News How to Fix Windows 10 with a 30-Minute Repair Install

[Webweweave]

Wow, great solution to my problem and will def keep in mind for any future problems. Recently I realized I had two inactive user profiles that I had not created. No idea where they came from or how long they had existed since they had never been logged in to. Anyway, so Windows 10 Home doesn't allow the the Local Users and Group utility to be used (deprecated) but I couldn't find any way to eliminate these two goofy profiles (they were visible through Net User at CMD which I was just messing around with but when I first realized they existed). I chased around the web for a couple of hours and really didn't find anything useful about where they came from or what to do about them except use the aforementioned deprecated Windows feature which doesn't work and NETPLWIZ didn't work either. So I found an open-source replacement on GitHuib called lusrmgr. I know, don't DL things you don't know about but I'm fearlessly stupid sometimes and so I DLed and ran MWB and defender on the DL file. VirusTotal was OK about it and MWB found nothing but...Defender wouldn't work! a full MWB scan yielded nothing. Could not get Defender to start at all. Services had some problems also.

So anyway I ran the GitHub DL and YAY it got rid of those two profiles!

So back to the why won't Defender run problem. Chasing around the web gave me no help until I found this GREAT TRICK by Ed Tittel. I used MCT to put current/same version of Windows (21H2) on USB, ran setup and despite some weasel-y language about removing some apps but keeping my data I found that everything was running great. I didn't lose any apps, a couple of settings did get changed (haven't figured out what all) and data was safe! Also, Defender was working just fine. When I open MWB it works fine. It does turn off Defender, as expected and will fun a scan and if I quit MWB then Defender returns as the default protection. I'm very happy with Ed's suggestion. BTW, I did read the article about the repaid Gotcha but I did not experience this issue. So THANKS, ED!!!!

Lastly, Windows Security Service (Services.msc) is still grayed out and can't be stopped or started via properties so not sure what's happening there but a problem for another time as long as in Windows Settings Security is working and can be changed. Again, thanks, ED.

 

[GrumpyDutchGuy]

Why oh why does this only work when you can boot into Windows? The whole reason I need to do a repair install is that I can't boot into Windows anymore.
It's got stuck halfway through a Windows update. I've tried Startup repair but no joy. DISM is refusing to remove packages because it's in the middle of an update.
I know there's a restore point, but system restore from the install-usb can't find it. SFC /ScanNow fails with "Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation".

 

[Mikeyg63]

This didn't work for me. It ends with a window on a black screen titled
"Windows Setup" stating
Compatibility report.
The upgrade option isn't available if you start your computer using Windows installation media.

If a copy of Windows is already installed on this computer and you want to upgrade, remove the installation media and rstart your computer. After Windows has started normally, insert the installation media and run Windows Setup"

Which sounds like a catch-22 as running setup from the USB is how I got here. Windows Media Creation unpacked the .iso onto the USB where it was stored, I don't know if that's relevant.

Any ideas anyone?

 

[Mikeyg63]

This didn't work for me. It ends with a window on a black screen titled
"Windows Setup" stating
Compatibility report.
The upgrade option isn't available if you start your computer using Windows installation media.

If a copy of Windows is already installed on this computer and you want to upgrade, remove the installation media and rstart your computer. After Windows has started normally, insert the installation media and run Windows Setup"

Which sounds like a catch-22 as running setup from the USB is how I got here. Windows Media Creation unpacked the .iso onto the USB where it was stored, I don't know if that's relevant.

Any ideas anyone?

The obvious one being to try the instructions, so I rebooted into Win10 and then ran setup on the USB. Only difference was unchecked 'automatic updates' during installation. Install proceeded as before apart from further restarts whilst it installed updates giving the impression of a Repair Install: then it halted on exactly the window above.

I find 21Gb in a Windows.old folder, which implies it did a repair upgrade. Unfortunately, it hasn't fixed the problems caused by OneDrive writing back to C: more volume in files than existed in space on C:.