Hi all,

I have a laptop PC with windows 8 release preview. I refreshed it. After refresh, all my programs were isolated in a folder. The problem now is that I cannot shutdown my pc because all the manufacturer programs were isolated.

Can someone please teach me how to undo the refresh in window 8.?

Thank you.

You cannot undue this refresh. Your best bet at this point is to reinstall all apps. If you had read the warning of refresh you would have seen that this would happen.

You could also reinstall the entire OS. this should clear the original problem as well since your original problem was due to an Upgrade attempt rather than a Clean Install.

Using Refresh will restore the system to the same condition as when it was first installed, before you installed all of your programs/apps. This cannot be undone. You will need to reinstall the programs that were removed.

This is why I found that a Reset is a better option. It's basically doing a re-install, formatting the "C" drive & the user ends up with a fresh install of 8 RP. But it's not really a timesaver over a clean install, in fact, seemed to take longer.

I had an issue once that a Refresh couldn't fix, so I've never used it again.

Still, none of these options are as good as doing a backup (disk image) after installing, updating & installing key programs (like Office 2007/2010). Restoring this is far less time consuming than Refresh, Reset or a Clean Install is. And it doesn't need babysitting, once the process is started, it'll be there waiting when you get back.

Cat

Good point Cat. Making an Image is so easy, and gives the best restore option there is. It restores the OS to the exact point it was created in about 10 minutes depending on the size. If the data is stored separately (on a different partition) it is not touched by this restore.

The one caveat is that if you have your OS and data all on one partition, you have to back your data up separately from your images as you would only create an image when the OS changes, or you add or remove apps (I always keep my images up to date when I make changes). You don't want your data out of date if you restore your image.

That is why I learned long ago to keep my data on a partition of it's own, & backed up more often than the OS. My downloads, documents, pictures & any other items of importance goes to that partition, where there are folders for each.

These Data partitions, I have 2 backups of, on different HDD's in case of failure. One doesn't have to do the physical act of backing up twice, but copy the backup image to another HDD. Items of the utmost of importance, like tax filing info, is also copied to a DVD & placed into my safe deposit box at the bank each year.

While I do consider it important to backup the OS for quick recovery, I consider it 10 times more important to backup data, therefore the multiple copies.

Cat

Old Timers, like me, learned ages ago, to do whole-partition backups at least once a week. That way you have everything that was on the C: drive, OS, programs, drivers, data, EVERYTHING in a single, compressed, backup file.
Then when you do a restore, everything is exactly like it was when you did the backup.

My only exception to this rule, is that I have a batch file that will back up all my data files to a second partition anytime I run it. I can do that daily and it only takes a few seconds, since it only copies files that are new or have been changed since the last backup.
I'm currently doing this daily backup to a 16gig flash drive, permanently installed in a USB port.
So if I get lazy or forgetful and don't do a whole partition backup for a week or two, I still have all my data files safe and secure.

Play SAFE!

TM

I also have my data on a separate data partition, and back up regularly to 2 other PC's. We have a second laptop and a Desktop PC that we use for backups.

A very old and famous saying of mine....."the only bad backup is the one you either decided not to make or were to lazy to make".
All other backups are GOOD! (to a point)

However, when lightning hits your house, it can erase any and ALL magnetically stored data.
A DVD is the only media that it can't delete. But remember, that DVD's are plastic and they burn quite well.
So if your life it stored on DVD's, make sure that they are in a Fireproof place.

Cheers Mates!
TM

And make sure that any backup drives are unplugged after use. If the backup drive isn't being powered, then the chance of lightning damage/power surges greatly decreases, though it's not 100% eliminated. Static is always a possibility, no matter what.

One of the best places to keep backup drives safe is inside of an insulated cooler (like a 48 quart party cooler). The insulation should shield it from most threats. But nothing is foolproof. If lightning hits hard enough, the whole house can burn down. Make sure that if you need to hastily exit, get those backup drives, any cash or jewelery & get out.

The good thing, is that since I've been using backup drives, that I've never had one (the actual HDD inside) go bad due to this. But I've had the electronics in the enclosure go out on me, for this reason, I prefer to build my own.

Cat