# Can't use windows 10



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Hadn't used my laptop for many months. Discovered Windows 10 on it.

I used to be able to write letters, make adjustments on letter formatting, margins, spacing, etc. 

I used to have a list of things I'd bookmarked, mostly recipes. 

I used to have photos I'd downloaded from my camera.

I can't find anything now! Mostly upset about photos of my cousin who's since passed away. As I'm writing this I just had a thought. Maybe theres a Utube video to help me. Last time I took my laptop to a repair shop it was $65. 

There must be other people with the same problem. I use my iPad daily and only check my laptop a few times a year.


----------



## badams (Nov 4, 2016)

When you turn on the computer does it automatically bring you to the desktop or do you have to sign in with a password? If you can remember the name of a file you had it would probably be easier to click start and then type in the file name which should search for it. If it finds the file right click on it and go to properties. It should tell you where that file is located so you can find where to start looking for your stuff. 

The upgrade may have moved or recreated your old profile so the files are probably still on the computer, just in a different location. Unless it is possible someone else handled the laptop and did a clean install of 10.


----------



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Only one friend of my daughter tried to help. She didn't accomplish anything.

When I have more patience I'll play around with it a bit more.

It goes right to my desktop when turned on.


----------



## badams (Nov 4, 2016)

If you are familiar at all with the file structure you can open windows explorer and look under C: for a windows.old folder or look under C:\Users and see if there are other users than the one you are logged in as


----------



## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

I would hit youtube and look for tutorials. IMO, Microsoft actually did a decent job with the UI such that I think Win 7 and 8 users will adapt relatively easily to 10 but that certainly does not mean that all will do so.


----------



## supers05 (May 23, 2015)

If it was a upgrade (as it should be) then the photos under the documents folder should be in the new documents folder. If you had it saved somewhere else, the shortcut may be missing. 

Either way, I'd start with looking in the documents folder and browsing around. Try not to move or copy any files until you find them all. There are recovery programs available, but they won't work if you overwrite the precious files. 

Cheers!


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

You can go back to windows 7 if you haven't updated yet:


----------



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Ok, not wanting to be considered an old fogey who isn't computer literate I tried a few Utube videos.

The first was by a man from India with a strong accent. He promised to show me cool things but they weren't.

The 2nd video was just plain boring. I don't like the layout. I'd take my computer to the repair shop an have my photos put on a CD but then I still wouldn't have them on my iPad. If my saved recipes were important I'd have printed them long ago. 

I think I'll take my laptop out to the garage an set it on top of my really really old desktop tower that I saved thinking maybe theres something in it I may want someday.


----------



## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

Try a search in the task bar? Search .jpg and see if the photos show up.


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Windows 10 fixes are like putting lipstick on a pig, it is still a pig.

There was a lawsuit filed against Microsoft for upgrading people without permission. Last I heard, it was still winding its way through the courts. I think they are to the payment amounts.
Of course, when Microsoft upgrades from 10, you already agreed. It was part of the user agreement. You will either upgrade or your computer becomes a boat anchor. There reportedly will be a monthly fee to use the new system, like there is with the new Office.


----------



## user_12345a (Nov 23, 2014)

^They are digging their own grave, people won't stand for this crap and will switch to linux.

The issue is that the computer industry is structured for growth; they constantly have to release new products just to keep the cash flowing.

Yet the market is saturated and there are no real improvements.

Just need more powerful equipment to do the same stuff.

The solution is to cut losses and contract - charge a little (like $10 a year per license or something) to support - keep the products similar just releasing minor updates/tweaks, but this goes against the mandate of the corporation to stay in business and maximize profit for shareholders.

Good free market system is supposed to be about creative destruction where companies respond to market demands/conditions, not manufacture demand for products/services no one needs.


----------



## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

I had a custom Win 10 machine built. The guy did a great job as usual but the updates were a pain even though I had the Pro version. I hardly used it for months. I'm finally getting accustomed to it. The spayware is terrible. I wanted to uninstall that SlidesShow thing which is really a server. So far, no one can help me.

As many complaints that Win 10 has, Linux can't overtake it. I would list all the reasons why that's true. I use FreeBSD Unix as a secondary OS. I hope that the lawsuit does something but I won't hold my breath. Rusty, I like the lipstick on a pig thing, so true.


----------



## dougp23 (Sep 20, 2011)

On almost all Windows 10 machines I handle, I install Classic Shell. You can get it at 

www.classicshell.net

To me, it makes Win 10 (and God forbid, Win 8) much more useable.


----------



## JasperST (Sep 7, 2012)

Install Linux, Mint is my preference. It is not as geeky as it once was and you should be able to do it along side on MS. If your machine is newer you need to go into the bios and set the efi whatever to allow for another os. Unless you have a MS specific software you need, it's pretty much like anything else, point and click. No registry. Updates are quick and when you want, and everything is free.


----------



## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

I don't get the Linux thing when Unix (FreeBSD is my choice) has been around much longer & is better. At the same time, it's not a choice between Windows & *nix. There is nothing wrong with having both.


----------



## JasperST (Sep 7, 2012)

Guap0_ said:


> I don't get the Linux thing when Unix (FreeBSD is my choice) has been around much longer & is better. At the same time, it's not a choice between Windows & *nix. There is nothing wrong with having both.


You can have both as stated. How is bsd better? They are both "unix like" and Mint, Ubuntu or whatever distro you choose installs the graphical user interface. I'm not seeing an advantage. What am I missing?


----------



## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

I've tried many different Linux distros & all of them lack somewhere. I can't even count how many exist. For example, years ago with Red Hat, I couldn't open the new pkg manager because I didn't have the new pkg manager. 

BSD is a bit more structured & yes, it has a GUI too.


----------



## JasperST (Sep 7, 2012)

Guap0_ said:


> I've tried many different Linux distros & all of them lack somewhere. I can't even count how many exist. For example, years ago with Red Hat, I couldn't open the new pkg manager because I didn't have the new pkg manager.
> 
> BSD is a bit more structured & yes, it has a GUI too.


Red hat is a commercial product and they had no way to install apps? I'm sure you can get a gui for bsd, it's included in all linux distros I've used though. Which is changeable to any number of desktops. I'm still not seering the bsd advantage, not to dis it but how is it better?


----------



## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

I should have said that it's a personal preference. I like it better. I'm not telling you to switch.


----------



## JasperST (Sep 7, 2012)

Guap0_ said:


> I should have said that it's a personal preference. I like it better. I'm not telling you to switch.


Can you explain why you prefer it? Sounds like Debian, which I used for a year or two. Very stable but just got tired of waiting for program updates. I tried many distros and settled on Mint and don't have any lockups or issues.


----------



## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

I started with FreeBSD in 1992 version 2.2.1. At that time, installing a program was easy because the OS automatically fetched the dependencies. Linux does that now but not then. That was the main reason that I liked it better. I guess that I got accustomed to it.

Talking about Debian, I installed it once when 14 floppies were used, talk about patience.


----------



## JasperST (Sep 7, 2012)

The full blown distros are up to 1.6 gigs now. I'd hate to do that with floppies.


----------

