Windows 10: Can't access my pictures and files after performing factory reset to disk C.

I just want to reset my pc, and I wanted to keep some of my important folders that are located in Disk C, So I moved them to another Disk I had and before doing the reset I unplugged the other Disk so only disk C get cleaned, after I installed windows I plugged my other disk back and kept it to use it for later, now some of files of the disk are accessible but other ones with golden lock next to it i can't access. Please help these files have important information!

:)

 

How to perform Factory Reset?

Hi Saif,

Thank you for contacting Microsoft Community. I understand that you want to know how to perform Factory Reset. I will surely help you with this.

To understand the issue better, I would need more information from your end.

• What is the make and model of the computer?
• How are you trying to perform Factory Reset?
• Are you facing any issue on the computer, due to which you are performing Factory Reset?

To perform Factory Reset, you need a recovery partition or Recovery Disk from the computer manufacturer. You may contact the computer manufacturer and check the same with them.

Warning:
Be sure to back up all the data you want to keep, before you begin. Resetting using Factory Reset will delete all the data.

Hope this information helps. Reply to the post if you need further information on this issue.

 

Quick Access not searching Pictures folder

Summary, that last suggestion didn't work.

• I moved the pictures to another folder temporarily.

• Then I tried to remove the Pictures folder with option one at Add or Remove Folders from This PC in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials. Even after rebooting, the Pictures folder remained.
• So I tried using option two. Same thing: reboot >> Pictures folder still there.

• Since there were no troubleshooting steps for this scenario, just for the heck of it, I ran through the restore steps. Copied some pictures into the Pictures folder, ran a Quick Access search and initial problem remains: Searching all of QA doesn't find any files in Pictures folder, running search on just the Pictures folder does. I want to run a global search and find matching files in any/all of the Documents, Music, Videos, and Pictures folders.

That article dates from 2015 and I'm guessing is out of date. I hope it didn't create potential future problems in my registry.

Bottom line: I'm still looking for a fix.

 

Reset default ACLs for C:\Program Files\WindowsApps

I did not have to use the recovery disk option mentioned previously. I just had to run it from the command prompt in administrator mode:

Parameter description:

• /reset Replaces ACLs with default inherited ACLs for all matching files.
  
• /t Performs the operation on all specified files in the current directory and its subdirectories.
  
• /c Continues the operation despite any file errors. Error messages will still be displayed.
  
• /q Suppresses success messages.
  

Reference: icacls command reference

Note: I think I may have also restarted the computer like suggested, but I don't think that is required.