Factory reset

[Hunter142]

I started my factory reset last night at about 7pm and it’s still running now and it’s at 99% and no error messages.Should I force stop it or just wait longer?

[Raj_05]

Hi @Hunter142,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It’s not uncommon for a factory reset to take a long time, especially if you chose to fully clean the drive or if the system is dealing with underlying issues. However, being stuck at 99% for an extended period may indicate a problem.

Wait a bit longer:

• If the reset is still progressing (you can hear the hard drive working or the system is not frozen), give it more time. Sometimes it may seem stuck at 99%, but it might be finalizing processes.

Check for activity:

• Look for signs that the system is still working:
  • Is the hard drive activity light blinking?
  • Is the fan running or slowing down occasionally?
• If there are signs of activity, avoid interrupting the process.

If it seems frozen (no activity):

• Force restart: Hold the power button down for 10-15 seconds to turn the laptop off.
• Turn it back on and see if the reset resumes or if it boots to the setup screen. In some cases, it may pick up where it left off.

If it fails to restart properly:

• Boot into Windows Recovery by pressing F11 (or ESC + F11) immediately after powering on the laptop.
• From the recovery menu, choose the reset option again.

Perform a clean install if needed:

• If the factory reset cannot complete, you can create a bootable Windows installation USB using another computer and reinstall Windows manually.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4

HP Support