Win 10 suddenly requires a password. I don't have one.
- Thread starter Mike S
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- Nov 19, 2013
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Hello Mike and welcome to the forum.
First of all, installed programs (unless you chose to install them for only your user profile, some do support that type of install) should still be there either in the All Apps menu, or in their respective locations in C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86).
You desktop and taskbar icons are likely missing because they are unique to a particular user profile but the programs should still be there.
NOW..... as to the real problem.
Man have we been hearing a lot of this recently. Windows Updates seemingly damaging user profiles somehow (and it does seem to take different forms).
Try restarting the computer a few times, sometimes that will sort things out and resurrect your user profile (fingers crossed).
IF not then your only option might be to copy over your profile items from your old profile into a new user profile. It's a bit of a pain but a relatively straight forward process that has remained the same since Windows 7 at least.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/fix-corrupted-user-profile#1TC=windows-7
It'll require a third admin user as you cannot be logged in as either account you are copying from or to, and.....
be sure to copy and not move.
First of all, installed programs (unless you chose to install them for only your user profile, some do support that type of install) should still be there either in the All Apps menu, or in their respective locations in C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86).
You desktop and taskbar icons are likely missing because they are unique to a particular user profile but the programs should still be there.
NOW..... as to the real problem.
Man have we been hearing a lot of this recently. Windows Updates seemingly damaging user profiles somehow (and it does seem to take different forms).
Try restarting the computer a few times, sometimes that will sort things out and resurrect your user profile (fingers crossed).
IF not then your only option might be to copy over your profile items from your old profile into a new user profile. It's a bit of a pain but a relatively straight forward process that has remained the same since Windows 7 at least.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/fix-corrupted-user-profile#1TC=windows-7
It'll require a third admin user as you cannot be logged in as either account you are copying from or to, and.....
be sure to copy and not move.