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Easy / Best Way To Reconfigure The Pc Windows Settings

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Old_Geezer | 10:07 Fri 17th May 2019 | Computers
15 Answers
Have now a PC that has a new drive in it. I was informed than many "Apps" might need reinstalling. But that seems only half the story.

It soon became obvious that all the setting up done in the past has reverted to the awful defaults. A typical example is using the file explorer to look at the C: drive and all I see is a limited number of directories. We all know full well there are files there and are being hidden. I can't even see what programmes are still installed and what not.

I tried one of the icons on the desktop, it needed MS software downloaded to work. Afterwards it opened ok, but I can't even see it as a programme when browsing the C: drive !

I feel I can hardly stand going through everything again trying to change that which is wrong to that which the default should be.

So, is there a guide somewhere that list through the obviously needs changes that one can follow to avoid trying to look everywhere at everything trying to spot that neednig to be changed ?

And, is there maybe a free programme that makes such changes easy without having to dig deep into the Windows settings and registry by hand ?

TIA
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Have you done this:
Open File Explorer from the taskbar.
Select View > Options > Change folder and search options.
Select the View tab and, in Advanced settings, select Show hidden files, folders, and drives and OK.
I've assumed you're on W10.
What version of Windows?
Easier just to type "folder options" in the search bar and proceed from there
Question Author
Cheers. Her PC is Windows 10.

I'll try the suggestions but on putting these things together initially I recall spending ages going through "security" setting and other stuff, so I think there's a load that must need changing besides the hidden files.

I don't think the old drive was copied over first. Whatever he backed up to the server must've just been a subset. Personal data probably, maybe. Can not see the many downloads, at least yet, and it looks like little is installed. The only reason I got one to run is apparently the icon is the executable on the desktop, not the shortcut.
Question Author
:-) saw that, thought that I was in the folder I wanted so didn't want to change folder: and wasn't fussed at present about search options, so no, I hadn't tried it.

Well that's one part sorted then, and it's given the bad news that much simply isn't there. I have the old drive; may put it in an enclosure to see if it's sufficiently undamaged to indicate what's missing. I know mailwasher and thunderbird is already. Hope the e-mail files are accessible when they are back.
Question Author
Managed to get rid of that damned "snap" nonsense now. Just another 1,000,000 things to find.

Put the original SSD disk into an enclosure and pluged it into the USB socket. Asked PC to check for errors, it insisted there were none. Tried to copy everything on it into a new directory on the C: drive, and after about 30G it froze. The enclosure light went off. Finally told it to stop. Then tried again. Now have one thing taking forever to stop and the other thing not making a start :-(
Was the original SSD operating W10?
Question Author
Suspect it was 7. Think so. Been 10 for ages though.
I think you're mucking things up cos you don't really know what you're doing. Trying to copy everything from a disc (possibly) using W7 to a w10 system is asking for trouble unless you're an expert. Which.....
jesus am I right in thinking you or they have never kept copies / mirrors / back ups ?

I rotate five.
Question Author
If one needs to be an expert just to copy something / back something up, then there's something wrong.

And no, non tech savvy folk rarely find time / inclination to copy domestic stuff. Documents are on a pen drive, but the executables eork be and e-mail data may not be. Not got to looking at the pen drive yet. At present the aim is simply to copy the original disk onto a directory on the new, so I can put the original disk away in it's box and work with the PC alone.
Question Author
...WON'T BE...
'non tech savvy folk' You were saying you built your woman's machine on another thread.
Question Author
Sure. But it's hers not mine.

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