Table of Contents
- Worried about a broken Windows reset? How to safely fix “Reset this PC” after the August update without painful data loss
- What Computers Are Affected by This Problem?
- Microsoft’s Emergency Fix Updates
- For Windows 11 Users
- For Windows 10 Users
- How to Install These Fix Updates
- Should You Install These Updates Right Now?
- What These Updates Actually Fix
- Important Things to Remember
Worried about a broken Windows reset? How to safely fix “Reset this PC” after the August update without painful data loss
Microsoft released special fixes for Windows computers after their August 2025 update broke important repair tools. These updates help your computer work better when you need to fix problems.
The August 2025 security updates caused serious problems. When you tried to use “Reset this PC” or “Fix problems when using Windows Update,” these tools would stop working. Your computer would start the reset process but then give up and undo all changes.
What Computers Are Affected by This Problem?
This issue affects many Windows computers:
- Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2 with update KB5063875
- Windows 10 version 22H2 with update KB5063709
- Windows 10 Enterprise and IoT versions from 2019 and 2021
The good news is Windows 11 24H2 users don’t have this problem.
Microsoft’s Emergency Fix Updates
Microsoft quickly released special “out-of-band” updates to fix these problems:
For Windows 11 Users
- Update KB5066189 fixes Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2
- Build numbers: 22621.5771 and 22631.5771
- Released August 19, 2025
For Windows 10 Users
- Update KB5066188 fixes Windows 10 version 22H2
- Build numbers: 19044.6218 and 19045.6218
- Also released August 19, 2025
How to Install These Fix Updates
These updates appear as optional downloads in Windows Update. Here’s how to get them:
- Open Windows Settings
- Go to Update & Security
- Click “Check for updates“
- Look for the optional updates section
- Download and install the fix for your Windows version
You can also download these updates directly from Microsoft’s Update Catalog if needed.
Should You Install These Updates Right Now?
Microsoft says you should install these fixes if:
- You tried to reset your PC and it failed
- You plan to use recovery tools soon
- You want to avoid problems when fixing your computer
- You can skip these updates if your computer works fine and you don’t need to reset it.
What These Updates Actually Fix
The emergency updates solve several broken features:
- Reset this PC – Lets you reinstall Windows while keeping your files
- Fix problems using Windows Update – Repairs Windows without losing data
- RemoteWipe CSP – Allows IT teams to reset computers remotely
All these tools now work properly after installing the fix updates.
Important Things to Remember
These are not security updates. They only fix the broken reset and recovery tools. Microsoft combines these fixes with their earlier August security updates, so you don’t need to install anything else first.
The updates require your computer to restart after installation. Once installed, your reset and recovery options will work normally again.
Microsoft learned from this mistake and now tests updates more carefully to prevent similar problems. If you haven’t installed the August update yet, Microsoft recommends installing these fixed versions instead.