👍 #810 – Five Steps to Repair Windows 10 Without Losing Programs

Confident Computing #810 - Five Steps to Repair Windows 10 Without Losing Programs

Featured Article

"Reformat and Reinstall" is one of the best ways to resolve a plethora of problems with Windows. Unfortunately it comes at a high cost: it erases everything including installed programs, settings, and your data. Sometimes it's worth it, but it still hurts.

This week's featured article -- Five Steps to Repair Windows 10 Without Losing Programs lists a variety of steps you can try first, from simply running a cleanup & checking utility all the way to an almost but not quite complete reinstall.

If you're fighting with Windows and contemplating a reformat and reinstall, it'll give you a few things to try first.

Other articles this week

Gray text is the bane of many an online reader, but when that "grayness" makes its way to paper, things can get even worse. How Do I Print an Email in Black Instead of Gray in Outlook.com? addresses one scenario.

The answer is "yes", but what does that really mean if you're trying to protect your online activity? Can My ISP See I'm Using a VPN or a Proxy? covers the scenario, and clarifies some important terminology.

Perhaps surprising to many people, the answer is also "yes", but what do you do about it? Can Someone Install Something on My Computer When It's Not Logged In? looks at the issue.

Ask Leo! on YouTube

I continue to scratch my video itch by posting occasional videos, including answers to questions I've been asked, over on my YouTube channel. Check it out, and subscribe to the channel so you don't miss a thing.

TEH Podcast

The traumatic lives of Facebook moderators get our attention on this week's TEH podcast. I talk about my new phone, the "CamLink" Gary uses for his videos (that I've tried), as well as some camera math, and of course that constant topic: "more".

Upcoming Ask Leo! Live

Coming up in a week and a half, June 6th, I'll discuss and comment on the results from my reader survey taken earlier this year. I'll certainly take any questions and comments you might have as well, live! Mark your calendar.

-

I hope you're safe & well. Be kind ... these are difficult times for many.

Leo

Featured

Five Steps to Repair Windows 10 Without Losing Programs

The big gun to repairing a Windows 10 installation is to reformat and reinstall. The problem, of course, is that doing so erases everything on your hard drive, forcing you to reinstall your applications and restore your data from backups.

If your copy of Windows is acting up in some fashion, there are a number of things worth trying before resorting to that extreme measure.

Continue Reading: Five Steps to Repair Windows 10 Without Losing Programs
https://askleo.com/122708

LastPass: The Last Password You'll Ever Need
Affiliate Disclosure

This Week's Articles

How Do I Print an Email in Black Instead of Gray in Outlook.com?

For some reason, when I try to print a copy of an Outlook email, the body of the email is often a faded gray color. One or two lines of the ‘from/to' heading are normal in darkness. I've tried settings, in various ways on Outlook, PC, and the printer. I'm kind baffled on how to correct it.

The short answer is, you may not be able to.

In fact, the problem is much worse than you think.

Continue Reading: How Do I Print an Email in Black Instead of Gray in Outlook.com?
https://askleo.com/122567

Can My ISP See I'm Using a VPN or a Proxy?

I'm living in the UK, using a well-known ISP-changer program. It gives me a different ISP address that says I'm in the Netherlands, Russia, or the USA. What exactly does my own ISP see when I use this? Can they still tell how much I download, for example? Can my ISP see I'm using such a thing?

This is an interesting question, particularly when it comes to understanding “IP-changing”  services.

First, I need to clear up some terminology to be sure we're talking about the same thing.

Continue Reading: Can My ISP See I'm Using a VPN or a Proxy?
https://askleo.com/10437

Can Someone Install Something on My Computer When It's Not Logged In?

Before I raise heck in the house, would you please answer a question? We have several computers in our home. Recently, I have seen “Spy PC 7.0 Quick Start Guide” in the home. I don't mind if the owner of this booklet uses it on his/her machine, but not on anyone else's. Can this be installed on other personal computers (which are usually password locked)?

The short answer is yes, absolutely. I think you're right to be concerned.

I also think there's an important lesson here for everyone.

Continue Reading: Can Someone Install Something on My Computer When It's Not Logged In?
https://askleo.com/2208

Share Confident Computing!

Love Ask Leo!? Share the love: forward this (without your unsubscribe link at the bottom) to your friends! They'll thank you! (And so will I!)

Did someone forward this to you?

Subscribe

to get your own copy each week. It's FREE! (And there are goodies Smile.)

For Ask Leo! Patrons

The Ask Leo! Tip of the Day

A feature exclusively available to Ask Leo! Patrons Bronze level & above.

More Ask Leo!

Become a Patron
Ask Leo! Books
Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - More..

Buy me coffee...

Leo's Other Projects....

HeroicStories Since 1999, HeroicStories brings diverse, international voices to the world ' reminding us that people are good, that individuals and individual action matter. Stories - new and old - are published twice a week.

Not All News Is Bad - Each day I look for one story in the current news of the day with a positive bent. Just one. And I share it.

leo.notenboom.org - My personal blog. Part writing exercise, part ranting platform, it's where I write about anything and everything and nothing at all.

Newsletter contents Copyright © 2020,
Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.
Ask Leo! is a registered trademark ® of Puget Sound Software, LLC

Posted: May 26, 2020 in: 2020
Shortlink: https://newsletter.askleo.com/8382
« Previous post:
Next post: »

New Here?

Let me suggest my collection of best and most important articles to get you started.

Of course I strongly recommend you search the site -- there's a ton of information just waiting for you.

Finally, if you just can't find what you're looking for, ask me!

Confident Computing

Confident Computing is the weekly newsletter from Ask Leo!. Each week I give you tools, tips, tricks, answers, and solutions to help you navigate today’s complex world of technology and do so in a way that protects your privacy, your time, and your money, and even help you better connect with the people around you.

The Ask Leo! Guide to Staying Safe on the Internet – FREE Edition

Subscribe for FREE today and claim your copy of The Ask Leo! Guide to Staying Safe on the Internet – FREE Edition. Culled from the articles published on Ask Leo! this FREE downloadable PDF will help you identify the most important steps you can take to keep your computer, and yourself, safe as you navigate today’s digital landscape.



My Privacy Pledge

Leo Who?

I'm Leo Notenboom and I've been playing with computers since I took a required programming class in 1976. I spent over 18 years as a software engineer at Microsoft, and after "retiring" in 2001 I started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place to help you find answers and become more confident using this amazing technology at our fingertips. More about Leo.