Windows 8 critical problems.

99 Aegis · **Posted:** December 26th, 2012, 5:17 pm

There's a long back story but I think it's necessary to explain everything from the start:

I made a new user because the first one required a password every time I logged in which annoyed me. When I made the new one there were 20 gigs of unneeded files on that first account (the one that required a password). I did not need that since I already have an almost full hard drive (I am on a laptop so its a tiny hard drive). As far as I know, there is no was to delete users safely on Windows 8. I threw caution to the wind and decided to delete the whole user folder. Deleting system files of course messes up the computer so I went to Settings --> Change PC Settings --> General -->Refresh your PC without affecting your files.

For some reason, it did the worst thing possible. Instead of only restoring deleted system files like I expected: it reset all my settings, deleted things that I want to keep like pictures, videos, applications like Microsoft Office and Google Chrome. It also decided to keep the 100 gigs of useless accumulated files in my Program Files. So now I have a computer with factory settings that I hate, all of my personal files gone, and my almost full hard drive still full.

TLDR: I have a full hard drive. I clicked something that said it would refresh my computer without affecting files. Instead it deleted all my files and setting and I still have a full hard drive. If you have any solutions, please help. I am open to a full and complete wipe of the computer and starting fresh. Those personal files aren't too valuable, it's just a pain to load programs back on.

Adbot · **Posted:** December 26th, 2012, 5:17 pm

Bonsai99 · **Posted:** December 26th, 2012, 9:52 pm

99 Aegis wrote:

TLDR: I have a full hard drive. I clicked something that said it would refresh my computer without affecting files. Instead it deleted all my files and setting and I still have a full hard drive.

If you still have a full hard drive I assume it just moved your files somewhere else, try looking around. This also might help http://www.uderzo.it/main_products/space_sniffer/index.html

Pfkninenines · Global Moderator 12/4/08

"Refresh your PC" does the following:

All of your programs will be uninstalled and otherwise removed, but your files and settings should remain. I'd assume that since you did this from some new account, it assumed that it was the account you wished to preserve. But as you said, there are plenty of files left on the drive. You should be able to browse these files and try to find what you lost, supposing that users folder still remains. If you can't get into the files because of that password, boot to a linux CD and you should be able to access the files. Move them to the desktop of the new user, and you should be able to access them from within your new user account within Windows.

But at this point, a fresh install wouldn't hurt. Start fresh, as it sounds you're not where you'd like to be with your current install.