Windows 10 refresh

[rab]

My PC is getting like me - slow.

Whereas for mei t's age related and I just have to accept it,

I understand there are options to speed up tired PCs.

I don't really want to do a full reinstall but I understand

there's a refresh option with Windows.

It keeps all the files but removes any programs

which have been added.

I haven't had the greatest of success

with previous 'major ' PC changes and am

more than a little nervous about attempting this,

but the current speed it's running at is driving me nuts.

 

Has anyone done a refresh and how did it go

[D9020 Nimbus]

It's straightforward provided you still have all the registration keys for the programs you want to re-install and the time to re-install them…

[2mmMark]

Fortunately there are readily available free tools which can read and retrieve registration keys.  Worth doing even if you're not going to refresh Windows 10.  I need to do a refresh on my ACER Spin 1 which came with all sorts of useless extra software installed but at the moment it's working reliably, so adopting the old IT adage "if it's not broken, don't fix it", I'm letting well alone for now.

WIndows 10 is a reasonably OK operating system but it's still potentially the traditional Microsoft house of cards. Perhaps now with some additional blutac holding things together.

An alternative way to speed up a PC is to use Linux.  Both my older desktop PCs are now dual boot, Windows and Linux Mint.  Mint is so much quicker and seemingly more efficient as the cooling fans rarely come on wheras they frequently do in Windows.  It's fairly easy to make a bootable Linux USB stick which will enable the system to be tried out without having to install it. There are enough similarities with Windows to make usage straightforward. 

Installing it was impressive.  Both Linux installs found every bit of hardware connected (scanner, printer, all the internal cards etc.) and made it work, including connecting to the home network and network printer.  In about 20 to 30 minutes maximum.  Windows installation by comparison can easily take a couple of hours or more.

I've been a confirmed Windows user since version 1 but I'm very much warming to Linux, especially now the Windows software market is moving towards an annual rental model.

Mark

[Mike Buckner]

Windows Fresh Start
- Windows Fresh Start is a facility in Windows 10

- Windows Fresh Start resets your PC
  - it removes all installed programs from your PC apart from a shortlist of Microsoft-approved programs
    - and presumably removes corresponding registry entries
  - programs removed will include:
    - third-party anti-virus software
    - some Microsoft programs not on the approved list
      - e.g:
        - Microsoft Office
        - Microsoft OneDrive
        - Microsoft Visual C++
        - Edge ?
  - on completion, it creates a document, with a link on the desktop, called "Removed Apps"
  - the document, in HTML format, lists all the programs uninstalled
    - in some cases a courtesy link is displayed to the vendor's site
  - if you actually want some of the uninstalled programs, you will have to re-install them
    - using the vendor's distribution
      - Fresh Start does not keep any re-installable components, all is deleted
  - most windows settings are returned to their default condition
  - you can choose to keep all your personal documents and any other personal files, or remove them completely

 

Purposes:
  - restoring the PC to as-new state
  - in a brand-new PC, removing crapware
  - preparing a PC you give/sell to someone else

 

To invoke the Windows 10 Fresh Start Tool:
  - Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Device performance & health

- afterwards, there will likely be a lot of further downloading of updates after installation

 

Links:
https://uk.pcmag.com/operating-systems/85396/how-to-clean-up-windows-10-with-the-fresh-start-tool
https://uk.pcmag.com/windows-xp-2/118555/how-to-factory-reset-windows-10

 

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Mike Buckner
spelling

[2mmMark]

I've just remembered Belarc Adviser, which is a program that examines your PC and reports on its configuration.  In the report will be a list of installed programmes and their serial numbers.

Mark

 

[Hroth]

4 minutes ago, 2mmMark said:

I've just remembered Belarc Adviser, which is a program that examines your PC and reports on its configuration.  In the report will be a list of installed programmes and their serial numbers.

Mark

 

 

I used Belarc Adviser well over a decade ago and it was quite efficient, I didn't know it was still going!

 

[2mmMark]

1 minute ago, Hroth said:

 

I used Belarc Adviser well over a decade ago and it was quite efficient, I didn't know it was still going!

 

Yep, still there and free for personal use!
https://www.belarc.com/products_belarc_advisor

Mark

[Zomboid]

9 hours ago, 2mmMark said:

An alternative way to speed up a PC is to use Linux

I tried that for a while. Nice enough operating system, but the lack of support for pretty much any programs meant it didn't last long.

 

I gave up when support for streaming video from the likes of iPlayer ended and I couldn't do that any more.

 

Have things improved since then?

[Izzy]

A Win 10 ‘refresh’ isn’t much different to a re-install, just it keeps all personal files and all your system settings, wi-fi connection etc, so they don’t need re-doing. The only real advantage is it might get rid of programs and settings you no longer use and won’t re-install, but otherwise I’m not sure it will speed up your PC on it’s own. And if you use other than Edge as your browser then that will go too, all bookmarks etc.

 

One of the biggest hoggers of resources are temporary files generated by browsers. Regular cleaning with something like crap cleaner might be just as advantageous as doing the refresh, maybe more so.

[zarniwhoop]

2 hours ago, Zomboid said:

 I gave up when support for streaming video from the likes of iPlayer ended and I couldn't do that any more.

 

Have things improved since then?

For me, get_iplayer works fine for downloading TV shows from iplayer (but not for radio).

[2mmMark]

11 hours ago, Zomboid said:

I tried that for a while. Nice enough operating system, but the lack of support for pretty much any programs meant it didn't last long.

 

I gave up when support for streaming video from the likes of iPlayer ended and I couldn't do that any more.

 

Have things improved since then?

It would appear so. I'm running Linux Mint 19.3 32 bit as that suits the two older desktop PCs I have.  There's no shortage of good applications and the base install comes with a decent suite of them. I can also run quite a few Windows applications using WINE by simply running the exe file from the installed location.  BBC iplayer and Youtube both work OK via Firefox.

My former employer had a serious look at Linux as a possible desktop replacement for Windows XP but in the end, opted for Windows 7 and Office 365, aided I suspect by a good deal from Microsoft.  (Refreshing an estate of over 35,000 PCs isn't like turning a supertanker, it's much more difficult!). I left in 2015 so I don't know what they're on now, possibly Windows 10 but I wouldn't be surprised to find they're still running 7

Mark

 

[melmerby]

Maybe some are more easily satisfied but I never found that Linux would give you all the bells and whistles on programs that you get with a commercial OS

I have tried it several times but always end up back at Windows.

I regularly use a hi-res scanner and the Linux scanner apps could not replicate the commercial one supplied (and since updated) for my scanner.

 

I used dual boot with GRUB but it failed on two different installs leaving me with non booting PCs

I was able to repair the boot into Windows but Linux was then inaccessible.

 

My last dual Windows/Linux install was on two separate disks and booted from swapping start up disk in the Bios startup.