Registry backup

[Boggin]

Did you shutdown then reboot after removing the .old folder and did you not do the attrib WindowsApps -h cmd after, as the folder is hidden.

When you did the restore, did that take you back to before you copied the folder over from the other computer or do you have a restore point that will ?

I think the Windows Repair program should repopulate the folder when it does the store repair.

[oldgray1938]

I did a shutdown and reboot. 
Nope I would have had to drop back more than 3 months to ensure a clean restore point.
After the clean out of Wwindowsapps restore points worked going forward.  Prior to today restore points did not work period.
Going to try windows repair program but first create a restore point.
Here goes!

[Boggin]

Yes I know - it sounds like a Catch 22 with restore points if they will work.

Rather than trusting to restore points I'd create a system image onto external media, but the program will auto create a registry back up prior to running the repairs, although you can do that manually to be sure.

[oldgray1938]

Hi once more.  Ran the Tweak repair it did not fix the problem.   I am not able to select default apps from each apps' drop down menu.  Not sure what to try next. I actually have an image from before I started all of this where restore points did not work but I could recover an image.  Have to see what my friend suggests.  If you have any other ideas that I could try to get the default apps changed to what I want and to get the 43 apps showing as available.

Thanks for all of you ideas so far.
Paul

[Boggin]

I'd use the system image and then go through the procedure again to rename WindowsApps to .old and then delete .old - you've had plenty of practice

[oldgray1938]

Once we delete the windowsapps.old folder and reboot the computer is windows supposed to create a new windowsapps folder and repopulate it as though it were a new install?  I never got at new Windowsapps folder.

[Boggin]

When I put a search in for WindowsApps I'm no longer getting a single entry of the folder but reams upon reams of files which appear to be dynamic with the list refreshing, so I would assume mine has been created and repopulated.

I don't know why yours isn't.

You could open a Command prompt (Admin) and enter these cmds to see if it will reinstate it -

dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup

This can take a while to run.

dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

This one appears to hang at 20% but will complete.

sfc /scannow

To see if it reports any file corruption and then see if you have your WindowsApps folder back.

However, if they don't do it then I'd use your system image so that you are starting from scratch.

If you had done the rename cmd in reverse as I'd suggested before deleting the .old you would have had the original back.

[oldgray1938]

OK here is when I am right now.  After going through many reworks I found that my system image grew from ~62/GB to 92 which was crazy.  I ran a program WinDirStat to try to figure out where the files grew by over 30 GB.  Could not determine what grew.  I have now gone back to the last image from the 15th which was only ~62 GB.  Restored that image and then removed the WindowsApps folder completely following your instructions.  There is no Windowsapps folder but when you look under programs there is an apps section with five apps.  Must be a default setting of Windows 10.  The five apps Contact, Cortana, Microsoft Edge, Settings and Connect.  These  work when you click on them.  There are seven others that have white icons.   If you click on these icon nothing happens.

I have found by searching the net via Google a website with instructions on how to repopulate WindowsApps.  The address of the site is www.download3k.com/articles/How-to-Restore-the-Store-App-Windows-10-after-removing-it-01404.  They have three methods on how to do it.  I expect to try method 3.  This one calls for using a Windows ISO disc.   I will keep you posted on how it goes. 

Have a nice weekend.

Paul

[Boggin]

That 3rd one is a repair install.

[oldgray1938]

This time I followed your note to the letter.  Everything completed without finding or fixing any errors. 
I guess we will try option 3 on Monday.

[Boggin]

Okay - hope it works.

I've occasionally done a repair install on my other upgraded Win 10 laptop when it didn't seem to be running as it should.

[oldgray1938]

Well here is the latest.  I deleted all of the folders under Windowsapps.  Next I copied the folders under the WindowsApps from my healthy ASUS Windows Home Premium to the WindowsApps of the sick computer.  I am using that one now.  I went through a refresh and reboot.  When the system came up there were icons under the Apps icon under programs and when I clicked on a number of the ones that I would be interested in using they actually executed.   

Afterwards I had done a few things I should not have and had to do a recovery from my last EaseUsToDo image.  On the image there were two partitions C and an unnamed partition.  As an experiment, instead of doing a recovery, I opted for a System Transfer.  At the end of the transfer there is now only the C partition on the PC.  Need to check with my computer expert friend coming here today if I really should do a recovery not a transfer so that the unnamed partition is on the boot hard drive.

Now running your tweaking program to see if I screwed anything up in the last few days.

Thanks for you help,
Paul

[Boggin]

Was that a 450MB recovery partition that you got rid of - Win 10 puts that on.

[oldgray1938]

Yes I think so but I have never had the occasion to use it nor do I know how to use it.  Right now only a C partition on the drive.  So far windows has not put it back on the drive.

[Boggin]

That 450MB partition allows you to go into the recovery environment should you need to repair your system.

http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-delete-the-450-mb-recovery-partition-in-windows-10/

I don't know if a repair install will reinstate it but I would advise you to restore with the image which will put it back on.

[oldgray1938]

Well here is the latest.  Tried to see if restore points were working.  Tested a restore point created with no changes.

Next tried to use that restore point to recovery to less than five minutes old.  Got the same old error message that the restore failed due to problem with WindowsApps. 

Next tried to delete all old restore points by disabling restore points.  Rebooted the system and then created a new restore point and then attempted to use that restore point.  System restore failed again with the same error pointing to the Windowsapps again.

Now creating an image of C only since that is all that is there.  Once done I will try a recovery of only C as my means of saving my but.  Till Microsoft fixes the WindowsApps  problem I will use the long and safe method to recover.  What i do for recovery is copy the image from the storage drive on my Diskstation to an internal Raptor drive and then recovery using EaseUStodo  Home v10. Sending this now since when I reboot this will be lost.

[Boggin]

You don't want to overwrite your previous image until you have restored with it to get the 450MB recovery partition back.

[oldgray1938]

OK followed your advise.  Now have the 450 MB partition back  on the drive, WindowsApps work but restore points do not work.   Will wait on trying to fix restore points next week.  When the restore points fail the error message points to Windowsapps.

At the very least now I can do a full image recovery and forget about restore points.

[Boggin]

You can use Option 5 in Windows Repair to create registry back ups and restore from those if required, but regular system images onto external media are always the best fall back.

Having restored from an image that pre-dates the WindowsApps renaming will set you back to where the restore points will fail and citing that as the cause.