How to Fix and Reset Windows Experience Index in Windows 10/11

Windows Experience Index (WEI) is a tool built into Windows that assesses the capability of your computer’s hardware and generates a score. This score can be used to determine if your system meets the minimum requirements for certain software or to compare the performance of different systems. However, sometimes WEI may encounter issues and fail to generate a score. In this article, we’ll explore how to fix and reset Windows Experience Index in Windows 10/11.

Accessing Windows Experience Index

To access Windows Experience Index, follow these steps:

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Go to “All Control Panel Items”.
3. Click on “Performance Information and Tools”.

Here you can view information about your system’s hardware and run the WEI tool to generate a score.

Fixing Windows Experience Index Issues

If you encounter issues with Windows Experience Index, such as it failing to generate a score or displaying an error message, try the following solutions:

Update Video Card Drivers

Outdated or incompatible video card drivers can cause issues with WEI. To update your video card drivers:

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Go to “System and Security”.
3. Click on “Windows Update”.
4. Check for any available graphics card driver updates (Intel Graphics, NVIDIA, or AMD Graphics).
5. If updates are available, click “Install” and wait for the installation to complete.

Scan System Files

Corrupted or missing system files can also cause WEI issues. You can use the System File Checker tool to scan and repair system files:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Type the command “sfc /scannow” and press Enter.
3. Wait for the scan to complete and check if the WEI issue has been resolved.

Disable Antivirus Software and Firewall Temporarily

Sometimes, antivirus software or the Windows Firewall can interfere with WEI. Try temporarily disabling them:

1. Right-click on the antivirus program icon in the notification area and select “Disable”, “Stop”, or similar options.
2. Open the Control Panel and go to “System and Security”.
3. Click on “Windows Firewall”.
4. Click on “Turn Windows Firewall on or off”.
5. Select “Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended)” for both private and public networks.
6. Click “OK” to confirm the changes.

After disabling the antivirus software and firewall, check if the WEI issue has been resolved. If not, you can re-enable them.

Resetting Windows Experience Index

If the above solutions don’t work, you can try resetting Windows Experience Index:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the following location: C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore.
2. Delete all the .xml files in the folder.
3. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
4. Type the command “winsat formal” and press Enter.
5. Wait for the assessment to complete and check if the WEI score is generated correctly.

If the issue persists after resetting WEI, you may need to seek further assistance from Microsoft Support or a qualified technician.