The last major update (early December) downloaded and installed without errors or problems. Upon starting the PC the following day, I found extra icons on my desktop, start menu with extra icons, and many apps that I had previous remove reinstalled. But worst of all, all my privacy options had been reset to what appeared to be the default setting, i.e. all apps having full access to everthing listed in the "Settings" "Privacy" page. In one account after logon everything on my desktop was removed.
Any ideas what happened? It took so long to get Win10 configured like I wanted it and am wondering if this might happen again. If so I believe I will have to return to Windows 7 as I can't reconfigure Window 10 after all major updates.
Hi, it looks like you're talking about the 10586 'November upgrade' TH2 (or build 1511) upgrade. That's the first time MS has implemented a major update after the manner of installing Windows. You'll have a Windows.old folder, so .... if you actually wished to .. you could revert to the previous build via the Settings menu.
However, that's not going to take you forward, and MS will be releasing probably another two such upgrades next year... part of how they are now managing the product.
You will find (e.g.)
- your set file associations have been reset to default
- system restore is probably off
- a number of settings reverted to default
This is extremely annoying. One update subsequent to 1511 is supposed to restore the associations you formerly had.
Note that all change of assocations has to be done through the new Settings or the old Control panel- not through individual desktop programs' GUI. (That from Win 8).
We can only hope that MS will learn from the problems and improve the process.
Note this by contrast:
An in place upgrade repair install using a 10586 iso does NOT have detrimental effects as above.
So in one way, you get a complete refresh of your Windows with these upgrades.. potentially resolving problems. If MS can get this working painlessly (and 10586 caused a number a lot of pain) it will be advantageous.
For interest and future reference, and to act defensively:
O&O shutupoffers to set privacy settings to their recommended configuration
Also it has an Import and Export feature, so you can save your settings and restore them
Note that you can also save and restore your associations:
Default App Associations - Export and Import for New Users in Windows - Windows 10 blog
Thanks for the reply. I believe I'll wait for the next upgrade build and see what happens. If it is another fiasco, I'll go back to Win 7 until MS gets Windows 10 together.
Windows 10 has moved to service model and expect similar upgrades every 4 or 6 months.They say it was users demand !
Uninstalling universal apps is really rather pointless given the way MS will refresh the standard set on each major upgrade (not the minor windows updates). Further, if you do a repair install, they will be refreshed.
You can turn off some background activities in Settings. However, there is the question of which settings MS resets to default on the above events.
Considerable caution in changing privacy settings is needed, as Cortana is easily offended and not easily placated. (Sure, you may well choose not to use Cortana... but fiddling with apparently innocuous Settings can have side effects. A typical message resulting in Settings: 'Some settings are managed by your organisation'- in red as shown. Which is disconcerting and unobvious.
Recommendation:
- ignore most of the modern apps, ignore Windows search, replace the start menu with Classic Shell, turn on System Restore (and turn it on again after each major upgrade), use Win 10 as a classic desktop, and use disk imaging assiduously.
In place repair install can be really useful when all else fails and is relatively painless.
