Alex Ruben
How To Resolve the “There Was a Problem Refreshing Your PC” Error
If you’ve seen the nagging “There was a problem refreshing your PC. No changes were made” message pop up, you’re not the only one. This kind of error kinda stalls your system recovery, leaving you scratching your head. It often happens when system files are corrupted or some Windows component gets wonky. The good news? There are a few tricks that might get your PC back to normal without you losing your personal stuff. This method works with Windows 10 and 11—at least most of the time.
Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator
This is kinda mandatory because you’re gonna run some system-level commands that can’t be executed without admin rights. On some setups, if you try to run these commands without opening Command Prompt as admin, it just won’t do anything.
- Hit the Windows key or click that Start button.
- Type
cmd— don’t hit Enter yet. - Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
- When the UAC pops up, click Yes.
Now you should see a black window with admin rights. Make sure it’s open, or the next steps won’t work.
Step 2: Run the System File Checker (SFC)
The SFC tool looks for corrupted system files and tries to fix them on the fly. On some machines, it’s a miracle worker—but other times, not so much. Still, it’s a good first step to check if a corrupted file is causing your refresh troubles.
- In that Command Prompt window, type
sfc /scannowand hit Enter. - Relax and wait. It can take like 10-15 minutes sometimes. Yes, patience is key here.
You’ll either see it fix stuff or tell you there’s some corruption but no fix possible. If it’s the latter, no worries—there’s more to try.
Step 3: Run the DISM Tool
This one’s the big guns. DISM is designed to repair Windows images and fix deeper issues that SFC can’t handle. Think of it as a reset for your Windows system files.
- After the SFC scan finishes, type
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealthand press Enter. - Let it go—it might take a while, maybe 10-20 minutes. You’ll see progress updates or just a blank screen, which is normal.
On some setups, this step fixes the underlying corruption that stops refresh from working. On others? It kinda fails silently. Still, it’s worth trying—because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary.
Step 4: Restart Your Computer
If those scans did something, it’s time to reboot—because apparently, that’s what Windows wants. This is when all the fixes get actually applied. Sometimes a reboot is all it takes.
- Click the Start menu, then hit Power.
- Select Restart.
After reboot, give it a whirl and see if the error still pops up. Sometimes, after all that, the problem seems to vanish. At other times, you’ll need to dig deeper.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
If it still refuses to cooperate, here are some other tricks:
- Make sure your system is fully up to date: Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Sometimes, updates patch bugs that cause these refresh issues.
- Try doing a system restore, if you’ve got a restore point from before this mess started. Head to Control Panel > Recovery and pick a restore point. Yeah, it’s a bit of a hassle but sometimes fixes things faster than trying to fix corrupt files manually.
- Lastly, if nothing works and you’ve backed up your essential data, consider a clean install. It’s a pain, but it’s the surefire way to clear out corruptions that refuse to die.
Conclusion
While it’s kind of jerky that Windows errors like this happen, fixing them usually isn’t too complicated once you run these checks. Running SFC and DISM addresses most common system corruption issues that block refresh. Keep your system updated regularly and run these commands whenever strange errors pop up—sometimes they fix issues before they even come back. Fingers crossed this helps exhaust the options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the SFC and DISM scans do not fix the issue?
If they don’t, it might be time to look at more advanced repair options, or consider a clean install after backing up everything. Sometimes, corruption is just too deep.
Can I lose my data by refreshing my PC?
Usually, refreshing keeps your personal files safe, but it’s a good idea to back up important stuff anyway. Because, of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary.
Is this guide applicable for both Windows 10 and 11?
Most of these steps are the same for both OS versions. But keep in mind, some menu paths might be slightly different depending on your version—so peek around if something doesn’t match exactly.
Summary
- Open Command Prompt as administrator (Run as administrator)
- Run
sfc /scannow - Run
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth - Reboot and see if the problem’s gone
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Good luck!