How do I take Windows 10 back to default settings

jayhawk714 · 01 Sep 2015

Okay all, here is my problem. I most likely should have done this to begin with. I have a program called CutList Plus. It's a program I use a lot for my woodworking. This program worked fine in Windows 8.1, however it will not open in Windows 10. In working will tech support I have tried running this as the Administrator and also reinstalled the program. When I click on the icon a screen comes up asking if I want this app to make changes to my PC. When I say yes a small rotating circle appears for a few seconds but nothing happens. When I told tech support this their answer was this :"The message that asks if you want the program to make changes to your PC is not normal. It indicates that your Windows account is configured with restricted permissions, so that CutList Plus is not allowed access to the Registry.

I recommend that you change your Windows account to an admin account, to remove those restrictions."

However, my account is an Administrator Account all ready so what I'm trying to do is go back to step one and start from the very beginning in setting up Windows 10.

Hope this clears things up a bit.

NavyLCDR · 01 Sep 2015

It does sound like a permissions problem.

If you don't mind losing everything on the computer (make a backup of what you want to keep) the best way to ensure all permissions are set correctly would be to do a complete clean install of Windows 10. I don't think a refresh or a "repair install" will fix the permissions problems. Make a Windows 10 install media (USB flash drive or DVD) using the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. Make sure you download the exact version of Windows 10 that you currently have installed.

Then you will boot the computer from the USB flash or DVD. Probably have to Press any key to boot from USB/DVD when asked. Click the Install Now button that appears. I can't remember the exact sequence that follows. I think it asks for a product key next, and you will click the tiny "skip" text. Then I think it asks for upgrade or custom install - select custom install and then I think advanced. You will get a list of all the partitions are your hard drive. Drive 0 if you only have one hard drive, and Drive 0 should be your system drive if you have more the one hard drive.

The next step will erase everything on that hard drive, including any restore partitions that might be used to restore your computer to a previous version of Windows. So make sure this what you want to do. Unless you have restore disks or a restore flash drive made, there is no going back from here. Select each partition and click delete. You should be left with one big unallocated space on Drive 0 and nothing else on Drive 0. Then you will click on the unallocated space and select that to install Windows to and let it go from there. It will ask you at least two more times for a product key. "Skip" or "Do this later" when it asks. Do NOT enter a product key! That's how you start over from absolute nothing.

One hint - once windows starts up, if you want a specific name for your user folder (like mine, I want John), then the first account you should create would be a local account with that name that you want. Then after you get into the local account you create (which will be an Administrator account), you can convert that account to your Microsoft account, if you want, and it will keep the first username as your user folder under Users.

jayhawk714 · 01 Sep 2015

Wow! This one program is not worth that hassle. I downloaded this program to an old laptop (which I installed Windows 10 as a test before installing it on my everyday laptop) last night it works just fine, so I will use it for my woodworking business. Just don't understand why it works with Windows 10 on one laptop but not the other. Maybe the cyberspace God's don't like me?? :)

On a more important note I want to Thank You Lieutenant Commander for your service. Welcome Home!

Duane Heda
US Army, Retired
Crewchief - UH-1H Huey Slick
A Company
9th Aviation Battalion
9th Infantry Division
Republic of Vietnam 1968-1969

FOR THOSE WHO RETURNED WITH THE LIVING
FOR THOSE WHO RETURNED WITH THE DEAD
FOR THOSE WHO NEVER RETURNED AT ALL
Michael G. Williams "Weird Willy"
Died After Tour, June 15, 1997