Hi again
There is an alternative to the "Reset", that might be just "what the doctor ordered". It is an in-place repair re-install of Windows 10. For this to work, you need to already have the latest build of Windows 10 ["Version 1151 (OS Build 10586.218)"] ... you can see what build you are currently using by right-clicking the Windows 10 Start Menu icon, selecting RUN, typing in
winver, and pressing
Enter). You then create a Windows 10 DVD, and use it to repair reinstall Windows 10. You create the Windows 10 DVD using the Media Creation Tool, which gives you the latest build ready for general release (not an "Insider" build). A repair reinstall, when it works, keeps all your personal files intact, and also keeps your currently installed programs and configurations. Hopefully, though, the permissions that you altered will get reset enough to fix things. Resetting permissions on your entire C drive, though, might in the end require a full Reset to undo: we'll just have to find out.
Create a bootable Windows 10 DVD
Go to the Microsoft Windows 10 website:
Windows 10
1) Once on the Windows 10 site, scroll down to the section "
Need to create a USB, DVD, or ISO?"
2) Click on the blue option button "
Download tool now"
Once the download is complete, double-click
MediaCreationTool.exe
3) "Getting things ready" will appear for a bit.
4) Agree to the License Terms by clicking on
Accept
5) "Getting a few things ready" will appear.
6) On the following screen, select "
Create installation media for another PC".
7) And click
Next.
8) Select your preferences:
language, Windows 10 version, bit-depth (the defaults are English, Windows 10, 64-bit)
9) Select
ISO file.
If the iso is created on a computer already running Windows 10, simply put a blank DVD in the optical drive, right-click the .iso file you created & select "burn disk image". Otherwise use a DVD burning capable program (Roxio, Nero, Sonic, CyberLink, etc.) to create the bootable DVD -- look for a "burn image" option. You must use that special command, because simply copying the file to a DVD doesn't make the DVD bootable, it must be written as a system image (otherwise it ends up as a normal storage DVD that happens to have an .iso file on it).
In-Place Repair Re-install of Windows 10
Once you have created the DVD, visit the tenforums guide to repair installing Windows 10. I've mentioned I perfer the DVD method - it is included in the several methods they discuss there. Here's the link to that guide:
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade - Windows 10 Forums
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I'd still recommend running a few diagnostics: at least for the hard drive & memory (just to be sure). Some computers have diagnostics built-in, which simplifies the whole thing. Check the user manual for your model computer.
Let me know if you have any other questions, and good luck
(I'm heading out to a client's office at the moment, but I'll revisit the forum again tomorrow)
