Windows – How to get back all the lost programs after I refreshed the Windows PC

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I tried to refresh my PC. As explained in the options, when I refresh, I wouldn't lose any files.

But after I refreshed my PC, I lost every Microsoft program (Office, PowerPoint, etc.) and even Firefox, Google Chrome and some music or photo programs all disappeared. And my PC just offered me to buy new Microsoft office 2010.

I have no idea how to recover my previous programs.

Best Answer

Sorry to say this, but you misunderstood what "refresh" does. It keeps your user files and data, however, underlying Windows is essentially returned to however it was shipped to you (i.e. registry reverted, installed programs gone, etc.).

Assuming it came to you with any of that on it, you should be able to find the files on your recovery partition.

Windows 8 Refresh: A great feature, if you know the limitations

Refresh, you may recall, is the Windows 8 revitalization procedure that preserves the user's data and settings but re-installs Windows underneath. (Reset is the other option, which wipes out the PC and returns it to the same state it was in when you bought it.) Microsoft advises that Windows 8 customers run a Refresh under the same circumstances that Windows 7 users might run a System Restore -- that is, when your system suddenly falls over or starts behaving absurdly.

That means that unless you had backed any of that up (or did a system restore point) beforehand, you'll need to start from scratch essentially. Though, your settings files are probably still valid under your user folder. That may mitigate some of the pain...

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