Refresh Windows 10

Faith · 24 Jul 2020

That's probably what I should've done, but I honestly thought this method would remove everything.

I think I'm just going to update them if there's a new version available, and let everything else be.

But not to bother you too much, do you update drivers, like ethernet, IME, chipset and audio, through the device manager, or do you run the setup files? If I run the executables that will usually make an entry in the remove/add apps list, so if I can avoid that using the device manager then I think I will, unless it can cause issues.

Brink · 24 Jul 2020

Faith said:

That's probably what I should've done, but I honestly thought this method would remove everything.

I think I'm just going to update them if there's a new version available, and let everything else be.

But not to bother you too much, do you update drivers, like ethernet, IME, chipset and audio, through the device manager, or do you run the setup files? If I run the executables that will usually make an entry in the remove/add apps list, so if I can avoid that using the device manager then I think I will, unless it can cause issues.

I do check the available drivers and firmware from device manufacturers (ex: motherboard) to see which versions they have available versus what's already installed, and then update as needed. I usually run their installation file.

Faith · 24 Jul 2020

Oki, thank you.

We decided to just let it be in the end. xD She's quite happy how it works now, and as a bonus there's no entries for device setups, read-me's or intel in her Start menu like before. So I'll call it a success.

Brink · 24 Jul 2020

Faith said:

Oki, thank you.

We decided to just let it be in the end. xD She's quite happy how it works now, and as a bonus there's no entries for device setups, read-me's or intel in her Start menu like before. So I'll call it a success.

Snugglebugs · 30 Apr 2021

I have been having trouble with this PC since around August 2020. The OS is stuck on the version that was put in place then and all Update attempts to move on to a later build fail. Now I am getting ready to try and fix it! I have waited this long in the hope that MS will manage to sort out the problem - many other customers have the same problem! I simply hide the failing updates as my PC generally is working fine.

The problem appears to be that unknown to me, MS installed Windows 10 Pro 20H2 version 19042.388 from the earlier 2004 build. As I say, I don't have the slightest idea where that version came from! It certainly was nothing I chose and was a shock when I recently found out.

I will now attempt one form of reinstall, or recovery, or repair`, or refresh, to get back to a state where updates work again! But before I do that, there is one part of all tutorials that confuses me. At the moment my SSD has the usual Windows partitions plus one. The OS is on C: so that is the one I need to "overwrite". All my non-OS files are on D: - a partition I created when originally installing Win10.

In tutorials it is often stated that all partitions are replaced with new ones created by the new Windows install. Does that ALSO mean my partition D: ? If so, how can I preserve it or will I have to accept it being deleted and have to reconstruct it?

Tony

Snugglebugs · 01 Sep 2021

Final(!) update. After experimenting with all suggestions for 8 months I still could not fix the OS problem so eventually went for the only method I hadn't tried. Acer, Intel and MS all agreed that the only definite solution was to do a clean install of Windows after first saving EVERYTHING on external storage. So I did. The PC crashed completely and every attempt got some way through the install before popping up a message telling me there is "something wrong with this computer" and cancelling the install. As Acer had agreed to take it back and check it out, I sent it off. They checked the whole machine and decided there might be something wrong with an Intel card so changed it. As usual they also put the whole thing back to factory condition so that I hade a wiped SSD and a fresh Windows install loaded.

I got it back in 5 days and dared to switch it on! The install OS message popped up as usual and everything worked. Except of course that none of my programmes and settings were there. Over the next couple of weeks I have added back everything without any hitch. Just a couple of XP programmes to reinstall from my saved files and I will be done.

Sorry we never found out what was wrong, but I can thank the Acer and Intel support people for their efforts. MS, not so much!
When I checked the OS version I found that the Pro version had reverted to Home even though I had been running my paid for Pro version since buying the desktop. MS couldn't provide a new license key! But eventually I got put through to Technical Support as a concessions to get free support. Almost two hours online with Quick Access eventually fixed it. Apparently the digital license system isn't as fool proof as MS claim!

Tony