I started a factory reset on my PC to reinstall Windows because I discovered multiple bitcoin miners and a Trojan on it. It's been stuck at 99% for quite some time; it briefly got stuck at 33% for 10 minutes, then zipped to 99% in about 2 minutes. Should I wait it out, or is there something else I need to do?
2 Answers
Factory resets can be really tricky and often lead to issues like this. Instead of relying on the factory reset, I recommend going for a clean install of Windows. It's usually more reliable. If you're able to get out of the current situation, make a Windows installation USB using the Media Creation Tool. It works for both Windows 10 and 11, and you only need at least 16GB on the USB stick.
Definitely a frustrating spot to be in! If it’s stuck at 99%, it might make sense to try turning it off by unplugging it. After that, you can reboot and hopefully access your BIOS or boot options to proceed with a clean installation from that USB you create.
Thanks for the advice! I’ll give that a try.
Got it! But if I need to stop the reset now, how should I do that? Just unplug it?