Windows 8 Reset / Refresh PC Error – Insert Media

If for some reason, you get this error when trying to Refresh or Reset your PC to an earlier time or factory setting,

There is hope for you!

After toiling for days trying to what put this client’s brand new Windows 8 laptop in this accursed state, I finally literally stumbled or fumbled into the solution.

I read different post of how to get this issue sorted including using the scn command in the command prompt window; adding the install.wim file into the root C: directory and running the strange command in the CMD as administrator. Nothing worked. (Please do try these other options as well, if mine happen not to work for you)

So here’s what happened for me:
– I started the hopeless routine of going to the General section in the Change PC Settings window (found at the bottom of the Charm pop up on the right – when you move your mouse to the right corners or swipe in from there)
– Then I clicked, like I had done a million times before, on Reset PC or Remove everything completely (or something in that line).
– Predictably, it popped out the Insert Media error. Although this time, I was trying to copy something onto the laptop via a flash or thumb drive and immediately I slotted it in to the port, I got a message to plug in the laptop so the process could continue!

Eureka!!! The solution came to me… Here it is:

I quickly copied all the Window 8 files from and installation CD on to the flash drive (make sure you have an 8 GB capacity because Windows 8 is more than 4 GB in size) from another computer because the sick one didn’t have a disk tray (if you have an installation disk that came with the PC, you might not have issues with this as the process might complete with the appropriate disk in place).

Then I started the process again and inserted the flash drive at the point Windows said Insert Media….
30 minutes later, I was done configuring a freshly minted OS on the laptop.

I hope this someone who doesn’t have a windows recovery disk and for some reason, the PC refuses to perform a reset without this massively annoying hitch.