How To Reset Data Usage in Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide

Monitoring network data usage may seem straightforward, but get into it for a bit and you’ll notice glitches, inaccurate counters, or just plain old data that refuses to reset. Especially if you’re on a capped plan or recently switch networks, hitting a “stuck” or blank data counter can be annoying. The usual method of checking the built-in Data Usage page sometimes doesn’t do the trick or the stats just stop updating. So, here’s the nitty-gritty on how to actually reset or clear that data, whether through Settings, command-line commands, or even batching it all together for automation. I’ve dealt with this myself, and yeah—it’s kind of weird that Windows makes it so tricky sometimes. But, with these methods, you should be able to start fresh or troubleshoot why your counters aren’t showing right anymore.

🔧 How to Reset Network Data Usage in Windows 11

Method 1: Reset Data Usage via Windows Settings

Honestly, this should be enough for most folks. It’s simple and built right into the GUI—no messing with commands.

Open Settings by pressing Win + I. If that’s too quick, click on the Start menu and head here manually.
Go to Network & internet and then click on Data usage.
From there, pick the network adapter you want to reset—like Wi-Fi or Ethernet—using the dropdown in the top corner. Sometimes, this isn’t super clear, especially if you have multiple adapters, but you gotta pick the right one.
Scroll down to the bottom and click the Reset button that’s there. Confirm if prompted. This resets data counters for that adapter. Repeat for each network if needed.

Why it helps: Clears the current usage stats, so you can start measuring from zero, especially after switching plans or troubleshooting weird counters.

Quite straightforward, but on some setups, you might need to restart the PC or toggle your network adapter outright to see it actually reset.

Method 2: Reset All Network Data with Command Prompt

For the command-line junkies or if you want to reset everything system-wide without clicking a bunch of buttons, here’s how:

Open Windows Terminal (Admin)—either right-click the Start button and pick it, or search “cmd” and run as administrator.
Type this command and hit Enter:

net stop DPS & DEL /F /S /Q /A "%windir%\System32\sru\*" & net start DPS

This basically stops the Diagnostics service, deletes the logs that track your data, then restarts the service. It’s a little brute-force, but it works.

Expect it to take a few seconds to finish, then your counters should be reset mainly everywhere.

Why go this route? It’s effective if counters are stubborn or if you messed with some system files. But beware—if you’re not comfy with command lines, it’s better to stick to the GUI.

Method 3: Automate Reset With a Batch Script

Feeling lazy or want a reusable solution? Automate this using a batch file. I did this once on a machine that kept forgetting to reset counters after updates—which was kind of frustrating.

Open Notepad, paste this code:

powershell -windowstyle hidden -command "Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList '/s, /c, net stop DPS > NUL 2>&1 & DEL /F /S /Q /A \"%windir%\System32\sru\*\" & net start DPS > NUL 2> &1' -Verb runAs"

Save as reset_data_usage.bat. Make sure to choose “All Files” in the Save dialog and include the.bat extension.
Right-click that file and pick Run as administrator. It’s usually quick, and after, counters should be reset system-wide.
Optional: Use Windows Task Scheduler if you want this to run on startup or fixed intervals; just point it to your batch file and set the trigger.

This saves you from having to run commands manually every time. Just double-click or script it during maintenance routines.

🛠️ Troubleshooting When Data Counters Are Missing or Broken

If your data usage info looks blank or just doesn’t update, here are some quick things to check:

Check the Diagnostic Policy Service

Type services.msc into Run or the search bar, and open Services.
Find Diagnostic Policy Service. Double-click it.
Set the Startup type to Manual or Automatic if it isn’t already. Click Start if it’s stopped.

This is the service responsible for troubleshooting diagnostics, which includes network logs. If it’s off or misbehaving, your usage stats might not show properly.

Run System File Checker & DISM

Corrupt system files can totally mess with these counters. Run these commands in an elevated Command Prompt:

sfc /scannow

Followed by:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Yes, it’s a hassle, but it repairs system files that Windows relies on for accurate reporting. Sometimes, that’s what it takes to get the counters to behave again.

Fixing Broken Settings App

If your Settings app is acting flaky or missing entirely, run this PowerShell command:

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers Windows.immersivecontrolpanel | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_. InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

This re-registers the Settings app, which can be corrupted or incomplete on some builds. Not sure why it works on one machine and not another, but it sometimes does the trick.

Create a Fresh User Account

If all else fails and the counters are still tanking, sometimes it’s easier to create a new user profile or reset Windows. Old settings or user profiles can get corrupted in weird ways, causing all sorts of weirdness with data stats.

📊 Bonus: Set or Remove Data Usage Limits

If you’re on a metered connection and want some control over how much bandwidth gets used, here’s how to handle limits:

Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Data usage.
Click on Enter limit or Edit limit.
Pick your options: set the limit (e.g., 50GB), choose a reset cycle (monthly or one-time), and click Save.

To remove the cap, just hit Remove limit. Windows then warns you as you get close, but at least you know where you stand.

✅ Wrap-up

From resetting counters in the Settings to running some quick PowerShell script or even a batch file, there’s a way to clear that stubborn data usage info. It’s mostly a matter of figuring out what’s broken—whether it’s a service, a system glitch, or some weird cache—and fixing it. Usually, it’s not super complicated once you get your head around the tools.

Hopefully, this helps someone avoid the frustration of inaccurate or stuck data counters. It isn’t always obvious, but once you know what commands or settings to poke at, managing bandwidth becomes a lot less of a headache.

Summary

Reset data counters via Settings or command-line commands.
If counters are missing, check related services and system files.
Use batch scripts for automation if needed.
Set data caps if you’re on limited plans to avoid surprises.

Wrap-up

Managing network data in Windows 11 can be awkward sometimes, but these methods should cover most scenarios. Whether you just want a fresh start or need to troubleshoot persistent issues, there’s an approach for that. Fingers crossed this helps, and happy bandwidth monitoring!