How do you reinstall Windows 10 and keep data, apps, and programs.

Ah, unfortunately you had the pleasure of meeting the same person I did. I was trying to install a game with many complications and wanted to know a fix without reinstalling windows. The guy here "Greg" gave me some things to try that corrupted windows so much that I lost all my basic applications. Then proceeded to get more and more aggressive with me as I was rating his reviews unhelpful.

Do yourself a favor and just do a fresh install of windows. He's the only representative that will come to help and the guy here has about an 8% helpful answer rate on the tens of thousands of posts he replies to. After I called out his aggression and reported him, he edited all of his answers and took out anything that was even remotely rude to make himself look good. It's a shame that Microsoft lets him work under their name.

Edit:

Quoting his post now so he can't edit it out.

"I already explained"

I dont' see results of the other repair steps I gave. Instead I see that before completing all of the steps you rated my post unhelpful, even though I gave you all possible steps to repair Windows, answered your question clearly about how you reinstall Windows while saving files, apps and settings, and said I was standing by to help you further. This affects my standing here for trying my best to help you. Did you still want my help?

Hi DJ. I'm Greg, awarded MVP for eleven years, Volunteer Moderator, and Independent Advisor here to help you until this is resolved.

That would be a Repair install which can only be done from within Windows by running the latest media over the existing install.

So let's see if we can get Windows started by all possible means. One of them will always work as long as the hardware is still good, otherwise if you're not patient enough to work through the steps you'll need to take it to a shop which will charge a minimum $150 and do a reinstall that isn't half as good as the one I can help you do:

Use whichever method works in this link to get into Repair Mode so you can do the necessary repairs, try replacing your account in order to save the install, or do a Reset: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2294-advanc...

Easiest is to force shutdown by holding in the power button three times until it starts into Repair Mode. Once in the Repair Mode try the numbered steps below.

It may be necessary to create bootable media on another PC to access Advanced Startup Options to try repairs, a Reset or do the Clean install. The bootable media has it's own set of files so that repairs or Reset might work better, doesn't require a password, and you'll have it to if necessary do the vastly superior Clean Install.

To create Windows 10 Installation Media on another PC install Media Creation Tool and follow the directions here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/m.... Uncheck the box for Recommended Settings to choose the exact version and bit rate for the target PC only.

Insert media, boot it by powering up PC while pressing the BIOS Boot Menu Key given here: https://www.sysnative.com/forums/hardware-tutor...

If the media won't boot you may need to enter BIOS/UEFI Setup (pressing key given in chart in link above) to turn off Fast Boot or Fast Startup first.

Choose the boot device as a UEFI device if offered, on second screen choose Repair Your Computer, then Advanced Troubleshoot Options, then:

1. Try a System Restore,
2. If that fails try Uninstall Updates,
3. Open the Command Prompt to:

a) run System File Checker: https://www.wintips.org/how-to-run-sfc-offline-...

b) a full Disk Check: https://www.groovypost.com/howto/check-hard-dri...

c) Enable the built-in hidden Admin to sign into create a new Admin account to replace yours:

https://www.isumsoft.com/it/enable-hidden-admin...

http://www.howtogeek.com/226540/how-to-create-a...

4. If those fail then go back to Troubleshoot Options to do a Reset.

If that fails choose Install Now, then Custom Install, then at the drive selection screen delete all partitions down to Unallocated Space to get it cleanest, click Next to let it create needed partitions and start install - this makes it foolproof. Everything needed to get the best possible Clean Install is here: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki.... It is a better install than any amount of money can buy and a great learning experience that will make you the master of your PC because you will learn what works best and how to apply it with your own hands.

If you have files that aren't backed up you can use the same bootable media to try to rescue your files using these methods: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

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I already explained that to reinstall WIndows while saving your apps and files you'd have to be in Windows to run a Repair Upgrade which is run from inside Windows.

If you wanted to restore from an Image like Acronis, you would have had to make the image ahead of time. Those who do the Clean Install in my tutorial here: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki... are shown how to do these backup images, and have a responsible file backup plan.

I dont' see results of the other repair steps I gave. Instead I see that before completing all of the steps you rated my post unhelpful, even though I gave you all possible steps to repair Windows, answered your question clearly about how you reinstall Windows while saving files, apps and settings, and said I was standing by to help you further. This affects my standing here for trying my best to help you. Did you still want my help?

The data has already been backed up.  that isn't an issue.  I'm just looking for other solutions to recover Windows 10 desktop.  This was fairly simple to do Pre Windows Vista.  You used to be able to rename a folder and when you restarted Windows it would have to go through and re-detect all of the hardware but it worked and kept all of the program installations alone.

I copied part of the previous posts below this one which include steps 1 thru 3.  As I originally stated "I can't get into the desktop via normal mode or safe mode" I was looking for an alternative repair install method that was nondestructive to the original file structure since I was unable to run the Repair install inside Windows. 

I'm sorry for not posting 3c, I did try enabling the admin account, but it didn't fix anything.  I stopped after 3c, since Steps 4 and after weren't relevant to what I was trying to accomplish.

My apologies for the unhelpful mark.  It popped up and asked me if your reply was helpful and it wasn't.  It had nothing to do with you or your assistance in trying to help me.  I had already tried most of those things and I was no further along with this issue.  I have no intention of leaving you with a bad report.

I'm not sure how to  update that.

I guess the result is there is no way of doing a repair install from a bootable DVD/USB drive.  Is that correct?  If that's the case, I'll do a fresh install and start reinstalling programs and restore the data.

*********Previous Post***

Most of these have been tried but I'm going to do them in order as you presented them.

1. No restore point found
2. Says something went wrong and neither will uninstall updates

a) no problem found

b) in progress...will update in the morning.  It says over an hour left.  I did the chkdsk /r before.  I added the /f to it this time.

***Follow up post for 3b***

3 

   b) found no problems.  It did mention some log file couldn't be transferred.

Step 4 is about resetting the hard drive/Windows 10 installation.  How will that save my data, apps, and programs?

I don't feel there is any hardware issue.  I believe it's only Windows itself.  I can do a fresh install but that isn't the question.  As stated before, I have my data backed up.

***End of****earlier Posts***