Windows 10: Windows 10 version 2004: Fresh Start is not gone, it is just somewhere else

Some Windows 10 users noticed that the operating system's Fresh Start option was not there anymore after the upgrade to Windows 10 version 2004. The company introduced Fresh Start back in 2016 to install a clean version of the operating system right from the Settings application. Fresh Start installed Windows 10 and did not migrate any of the user installed applications; this meant that any user-installed program, e.g. antivirus software, firewalls, web browsers, or other programs were not available anymore after the operation was completed successfully by the operating system.

Microsoft updated a support page, Track your device and performance health in Windows Security, recently that explains what happened to Fresh Start. According to the information published there, Fresh Start has not been removed from the operating system but moved to another location.

Microsoft does not publish full changelogs when it releases a new version of Windows 10; some changes are not documented at all, and it appears that the moving of Fresh Start falls into that category.

The company notes:

Fresh start is available for Windows 10 versions prior to 2004. For version 2004 and after, Fresh start functionality has been moved to Reset this PC.
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You need to open Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC > Get Started to use Fresh Start on devices running Windows 10 version 2004 or later.



Select "Keep my files" when asked, pick whether you want Windows installed from local or cloud sources, change settings, and select no when asked to restore preinstalled apps. Note that the option to restore preinstalled apps is only displayed if Windows 10 found any installed apps on the device.

The moved Fresh Start option is available on Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro devices. Users need to have elevated rights to use the functionality at all.

The Reset This PC option has three main options that administrators may select:

1. Remove Everything -- This gets rid of any personal files and settings, as well as installed applications or drivers. It will also remove software installed by the manufacturer of the PC. Option to erase data is available. If selected under "change settings", it will remove files and clean the hard drive. It makes it harder for others to recover files.
2. Keep My Files and Preinstalled Applications -- This keeps personal files as well as applications installed by the manufacturer of the PC. It will remove user-installed programs and drivers, and undo any changes to the Settings.
3. Keep My Files but no Preinstalled Applications -- Same as above but won't restore any manufacturer-installed applications either.

Obviously, it is also possible to install Windows 10 anew using installation media but not all options may be available if you use it.

Now You: How do you reinstall Windows?

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Is it time for Windows 10 already?

Here's a good step by step guide on doing a fresh install.

How to clean install Windows 10 from a USB drive - Software - Feature - HEXUS.net

 

Windows 10 Tweaks

Pressing “Windows+Pause Break” (it’s up there next to scroll lock) opens the “System” Window.

Windows 10: In the new version of Windows, Explorer has a section called Quick Access. This includes your frequent folders and recent files. Explorer defaults to opening this page when you open a new window. If you’d rather open the usual This PC, with links to your drives and library folders, follow these steps:

• Open a new Explorer window.
• Click View in the ribbon.
• Click Options.
• Under General, next to “Open File Explorer to:” choose “This PC.”
• Click OK

credit to Lifehacker.

 

How to get the Windows 10 May 2020 Update version 2004

I presume the total absence of any tiles is your personal choice, as is removing the Search, Cortana and TaskView icons from the task bar. Seems you are a minimalist. Not my style, but I'll respect your choice.

You link definitely shows the Start, there's no doubt because on the left it includes the power button, a user icon, etc. but it doesn't show the All apps list as your 1909 screenshot does. This lack of an All apps list in your 2004 could be explained by turning off 'Show apps list in Start menu' in Personalization > Start. But that is not the case in your link, if it were there would be three icons at the top left of Start (the 3rd will show the All apps list). But yours has just the one icon, meaning that the All apps list should be displayed already. Here I show how that looks in 2004, first without the All apps list, them with.







What appear to be happening is that Search that is appearing on the Start menu on top of the All apps list. Now there is no setting provided by MS to make Search appear on Start, but there is in third-part apps such as Classic Shell or Open Shell. Do you have one of those installed?

Whatever the problem is, it is definitely this Search box (minimalist again, everything turned off except Top apps) you are seeing as a part of Start. How it got put there seems unique to your system, but it's not any setting MS offers (or would have changed in the 2004 upgrade) that has done this.




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