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installation doesn’t work.

Get the tool from the link in the previous tip and run it (you can do this on another PC if you can’t get your reboot-loop computer to start), this time choosing the ‘Create installation media’ option. You’ll need a spare 8GB USB stick or a blank DVD for this. Follow the steps, choosing either ‘USB flash drive’ or ‘ISO file’ when prompted. If you choose the latter, you can burn to DVD by rightclicking the ISO file then selecting ‘Burn disc image’.

Restart the affected PC with disc or stick inserted to boot to the installation options, then click No when asked whether you’d prefer to upgrade instead. Follow the Windows Setup process, selecting your language and keyboard preferences, then click ‘Install now’ and choose ‘I don’t have a product key’ when prompted. Select the version of Windows you need (usually Windows 10 Home) then click ‘Custom: Install Windows only’ (see screenshot above). Next, choose the partition you want to install Windows on and let the installation complete. even have been disabled.

So, before you do anything drastic, right-click Start and select Computer Management. In the window that opens, click ‘Local Users and Groups’ on the left, then double-click Users in the middle pane. Look for your original user profile, right-click it (‘Jonathan’ in the screenshot above) then select Properties. If the ‘Account is disabled’ option is ticked, untick it then click OK. Do the same with the Administrator account. Now restart your PC and make sure you log in with the correct account – available accounts will be shown at the bottom left of the Windows 10 login screen.

You should also try searching for files and folders by name. Open File Explorer, click This PC, then enter the name of one of your missing files in the Search box (top right). If the file appears in the search results list, right-click it and select ‘Open file location’. This takes you to the folder containing your ‘missing’ personal files.

If the above steps don’t resolve your missing Start menu problem, you may have to create a new user profile. See below to find out how.

Why does Edge not work after update? Qsince

upgrading to the Creators Update, I’ve been unable to use Edge. It runs for precisely 13.5 seconds before switching off. I have tried several solutions to no avail. Do you have any suggestions?

Aedge failing to work properly after an update is a surprisingly common problem. Microsoft often recommends clicking Start, Settings, Apps, Microsoft Edge, ‘Advanced options’, then trying both the Repair and Reset options there (see screenshot right). But in some cases Edge is so broken it won’t even show up in the Apps list. There is a way to reinstall apps using a Powershell command, but this can often cause more problems than it solves.

In many cases, problems like these are caused by corrupt user profiles, so one potential solution is to create a completely new user profile, which can also solve several other Windows 10 update problems, including missing apps and a broken Start menu. Open Settings, click Accounts, then ‘Family & other people’. Click ‘Add someone else to this PC’ and follow the on-screen instructions. When you’ve finished, you’ll see the new account listed under ‘Other people’. Click it, then click ‘Change account type’, select Administrator, then click OK.

Next, restart your PC and log in with your new account. Try using Edge (and anything else that wasn’t working). If the new profile has fixed your problem, you’ll need to move all your personal files and folders from your old profile to your new one. You can do this by navigating to C:\users in File Explorer, then moving the contents of each folder – Documents, Downloads, Favourites, Pictures and so on – across from the old profile folder to the new one.

QIinstalled the FCU as per your Workshop in Issue 514 (page 35) without any problems, then received a message: ‘Feature update to Windows 10, version 1709 requires a restart to finish installing’. I have restarted numerous times, but the restart message always appears when I open Windows Update. Has the update completed?