Simple: Thank you for putting out Windows Repair Free. It works - PERIOD! :-)

[Rex]

Thank you so much for putting out this application (do we not say "program" anymore?).

Now for the story (feel free to skip this):

Old OS: Windows 7
Recent OS: Windows 10, 1511
Current OS: Windows 10 Home (64 bit--or is that redundant?), 1607 Build 14393.351 (I think that's the correct build number)

Also, keep in mind: I am *not* an IT person, programmer, developer, etc., just a consumer pc user who can't afford to pay other people for computer help (or, most of the time, even for software).

So, I took advantage of the free upgrade to Win10 from Win7 around February 2016.  What a PITA.  So many issues with the software, it really was a Beta (and honestly, it still is considering all of the update headaches that so many people (100,000s?  MILLIONS???) have--completely inexcusable on the part of Microsoft).

Anyway, over time, and after a few update/upgrade releases and a zillion tweaks and mods (like running Classic Shell because Win10 Start Menu is awful), it runs the way *I* want it to run.  BTW: this involved going through the long process of giving myself complete Administrative rights/permissions (it's a lot more involved than just a checkbox) so I wouldn't always get those "Administrators Only" messages and outright blocks.  Although, given the age of my laptop pc and it's older Intel core i7 (1.6GHz) and 4GB RAM, boot time had deteriorated to a whopping 5-1/2 MINUTES (!), despite countless time learning what services to disable and how, removing startup items and background software updating apps (if you use a program once a month or less, do you really need it to constantly check for updates?  no), running untold number of utilities, AV (Avira)/malware (Malwarebytes) programs, etc., that's what I was stuck with.  Okay, everything at least worked.

But, of course, who among us can maintain the status quo with our computers?

First, release 1607 came out and the update effed everything up, requiring countless hours of online research and trial and error to repair MICROSOFT's Win10 Apps, Cortana, Start Menu and other features (seriously, I don't ever remember this happening with WinXP all the way through the 2014 EOL-no-more-updates) or Win7).  Fine, eventually, I got it fixed BY MYSELF.

Then, this past week, a program I use wanted to upgrade BUT it wouldn't upgrade without Windows Media Player 11 or higher (which is 12 and then there is no more).  Except WMP is not part of Win10.  BUT it is supposed to still be accessible through one of the internal menus (I've already forgotten which!).  But it wasn't there.  It wasn't anywhere on my pc, just some even older versions that were part of my old WinXP backups.

I research this, try and try stuff, and can't get it done.  Eventually, I use Microsoft's online help chap, and a very very GOOD tech support person helps me get this done (and another thing, which, I also have already forgotten because of all of the other merde' that's happened.  SHE (yes, let's acknowledge the many women techs) made some recommendations for speeding up my pc, one of which was upgrading to 1607.  She promised me it would work now (after I explained my prior experience with it and going back to 1511).

So after ending the chat, I did the update.

HUGE EFFIN' MISTAKE! (almost entirely, but there is a shining exception that I'll get to near the end)

It deletes Classic Shell that *I* installed (did I authorize that?  NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) which I use for all of my program access (well, plus some things on the Taskbar and Desktop) AND it tells me that it has also deleted MS Works (yes, it's a legacy program, but sometimes I find it useful) which I also did NOT authorize (BAD BAD MS!!!!) AND now I can NOT find WMP 12 which was the original issue AND ALL OF THE Win10 Apps have STOPPED WORKING (though, oddly, Cortana, Edge, and Notifications were still working).  Other stuff is messed up, too.

So, more MS Chat, and ANOTHER run at the update that fails to resolve the non-functioning Win10 Apps.   Followed by MORE MS Chat (if you ever do this, make sure you write down the session number--they *will* actually read the prior notes and can send your issue back up to higher level tech support if necessary).

What do they want me to do?

A "clean install" of Win 10.

If you don't know, that means NOT saving all of your data (docs, photos, etc.) OR your programs, settings, etc.   Which is a seriously all-out "nuclear" option to solve a problem that THEIR update caused to one of the key features they touted regarding Win10 -- the Apps and the Windows App Store.

This is a Big, Giant, Humongous NO EFFIN' WAY AM I GOING TO DO THAT!!!!!  Really?  You (MS) have no other solution to the problem that YOU created with your more-bugs-than-the-Amazon-rainforest Win10 Anniversary Update (aka 1607, latest build--even after numerous changes from its original release)????

Also, I'm "traveling" and my backup HDD is 800 miles away, plus, I don't have copies of some of the software or license keys that would be needed to reload/get the programs to function.

More online research, more research.

FINALLY, and I forget which site, in a comment to an article, someone recommends Tweaking.com - Windows Repair free version (and you thought I'd never get to the point!).  I do some due diligence (is it safe? effective? malware? cost? features? KNOWN on multiple, reputable websites?), download it, install, and start reading and following ALL of the directions VERY CAREFULLY.

It takes a LONG time with all of the tests and rebooting and not skipping any steps (a total of about 5 hours).  NOTE: once you get to the actual Repair process, it does say that it can takes minutes or hours and that no estimated time of completion will be calculated or shown.  AND, the directions say that best results will be obtained by running it twice (DO THIS--why take a chance that some repairs might not get done if you're spending all of this time to fix your pc?).  First run (after running all of the pre-tests), took about 2-1/2 hours.  The second time, it took about 1-1/2 hours.  It is fully automated, so read a book, exercise, watch tv, go to sleep, but you don't need to sit at your pc and click on "okay," "next", "I Agree" boxes.

Be Very Patient when booting up your PC after each Repair run! The first time took about 15 minutes (I think), I was really wondering if I should press the power button and shut it off and reboot it again.  Glad I didn't.  Then, my pc ran REALLY slowly, like about 1/60th to 1/100th the normal operating speed.  I couldn't find any resource hog in Task Manager.  After the second run, it still booted slowly but faster and the computer ran better, but still a little more slowly.

And?

The Win10 Apps worked again!  A Frickin' Miracle!  (well, not really, that's part of what Windows Repair does...)

And, after making some changes in Win10 Settings and some other changes, and then after rebooting again (a "quirk" of Windows that sometimes an extra reboot or two--NOT "restart", but shut off and "cold" boot--will reset some stuff), my PC boot time dropped from 5-1/2 minutes to TWO AND A HALF! Yea!!!!

There were still some issues (Edge did not have an unpin option on the Taskbar--but yet more research revealed a nuclear option that removes ALL the Taskbar icons (bad) but saved again by a comment that I could do this with...Classic Shell that I had finally been able to restore (that was an ordeal in itself; and still, the old "as-soon-as-you-move-off-of-the-Taskbar-"open app icon"-that-the-app-disappears-before-you-can-move-your-mouse-pointer-to-it --- didn't I already select somewhere to automatically jump to the app?  why do we even need to select something to do this obviously desired thing???).  Also, apparently, MS, in all their lack of wisdom, have removed the ability of users to disable the initial lock screen image, so now I have to hit a button in order to get to my actual password-protected Win10 login screen.  But those things have NOTHING to do with any problems with Windows Repair.

Bottom line: Tweaker.com - Windows Repair is 100% effective, safe and a great product.

Thank you again.

[Boggin]

I don't know why 1607 removed MS Works for you - it didn't for me.

If it's less than 10 days since you upgraded to 1607 from 1511 then you can roll back where Works should be reinstated from the Windows.old folder.

If this is an OEM machine and Works came preinstalled then there are two folders you can copy onto an USB Flash drive.

One is in Windows C: and the other is in Program Files (x86).

The one in Windows C: is the install batch file which when you open you will see the Application to run.

Upgrade to 1607 again and when done you can put those two files back where you found them then use the batch file to reinstall Works.

I've copied Works onto two laptops from the original one by this method, although it may have helped that all three are Toshibas.

[Rex]

Oops, I forgot the follow-up re: "removal" of Microsoft Works:

So: Upon booting up after the SECOND 1607 install, there was a Notification message that MS Works was uninstalled.

Later, after managing to get Classic shell reinstalled, the MS Works folder was in the Programs list and so were the *functioning* links, so it wasn't lost.

But I did get the message.

Also: even after the first 1607 install, there were NO System Restore points (and I make one before every software install and upgrade) and there was nothing for Win10 to rollback to.  However, I did note in the end that when I ran Windows Disk Cleanup, it did show a 19.8GB-ish entry for prior Win build, but when I just checked, it's gone (and I know I didn't check it to have it deleted).

The rollback feature AND System Restore have NEVER worked since I originally "upgrade" to Win10.  I can make all the Restore Points I want, but it always fails (and stupidly, I keep trying...)

Ahh, the never-ending joys of Microsoft's OS!

[Boggin]

If System Protection is enabled and the restore points aren't sticking then there is another problem, but Win 10 turns off System Protection by default which you will be able to check when you go to System Protection and click on Configure.

System Protection was probably turned off from upgrading to Win 10 and even if you had re-enabled it, it will have been turned off after upgrading to 1607.

These aren't updates but upgrades to a different version of Win 10 and I agree, Win 10 is still a Beta and should never have been released as soon as it was.

I think MS just wanted to put as much distance as possible from the disastrous Win 8.

You may be able to get Windows Update to sort your Windows Media Player by going to Start - type appwiz.cpl - press enter then Turn Windows features on or off - expand Media Center then uncheck the box for WMP and then re-check it, but a number have been opting to use VLC as an alternative.

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.en_GB.html

You may have to make that the default program.

[Rex]

Okay:

I was just trying to express gratitude to the makers of Windows Repair.

I don't need any further assistance at this point--I've gotten everything working the way I want it to work (for now...), thank you very much.  ***Actually, after writing the next couple of paragraphs, I realized that I *do* have a couple little questions!  Please see below, thanks more! 

I didn't need WMP--a third-party program wanted an updated version in order to update itself.  Why?  I don't know.

I use System Restore so much that it is pinned to my Taskbar.  When the first (actually, it was the second) 1607 upgrade happened, it wiped out all of the pre-existing Restore Points.  And, System Restore, every time I have run it in Windows 10, has failed to complete or properly set things back (at least that's my recollection).

I was wrong--there is a "new" c:\windows.old.  But I'll just leave that there (all 29GB of it) until it self-deletes in another 28 days.

I've set Networks > WiFi > Metered Connection to "yes" to stop the automatic updates install.

QUESTIONS/Comments:

1) I am annoyed that in Win10 Home, they have taken away the ability to turn off the initial Lock Screen that appears during booting before I can access the login screen.  I don't need to see any apps or messages here--if I want to know things like the weather, etc., I can do that on my smartphone a lot faster.  A LOT faster.  I wish they would stop giving us "features" that *they* think we want with actually doing the slightest bit of market research.

2) I have lost the "delay time" between selecting a running app on the Taskbar and being able to move the cursor to it without it disappearing.  "Hover" seems to make them disappear immediately upon moving the cursor off of the Taskbar if the apps aren't full screen (as well as Cortana--rollover the icon, type in a search, then, as soon as I move the cursor, Cortana goes away), which leaves using the Ease of Access Center option to completely turn off Hover as the only option (under Make the mouse easier to use).  Or am I just not finding that delay time option somewhere else?


3) What happened to the option in Settings > System > Notifications to control what system icons (like Volume, Battery, etc.) I see on the right side of the Taskbar?  And why not tell us (the users) that we can drag those icons to the "Show hidden icons" feature if we want to see them just not all the time?  Why can't I hover over the Notifications icon to make that open?

4) Ferfeckssakes, how do I turn off the damn Windows Defender notification since I am using a third-party AV and firewall that automatically load at startup?

5) Why do I now get a Notification EVERY time I make a change to an app?

At least I learned how to give myself TRUE administrator rights (well, as much as Home lets a person have) and how to change the damn File Explorer default when dragging a file to "move" and not to "copy."  Win10 has enough anti-stupid warning screens already ("Do you really want to delete that?  Are you sure?  You need to be an administrator to do that--do you want to have that right?  Okay--now, are you sure you want to delete that?"  and "Oh, you're opening a program--do you want to allow it change settings?"  I'M JUST OPENING A PROGRAM THAT *I* INSTALLED!!!  *AND* IT ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE ANY SYSTEM SETTINGS!!!!)

And that's that.

Have a great day, everybody.

[Boggin]

When restore points aren't successful in normal mode, then try them in Safe Mode as a 3rd party antivirus can baulk that and in that mode, all 3rd party programs are isolated.

The 28 days only related to the initial free upgrade to Win 10 - from 1511 to 1607 that has been reduced to 10 days before Windows will auto remove the new Windows.old folder.

Win 10 upgrades do tend to turn off System Protection which removes any restore points because they are for a different version of Win 10 - so after any upgrade, always check that System Protection is on.

I don't have a MS account or use a password so I am able to turn the Lock Screen off.

While there is a link to this in Settings for the mouse controls, go to Devices and Printers and check the mouse settings in there.

I normally just go to Start and type where I want to be.

Go Start - start to type reliability until View reliability history is highlighted then press enter.

You can click on any red crosses or info for the days these are marked to check if any of the upgrades have installed a new driver for your mouse.

If so then it may allow you to roll it back, but it could be as a result of what is in the upgrade - I've had and still have a hell of a problem with IE 11 which is my main browser since the upgrade to 1607.

I also miss the Win 7 method of displaying the icons in the system tray, but as long as the basic ones are there, then that will do me.

As for Windows Defender, your 3rd party AV program may not be starting as quickly as it should be, in which case, WD will be active.

Quite often after booting up I will get notification alerts for antivirus and firewall and when I double click on my Norton Security icon, I can get a window that says Loading... before the UI comes up.

This may be why you are also seeing bits about WD.

When you are loading a program or changing anything, you will always get the UAC pop up regardless of whether you are logged in with an admin or standard user account - it's a safety feature, although you can disable UAC but that's not recommended.

I think I've covered everything