Windows 10: Undo refresh

"Check this List to Determine if Your Computer is Compatible with the - Microsoft Community.
Mine is not compatible."

Agree with 'Bree', take that list with a grain of salt. Mine is not supported according to the mfr's list. I also support a dozen family computers and only two are listed as supported. Yet I have ALL up to Fall Creators, 1709.

 

I ran Win10 refresh. I didn't solve my problem with a corrupted update database (or something else is wrong). I've decided to do a clean install. But of course all my 3d party apps were deleted. Pages in the list! Ordinarily when I have to reinstall I make a list of apps and the info needed to reinstall. That's hard to do with a total crash.
Mucking around, I find some very helpful files in windows.old. In fact, it looks like I can back up and actually get the deleted apps to work. That would help a lot in building my install list.

But I find lots about deleting windows.old, but nothing about restoring windows from it. My guess is while it might be a simple as renaming windows and renaming windows.old to windows, I'll bet windows won't let me. And if it does, odds are pretty good it will screw something up.

How should I proceed?

:)

 

How do I undo apps removed while refreshing PC

How do I undo apps removed while refreshing PC ?

 

Non-picture files in the pictures folder

There is no 'arrange by'. The options are: View; Sort by; Group by; Refresh; Customise this folder; Undo new; Share with; and New.

 

No, you do NOT just rename windows.old. See this tutorial...

Go Back to the Previous Version of Windows in Windows 10

 

"I find some very helpful files in windows.old. In fact, it looks like I can back up and actually get the deleted apps to work."

Unfortunately, you can't pick and choose what to restore from Windows.old Many programs in there will not work with new registry entries written by the Refresh or Upgrade. *Banghead

 

If Windows was faulty doing a restore could make current version corrupted

 

I further investigated the update database. Would it be easier to repair than reinstall WIn? It turns out that the symptoms I had after Windows refresh (failure to install updates, locking in activating) could be caused by hardware. See this: Check this List to Determine if Your Computer is Compatible with the - Microsoft Community.
Mine is not compatible. Samsung's tech support was great at finding the problem, and trying for a fix. But it isn't clear if a fix will be forthcoming.

Thanks and best wishes to all the helpful folks on the forum.

I'm moving on....

 

from that link...

Well, the last two words "or not" in that sentence don't really apply, OEMs just don't bother testing their older models. Samsung for example only say...

So the models in the list have been tested and passed (and will be supported) but it's not saying all the others have been tested and failed - it only says they "may not". The lack of a 'positive' is not proof of the 'negative'.

The truth is that the older model haven't been tested at all, no OEM can afford to test and support all their models however old they are, they have to draw a line somewhere.

My Toshiba and Samsung listed in my specs below have never appeared in their manufacturers lists as 'tested for Windows 10' - not even for the initial 10240 RTM release. Both happily run 1709 though, as should many other untested models.