start screen change after update to 1709

Greetings
I had to go back to December 1 due to a problem I could not resolve, losing 1709 back to 1703.
Now I updated again to 1709 with few problems:
1) my start screen is not the picture it used to be butt a screen with time & date. I have to click on the screen to get my usual picture screen. How do I get rid of the first screen?
2) I could not delete windows.old even after "taking ownership" and using C: disk cleanup + system cleanup.
After my previous update I could without any problem delete windows.old. Can anything be done about it, or I have to give it a day or two and retry? In addition to that C: added 10GB and I couldn't find from where since Users looks as it was.
3) Can I survive without OneDrive, Windows Defender, and Windows Firewall? (I already neutralized them)
thank you

one problem solved: windows.old was deleted by checking "previous windows" in C; system cleanup
C: regained it's previous volume.
In personalize --> lock screen I set get fun facts etc to off and changed app to sgow detailed status to "none"
but I still get time & date blue screen before picture screen.
please help
thank you

zivshosh said:

3) Can I survive without OneDrive, Windows Defender, and Windows Firewall? (I already neutralized them)

OneDrive certainly isn't required if you don't use it.

You also don't need a software firewall either assuming you use some sort of home router to connect to the internet (which you do or you wouldn't ask).

Defender though you'd be best off replacing with some other AV if you get rid of it. Otherwise you'll get infected almost immediately with some decade old malware. Perhaps from plugging in someone's USB key (or using the internet) but you will. Something that frankly any AV would have stopped. Try Avast (or something else) if you don't like defender and smartscreen for some reason.

Thank you lx07 for your quick answer
Indeed I trust my router but I don't believe it (or any other firewall program) provides a perfect shield.
But I'm on internet since '94 and nothing serious happened
As for the defender I prefer Kaspersky
I don't have any problem to pay yearly for an AV since I believe it is part of the OS (as the defender is trying to be)

zivshosh said:

As for the defender I prefer Kaspersky

That is fine too - I use Defender . I only meant having no AV at all might be risky. I'm not saying Avast is better - I don't know. If one product was clearly superior everyone would use it :)

zivshosh said:

1) my start screen is not the picture it used to be but a screen with time & date. I have to click on the screen to get my usual picture screen. How do I get rid of the first screen?

It's not really called the 'start screen'. Your first screen with the date/time is called the Lock Screen. Click on it to clear it and you get to what you call 'my usual picture screen' and Microsoft call the Sign in Screen.

If you want to go straight to the sign in screen at boot, one way is to set windows to automatically sign you in at start. If you set this up, but do not give the correct password it will stop at the sign in screen until you type your password. If you set it up with your password as well you'll go straight to your desktop at start up.

Sign in User Account Automatically at Windows 10 Startup

Thank you Bree for your quick answer.
When I click on the solid color lock screen I get a demand for password on the same screen (and I like my entrance to be non-automatic)
I set personalize --> lock screen to present a picture, set cortana etc to off and set application to show detailed status to none.
What am I doing wrong?
thank you

Greetings
After I updated to 1709 I have one problem:
My start screen is not the picture it used to be but solid color a screen with time & date. A click on the screen yields the sign in screen, again on solid color and not a picture
here are parts of personalize window:




what am I doing wrong?
thank you

Sorry AddRAM but I did not quite understand what do you mean be re-customize
if you mean change an option in Personalize--> Lock Screen and change it back - I've done it few times in numerous options
restarted and nothing
and yes! win10 is fun!
thank you