Windows 10: All links to programs lost - started with clean slate?

When I booted my computer up, it told me I had to log out. When it came back up and I logged in it was as if I started WIndows with a new slate - nothing was loaded or set up? My data is still out there on the hard drive, so that is not an issue. But, all programs were like brand new and not linked to the data. Why would it lose all my programs and settings?


All progams are like I just loaded them from scratch and nothing has been set up. It's almost like it thinks it is a complete new machine. If I go to the system restore, it has nothing to restore.


I am running on a MAC using bootcamp. I am not sure if an update would do this or what would cause it to just start over. Could it be a virus?


Has anyone else experienced this?

:)

 

Best way to keep vista clean and healthy

Yeah just caught it there.

I'm going to attempt to have a step by step guide on how to use these programs efficiently.

 

Lost default photo viewer after profile rebuild

Thanks Brink. I've tried those steps before i started searching Google. After the profile rebuild i don't have the Photo app listed to choose to make it default in either the system settings for default apps or the Open With option.

I can't even find it doing a search. Seems to have been removed somehow with the profile rebuild, which doesn't make sense.

Might be helpful to list what i've done I've done the open with check, the choose default program in the system menu, tried that in device manager default programs also. I've checked the programs and features Turn windows features on/off and it's not listed there (never thought it was but that was a suggestion), searched the MS Store, it's not listed there either.

I don't like playing in the registry unless i have defined steps and haven't found anything for this yet, just the Win7 version like in my OP.

 

LOST WINDOWS 10 START MENU

After trying all suggested fixes, I finally was forced to use Windows Recovery under Settings to reload the full system. I lost all non-Microsoft applications but recovered the start menu. Though this was a painful, no other suggestions worked.

Windows created an HTML file listing all programs that was deleted and that was very helpful for reinstalling mt lost programs.

Thanks to everyone for their effort, perhaps Microsoft will discover the root cause of so many who are losing the Start menu and can prevent it in the future.