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Feedback & Suggestions / Simple: Thank you for putting out Windows Repair Free. It works - PERIOD! :-)
« on: November 05, 2016, 01:49:49 pm »
Thank you so much for putting out this application (do we not say "program" anymore?).
Now for the story (feel free to skip this):
Old OS: Windows 7
Recent OS: Windows 10, 1511
Current OS: Windows 10 Home (64 bit--or is that redundant?), 1607 Build 14393.351 (I think that's the correct build number)
Also, keep in mind: I am *not* an IT person, programmer, developer, etc., just a consumer pc user who can't afford to pay other people for computer help (or, most of the time, even for software).
So, I took advantage of the free upgrade to Win10 from Win7 around February 2016. What a PITA. So many issues with the software, it really was a Beta (and honestly, it still is considering all of the update headaches that so many people (100,000s? MILLIONS???) have--completely inexcusable on the part of Microsoft).
Anyway, over time, and after a few update/upgrade releases and a zillion tweaks and mods (like running Classic Shell because Win10 Start Menu is awful), it runs the way *I* want it to run. BTW: this involved going through the long process of giving myself complete Administrative rights/permissions (it's a lot more involved than just a checkbox) so I wouldn't always get those "Administrators Only" messages and outright blocks. Although, given the age of my laptop pc and it's older Intel core i7 (1.6GHz) and 4GB RAM, boot time had deteriorated to a whopping 5-1/2 MINUTES (!), despite countless time learning what services to disable and how, removing startup items and background software updating apps (if you use a program once a month or less, do you really need it to constantly check for updates? no), running untold number of utilities, AV (Avira)/malware (Malwarebytes) programs, etc., that's what I was stuck with. Okay, everything at least worked.
But, of course, who among us can maintain the status quo with our computers?
First, release 1607 came out and the update effed everything up, requiring countless hours of online research and trial and error to repair MICROSOFT's Win10 Apps, Cortana, Start Menu and other features (seriously, I don't ever remember this happening with WinXP all the way through the 2014 EOL-no-more-updates) or Win7). Fine, eventually, I got it fixed BY MYSELF.
Then, this past week, a program I use wanted to upgrade BUT it wouldn't upgrade without Windows Media Player 11 or higher (which is 12 and then there is no more). Except WMP is not part of Win10. BUT it is supposed to still be accessible through one of the internal menus (I've already forgotten which!). But it wasn't there. It wasn't anywhere on my pc, just some even older versions that were part of my old WinXP backups.
I research this, try and try stuff, and can't get it done. Eventually, I use Microsoft's online help chap, and a very very GOOD tech support person helps me get this done (and another thing, which, I also have already forgotten because of all of the other merde' that's happened. SHE (yes, let's acknowledge the many women techs) made some recommendations for speeding up my pc, one of which was upgrading to 1607. She promised me it would work now (after I explained my prior experience with it and going back to 1511).
So after ending the chat, I did the update.
HUGE EFFIN' MISTAKE! (almost entirely, but there is a shining exception that I'll get to near the end)
It deletes Classic Shell that *I* installed (did I authorize that? NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) which I use for all of my program access (well, plus some things on the Taskbar and Desktop) AND it tells me that it has also deleted MS Works (yes, it's a legacy program, but sometimes I find it useful) which I also did NOT authorize (BAD BAD MS!!!!) AND now I can NOT find WMP 12 which was the original issue AND ALL OF THE Win10 Apps have STOPPED WORKING (though, oddly, Cortana, Edge, and Notifications were still working). Other stuff is messed up, too.
So, more MS Chat, and ANOTHER run at the update that fails to resolve the non-functioning Win10 Apps. Followed by MORE MS Chat (if you ever do this, make sure you write down the session number--they *will* actually read the prior notes and can send your issue back up to higher level tech support if necessary).
What do they want me to do?
A "clean install" of Win 10.
If you don't know, that means NOT saving all of your data (docs, photos, etc.) OR your programs, settings, etc. Which is a seriously all-out "nuclear" option to solve a problem that THEIR update caused to one of the key features they touted regarding Win10 -- the Apps and the Windows App Store.
This is a Big, Giant, Humongous NO EFFIN' WAY AM I GOING TO DO THAT!!!!! Really? You (MS) have no other solution to the problem that YOU created with your more-bugs-than-the-Amazon-rainforest Win10 Anniversary Update (aka 1607, latest build--even after numerous changes from its original release)????
Also, I'm "traveling" and my backup HDD is 800 miles away, plus, I don't have copies of some of the software or license keys that would be needed to reload/get the programs to function.
More online research, more research.
FINALLY, and I forget which site, in a comment to an article, someone recommends Tweaking.com - Windows Repair free version (and you thought I'd never get to the point!). I do some due diligence (is it safe? effective? malware? cost? features? KNOWN on multiple, reputable websites?), download it, install, and start reading and following ALL of the directions VERY CAREFULLY.
It takes a LONG time with all of the tests and rebooting and not skipping any steps (a total of about 5 hours). NOTE: once you get to the actual Repair process, it does say that it can takes minutes or hours and that no estimated time of completion will be calculated or shown. AND, the directions say that best results will be obtained by running it twice (DO THIS--why take a chance that some repairs might not get done if you're spending all of this time to fix your pc?). First run (after running all of the pre-tests), took about 2-1/2 hours. The second time, it took about 1-1/2 hours. It is fully automated, so read a book, exercise, watch tv, go to sleep, but you don't need to sit at your pc and click on "okay," "next", "I Agree" boxes.
Be Very Patient when booting up your PC after each Repair run! The first time took about 15 minutes (I think), I was really wondering if I should press the power button and shut it off and reboot it again. Glad I didn't. Then, my pc ran REALLY slowly, like about 1/60th to 1/100th the normal operating speed. I couldn't find any resource hog in Task Manager. After the second run, it still booted slowly but faster and the computer ran better, but still a little more slowly.
And?
The Win10 Apps worked again! A Frickin' Miracle! (well, not really, that's part of what Windows Repair does...)
And, after making some changes in Win10 Settings and some other changes, and then after rebooting again (a "quirk" of Windows that sometimes an extra reboot or two--NOT "restart", but shut off and "cold" boot--will reset some stuff), my PC boot time dropped from 5-1/2 minutes to TWO AND A HALF! Yea!!!!
There were still some issues (Edge did not have an unpin option on the Taskbar--but yet more research revealed a nuclear option that removes ALL the Taskbar icons (bad) but saved again by a comment that I could do this with...Classic Shell that I had finally been able to restore (that was an ordeal in itself; and still, the old "as-soon-as-you-move-off-of-the-Taskbar-"open app icon"-that-the-app-disappears-before-you-can-move-your-mouse-pointer-to-it --- didn't I already select somewhere to automatically jump to the app? why do we even need to select something to do this obviously desired thing???). Also, apparently, MS, in all their lack of wisdom, have removed the ability of users to disable the initial lock screen image, so now I have to hit a button in order to get to my actual password-protected Win10 login screen. But those things have NOTHING to do with any problems with Windows Repair.
Bottom line: Tweaker.com - Windows Repair is 100% effective, safe and a great product.
Thank you again.
Now for the story (feel free to skip this):
Old OS: Windows 7
Recent OS: Windows 10, 1511
Current OS: Windows 10 Home (64 bit--or is that redundant?), 1607 Build 14393.351 (I think that's the correct build number)
Also, keep in mind: I am *not* an IT person, programmer, developer, etc., just a consumer pc user who can't afford to pay other people for computer help (or, most of the time, even for software).
So, I took advantage of the free upgrade to Win10 from Win7 around February 2016. What a PITA. So many issues with the software, it really was a Beta (and honestly, it still is considering all of the update headaches that so many people (100,000s? MILLIONS???) have--completely inexcusable on the part of Microsoft).
Anyway, over time, and after a few update/upgrade releases and a zillion tweaks and mods (like running Classic Shell because Win10 Start Menu is awful), it runs the way *I* want it to run. BTW: this involved going through the long process of giving myself complete Administrative rights/permissions (it's a lot more involved than just a checkbox) so I wouldn't always get those "Administrators Only" messages and outright blocks. Although, given the age of my laptop pc and it's older Intel core i7 (1.6GHz) and 4GB RAM, boot time had deteriorated to a whopping 5-1/2 MINUTES (!), despite countless time learning what services to disable and how, removing startup items and background software updating apps (if you use a program once a month or less, do you really need it to constantly check for updates? no), running untold number of utilities, AV (Avira)/malware (Malwarebytes) programs, etc., that's what I was stuck with. Okay, everything at least worked.
But, of course, who among us can maintain the status quo with our computers?
First, release 1607 came out and the update effed everything up, requiring countless hours of online research and trial and error to repair MICROSOFT's Win10 Apps, Cortana, Start Menu and other features (seriously, I don't ever remember this happening with WinXP all the way through the 2014 EOL-no-more-updates) or Win7). Fine, eventually, I got it fixed BY MYSELF.
Then, this past week, a program I use wanted to upgrade BUT it wouldn't upgrade without Windows Media Player 11 or higher (which is 12 and then there is no more). Except WMP is not part of Win10. BUT it is supposed to still be accessible through one of the internal menus (I've already forgotten which!). But it wasn't there. It wasn't anywhere on my pc, just some even older versions that were part of my old WinXP backups.
I research this, try and try stuff, and can't get it done. Eventually, I use Microsoft's online help chap, and a very very GOOD tech support person helps me get this done (and another thing, which, I also have already forgotten because of all of the other merde' that's happened. SHE (yes, let's acknowledge the many women techs) made some recommendations for speeding up my pc, one of which was upgrading to 1607. She promised me it would work now (after I explained my prior experience with it and going back to 1511).
So after ending the chat, I did the update.
HUGE EFFIN' MISTAKE! (almost entirely, but there is a shining exception that I'll get to near the end)
It deletes Classic Shell that *I* installed (did I authorize that? NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) which I use for all of my program access (well, plus some things on the Taskbar and Desktop) AND it tells me that it has also deleted MS Works (yes, it's a legacy program, but sometimes I find it useful) which I also did NOT authorize (BAD BAD MS!!!!) AND now I can NOT find WMP 12 which was the original issue AND ALL OF THE Win10 Apps have STOPPED WORKING (though, oddly, Cortana, Edge, and Notifications were still working). Other stuff is messed up, too.
So, more MS Chat, and ANOTHER run at the update that fails to resolve the non-functioning Win10 Apps. Followed by MORE MS Chat (if you ever do this, make sure you write down the session number--they *will* actually read the prior notes and can send your issue back up to higher level tech support if necessary).
What do they want me to do?
A "clean install" of Win 10.
If you don't know, that means NOT saving all of your data (docs, photos, etc.) OR your programs, settings, etc. Which is a seriously all-out "nuclear" option to solve a problem that THEIR update caused to one of the key features they touted regarding Win10 -- the Apps and the Windows App Store.
This is a Big, Giant, Humongous NO EFFIN' WAY AM I GOING TO DO THAT!!!!! Really? You (MS) have no other solution to the problem that YOU created with your more-bugs-than-the-Amazon-rainforest Win10 Anniversary Update (aka 1607, latest build--even after numerous changes from its original release)????
Also, I'm "traveling" and my backup HDD is 800 miles away, plus, I don't have copies of some of the software or license keys that would be needed to reload/get the programs to function.
More online research, more research.
FINALLY, and I forget which site, in a comment to an article, someone recommends Tweaking.com - Windows Repair free version (and you thought I'd never get to the point!). I do some due diligence (is it safe? effective? malware? cost? features? KNOWN on multiple, reputable websites?), download it, install, and start reading and following ALL of the directions VERY CAREFULLY.
It takes a LONG time with all of the tests and rebooting and not skipping any steps (a total of about 5 hours). NOTE: once you get to the actual Repair process, it does say that it can takes minutes or hours and that no estimated time of completion will be calculated or shown. AND, the directions say that best results will be obtained by running it twice (DO THIS--why take a chance that some repairs might not get done if you're spending all of this time to fix your pc?). First run (after running all of the pre-tests), took about 2-1/2 hours. The second time, it took about 1-1/2 hours. It is fully automated, so read a book, exercise, watch tv, go to sleep, but you don't need to sit at your pc and click on "okay," "next", "I Agree" boxes.
Be Very Patient when booting up your PC after each Repair run! The first time took about 15 minutes (I think), I was really wondering if I should press the power button and shut it off and reboot it again. Glad I didn't. Then, my pc ran REALLY slowly, like about 1/60th to 1/100th the normal operating speed. I couldn't find any resource hog in Task Manager. After the second run, it still booted slowly but faster and the computer ran better, but still a little more slowly.
And?
The Win10 Apps worked again! A Frickin' Miracle! (well, not really, that's part of what Windows Repair does...)
And, after making some changes in Win10 Settings and some other changes, and then after rebooting again (a "quirk" of Windows that sometimes an extra reboot or two--NOT "restart", but shut off and "cold" boot--will reset some stuff), my PC boot time dropped from 5-1/2 minutes to TWO AND A HALF! Yea!!!!
There were still some issues (Edge did not have an unpin option on the Taskbar--but yet more research revealed a nuclear option that removes ALL the Taskbar icons (bad) but saved again by a comment that I could do this with...Classic Shell that I had finally been able to restore (that was an ordeal in itself; and still, the old "as-soon-as-you-move-off-of-the-Taskbar-"open app icon"-that-the-app-disappears-before-you-can-move-your-mouse-pointer-to-it --- didn't I already select somewhere to automatically jump to the app? why do we even need to select something to do this obviously desired thing???). Also, apparently, MS, in all their lack of wisdom, have removed the ability of users to disable the initial lock screen image, so now I have to hit a button in order to get to my actual password-protected Win10 login screen. But those things have NOTHING to do with any problems with Windows Repair.
Bottom line: Tweaker.com - Windows Repair is 100% effective, safe and a great product.
Thank you again.