. This process won’t affect the other computer used to create the USB, but any files on the selected PC’s drive will be erased.
So I can boot from the USB and reinstall Windows even though the PC is stuck restarting? Do I only need the USB drive and another working computer?
Got it. I’ll make the installer on another computer and make sure I select only the drive I want to wipe during setup.