Troubleshoot Reset This PC

NavyLCDR said:

Try creating a new local user account. Change account type to administrator. Log in to the new local user account and see if the problems persist. It could be your user account is corrupted, not the Windows install.

This miserable Windows 10 doesn't let you add a new account from Control Panel/User Accounts. It wants you to do everything from PC Settings. If I go into User Accounts and click Manage another account, and then click on Add a New User in PC Settings, nothing happens. At the top left of the screen, just to the right of Manage Accounts it will put the phrase (Not Responding), which is there for a second, and then.... nothing. All probably for the same reason that the Start Button, Search and Notifications don't work.

You can try the built-in administrator account:
Administrator account - Enable or Disable in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

NavyLCDR said:

You can try the built-in administrator account:
Administrator account - Enable or Disable in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

At least there's a glimmer of light. I enabled the Administrator account, logged into it, AND the Start Button works. Hooray!
But... I clicked Settings, Accounts, Other Users, and then clicked Add Someone Else to This PC. I am getting something - but it's just the blue circle. For close to 10 minutes. If I move the mouse off the clickable box the blue circle goes away. Moving it back into that box then does nothing unless I re-click, which again show the blue circle, etc, etc.

I used Windows Key + R, and typed control userpasswords2. This let me create a new local account.

I made that new local account an administrator, de-activated the Administrator account and copied the desktop icons from the corrupted account to the new local account. Everything seems to be working, except that I'm always getting this UAC box to come up (when I open an elevated command prompt, for example). It shows me the new account with a Password box. Since I didn't create a password for the new local account, I just have to hit enter. Never had to do this before.

boweasel said:

Everything seems to be working, except that I'm always getting this UAC box to come up (when I open an elevated command prompt, for example). It shows me the new account with a Password box. Since I didn't create a password for the new local account, I just have to hit enter. Never had to do this before.

The UAC prompt is normal. That is the protection against Trojans and viruses from performing actions in the background as administrator.

NavyLCDR said:

The UAC prompt is normal. That is the protection against Trojans and viruses from performing actions in the background as administrator.

I realize that. It's the password box that I've never seen before.