Windows 10: Icons missing in start menu following Creators update.

User profiles are complex. It's not just a simple matter of user folders. This touches on many areas deeply embedded in the registry. The term 'non-trivial' comes to mind.

 

I suspected that. The backing up of the user profile you've mentioned, what exactly is that backing up?

If I could link all of the personal data on this account to a new one that should be all I'm needing to achieve right? Are installed programs user specific?

I don't know where to even start with this, but I will try the other fixes on the first page as right now I'm not 100% sure it is a corrupted profile... Has there been any other reports of this issue from Creators Update users?

 

As for the particular utilities- best check the site and read up. I've not used them, just seen mention of them.

I wouldn't even begin to think about 'linking' data between accounts.
Data is the easy one. You create the new user, and copy the data from the old account.
(But indirectly as one user doesn't have access to another's user data directly)

When you install a desktop program, you are usually given an option as to whether you wish to install it just for the current user or for all users. Depending on the complexity of the program, this may mean any or all of the following may be needed per user (and I won't manage to include everything!)
- work space for the program (specific folders usually in e.g. Documents/Videos etc
- various files in %appdata%, Program Files xxxx, ProgramData on C:
- registry settings
- start menu entries
- perhaps a program specific driver
- perhaps a service or services
- various startup entries
........

So if you consider creating a new user profile, and want a program running when logged in as that user that was installed solely for a different user, there will be a lot missing. Basically, you'd need to reinstall it.

Now I don't know if those programs I mentioned can deal with that - I've just not used them. In principle there's no reason why not.

 

This is a more complex issue. If it helps to make sense, when I installed Win 10 earlier last year I ran my computer with the administrator account, installing programs, downloading files, pictures, playing games etc. I then decided to convert the account to a standard user account. So all that was changed was the user privileges, no files, programs, documents etc were moved or changed, just the account converted from the administrator to a standard account...

I then created a new account to be the administrator account. I really only go into the admin account now to install new programs and update programs. Only I use this computer so programs aren't installed specifically for other users...

Whether that helps in where I can go from here I'm not sure. Ultimately a clean install might be easier... But first I need to be sure I can't be fixed more easily...

 

I'd suggest you try creating a new user account and compare as suggested before. It's certainly true that some threads here show some text or icons are missing for some users. At some point you may have to weigh up the time spent working thru the issue and doing a clean install.

My personal approach? defer the upgrade. We're MS's testbed. Should we take that lying down?

 

I've got strong reasons to believe the user profile I'm using is corrupted, programs acting funny but not on a test user account.

I found this link that explains that user data can be transferred to a new user account but I'm unsure as to how successful it will be. http://www.techbout.com/fix-corrupt-...ndows-10-9139/

Right now I'm not sure whether I should try rolling back to 1603, restoring the 1603 system image I made before hand, clean installing Win 10 1703 or trying to move the data to a new user profile.

 

Just for interest- not quite the same effect, but you can see the conclusion..
Text Disappearing All Over Windows Randomly - Solved - Windows 10 Forums

If you have Pro, you could opt to stay with 1607, defer upgrades (as I have) and give it 3 months or so for some of the dust to settle, then try upgrading with whatever updates they've put out.

 

Now that you mention the missing text issue it's something I have too, but to a lesser extent. The God Mode icon is missing it's text following the CU upgrade:





I also read something about this but haven't read enough to know exactly what the issue is: After installation of the Windows 10 Creators Update Start Menu - Microsoft Community

I don't have Pro so couldn't defer the upgrade... I do have the option to restore my 1607 Macrium image or clean install 1703. Maybe the clean install is better suited, as the 1703 upgrade would be inevitable anyway...

Can a Windows corruption/Profile corruption ever affect user files? I've been running the 1703 update for a few days so would take an image of this for any file changes since the 1607 transition...

 

Seems missing/erratic icons /text/ is a 'feature' of upgrading for some. There must be some underlying pattern there.

One thread found it still occurred in Safe Mode- so presumably it's not the graphics driver.

You could of course revert to 1607 and disable updates, and try upgrading again in 3 months or so + whatever update MS produces by then.

That thread is interesting in that it refers to a specific thing interfering - but only the Start Menu was affected.

 

A test user account can be created and then deleted. If the new user fixes the problem then you know it is related to a corrupt user account. If the new user does not fix the problem then additional troubleshooting is needed.

 

Also check this video out I took, there is a graphical artifact with this particular program. I clean installed the latest Nvidia drivers today so it doesn't appear to be driver issue or even a particular profile corruption as it present on different profiles.

Corsair Link graphical artifact following Creators Update upgrade. - YouTube

 

Just tried creating GodMode in another user account and it creates without the text...

 

This works for all editions...

Hide or Show Windows Updates in Windows 10

 

Is there any point though? The way I see it is that the 1706 upgrade is inevitable anyway, and if the issues with it were that bad Microsoft wouldn't be releasing it...

It seems different user configurations are having issues with the upgrade, a clean install may hopefully work out better for some. I'm interested to hear how a clean 1706 installation is going for anyone...

 

Update:

I've encountered the missing/random pictured start menu folder icons again, this time with a clean 1703 installation 3 days old. What gives? Could this be an issue with 1703 itself?