Question Windows looks reinstalled with programs/files all still there.

Joe02a

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Dec 31, 2015
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My Mom Called me when she got onto google to check here gmail. She was logged off and all her windows settings were restored to virgin windows. It's been FOREVER since I last used win 7. I had to change her personal settings like appearance, task bar/tool relog into chrome and her stuff resynced. But I don't know what caused it, before I looked at her restore points she restored her system to the 30th and everything is normal now, but what caused this to happen?
WIN 7 PRO 64
PHENOM II X4
HP 6005 SFF
HITACHI HUA722010
 

R_1

Expert
Ambassador
That happened to me when the user profile would get corrupted, windows would create a fresh one. like making a new user and logging in, the desktop and settings are defaulted but the programs are still there.

I would run some test on the HDD and the RAM. defects in those can cause data corruption.
the drive maker will have diagnostic for download available.
memtest 86 is the tool for the RAM, overnight of 5 passes, no reboots or errors and your gold.
 

Joe02a

Distinguished
Dec 31, 2015
25
0
18,530
That happened to me when the user profile would get corrupted, windows would create a fresh one. like making a new user and logging in, the desktop and settings are defaulted but the programs are still there.

I would run some test on the HDD and the RAM. defects in those can cause data corruption.
the drive maker will have diagnostic for download available.
memtest 86 is the tool for the RAM, overnight of 5 passes, no reboots or errors and your gold.

LOL I get it. But outta the blue. And She had to log into windows normally, her acct name and pw. (because chrome will not show you site PWs from setting without win7 having a pw. But, we did a restore. Then after the restore another restore point was made for a critical update (even though WUP setting are specifically set for let me know when avail. LET me choose whether to download and install. We manually created a new restore point.