NEVER UPDATE DRIVERS!
maybe 20 years ago it was a good idea to update drivers, but nowadays if you update drivers you WILL get more problems.
That is because software development, and especially driver development has reached an all time low. Everyone is now a programmer and incompetence has plagued this industry.
I’m still on Windows 7, and Yosemite on Mac and I will use them as long as I can do my job. Newer versions are terrible
I had a problem a few months ago with Windows 10 on my gaming PC. Intermittent crashes had become frequent and it had started crashing several times a day.
When I went to reinstall Windows, I noticed an option to reinstall without erasing my data. I used this and then reinstalled. The computer now works perfectly with no crashes.
The problem was the razor copperhead gaming mouse I’d been using. The latest available drivers were 10+ years old and were incompatible with Windows 10. Getting a newer gaming mouse with Windows 10 compatible drivers and installing that in conjunction with system reinstall fixed the problem.
I tried to do that, but that option did not work for me.
How much time ya got?
At least I was able to beat xp into submission that it wouldn’t piss me off on an ongoing regular basis. In fact, xp was almost tolerable.
Got forced almost literally at gunpoint at work to switch to 7. Then shortly after to 10.
Now I know what Hell is like.
7 and especially 10 are ugly, slow, cumbersome at best, and if you’re a visually-oriented monkey who uses the mouse for everything including scrolling a page up/down, then you might be able to tolerate it, but if you’re like me and hardly ever touch the mouse/trackpad/whatever and use the keyboard for pretty much everything, it Just Doesn’t Work.
Try the settings pages, where options require scrolling the page up/down. TRY to do it via keyboard (arrows, tab, etc.). No, you need the mouse to find the f’n light-gray on even-lighter-gray scrollbar to drag it up/down.
I think 10 was written by Hitler from beyond the grave just to get his final revenge on the world.
I was just gonna suggest something like that. With Ubuntu you can actually repartition the drive into 2 separate ones, copy raw data from partition 1 to 2, then do the install on partition 1.
I had to try to pull important files from a laptop (not mine) whose drive was getting worse and worse (in hardware), and I did manage to pull files off but onto an external drive instead.
I like Windows 10 with an SSD. My computer boots up in 10 seconds or less.
Way better than my old gaming comp that had Vista64 on it. That dinosaur took 2-3 minutes to boot up.
A fresh install of Windows every once-in-awhile makes everything run much faster.
A lot of people believe that, but for me, the fresh install is just as fast as the old install.
Of course, I'm usually careful about what I install, and my computers almost never gets infected.
@Lightbringer:
I feel lucky that I use a mouse.
My problem is with touchscreens like smart phones and tablets.
I just cannot get much done on them.
Learn powershell! You can do everything with a keyboard from there.
If that’s not your cup of tea, Windows 10 has lots of keyboard shortcuts, and at least for now you can get to the old control panel (just search from the start menu for “control panel”).
I had to change the way I work in the Windows 10 GUI, and I utilize search for most things. Just Winkey & start typing, then arrow key to what you are looking for and press enter.
The above method is less frustrating than navigating the menus manually.
Did you tried a system restore? Guess you don't, had it disabled or whatever. Panic mode is no good.
To install Windows 10 I recommend downloading a Windows 10 ISO (via some ;-) source), burning it to DVD or creating a USB drive bootable, and installing. You do not need a Windows license key right away, you have 6 months to set it (and Windows won't stop working either). Valid license keys are pretty cheap.
Of course, installing Windows 7 and then upgrading to Windows 10 may work. But honestly, that is a lot more work. And all that time spent is worth money. I wouldn't chose that path, listen to a wise advice from an expert in the matter. O:)
In my experience a fresh install from a Windows 10 ISO will upgrade and work seamlessly without excessive effort.
:-)
horror stories like this should spur action
I D/Led Macrium Reflect Free and cloned my C to a bootable partition on an underutilized SSD resting in my ’puter.
Also to a fast USB drive in my safe
(reminds me, gotta get some 4th of July galluses)
I admit, even after several revisions and complete overhauls, the new settings - whatever the hell they call it - is complete bullshit. I fear they’ll kill off control panel entirely one day. Pretty sure it’s coming.
I had system restore enabled, but I could not do a system restore.
I also could not fresh install Win10.
I had to install Win7 first, then upgrade to Win10.
Where Windows 10 was previously installed and activated, you can usually just install Windows 10 from the latest ISO (Microsoft has an official and free way to do this, the “”Media Creation Tool”“:https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO) and it will activate automatically. On computers that came with Windows 7, you can try the key from the sticker on your computer, or say ”I don’t have a key” and pick the appropriate version. Windows 7 pro > Windows 10 pro, Windows 7 home/home basic/home premium/etc > Windows 10 home.
When you get logged in, it should be activated. (Assuming it was previously activated after an upgrade from Windows 7)
I always separate my Main Drive into at least 2 Partitions C-D— and so on —- Windows Programs on C — Data on D —-
Always yes Always have a Image File available —- even if it’s not current you can use it as a starting point instead of starting over—- Lately after I build a machine I’ve been cloning my entire drive and then use the D partition as my Data Backup drive —- several of my machines let you boot from any drive you have installed
It really SUCKS starting over with nothing
If you haven’t överwritten”any files. You should be able to retreive.
Files on a normal delete are still there.(until overwrite).
Unless you did a DEEP format.
Whoops sorry. You formatted.
When you get it up again. A good time to update.
I use a 250SSD for Win 10 and working programs only.
Plus I only Update Individual drivers manually.
From the manufacturers of the programs.
Not in bulk.
With a 2 Terra 7200 External for everything else. On both.
Did use a 120 SSD for 5 or 6 yrs first. Wife’s PC still has.
My Lappie SSD is a “Flash drive” I believe,
Not a Physical drive, but works fine for near 2 yrs so far.
Looks like a card of RAM. and cheap as.
If you did a free Win 10 from 7, originally.
You CAN do it again as your ID is in your Bios.
It does see you.
and UNtick the Auto Updates for your own good.
They transfer all sorts of crap in there.
Have fun.
I reset my Win 10 every coupla months.
Keeps the lappie cleaner. and it only a toy.
For me.
I was able to restore my system to an image I made six months ago.
I had to do (another) fresh install of Win7 because that's what I had when the image was made.
So I don't have to start from scratch!
I lost six months of progress on the C drive, but that's so much better than starting from scratch. 
That’s why aside from programs that I’d install afterwards, I’d keep ALL data off the main drive, and push it to external drives. If I go grabbing files for anything, within a few days to a week tops, they’re off the main drive.
Convenience is nice, but losing things and not being able to get them back sucks way more.
I do something similar.
The C drive has Windows, most programs that I install, and not a whole lot else.
Stupidly, I put some stuff on the desktop, which is on the C drive.
I think that's mostly what I lost.