Windows 8 "refresh" removed applications

Anonymous

Why did Windows 8 "Refresh" remove about 30 applcations from my PC? Outlook is gone, as is Excel and Word. I did a upgrade from 7 on one of my PC's and the new system had not even been operating long enough to create a "Restore" point.

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Anonymous

Hi Rodgerr,

I can imagine how frustrating it could be when most of the applications have been removed on the computer.

Since, you have refreshed the PC; all the applications installed will be removed.

The apps that came with your PC or you installed from Windows Store will be reinstalled, but any apps you installed from other websites and DVDs will be removed. You'll find a list of the removed apps on your desktop after refreshing your PC.

Refer: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IN/windows-8/restore-refresh-reset-pc

I would recommend you to reinstall all the applications on windows 8 to work.

Let us know the status.

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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2013-05-04T22:19:35+00:00

Restore doesn't actually erase anything, it uses shadow copies and only replaces files that were modified since the snapshot was taken. So it really is the best "first step" to use if you want to try fixing a problem and don't know where to start.

Maybe they made the Refresh a little too easy to find :)
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Anonymous

2013-05-04T21:56:35+00:00

Not to be a know-it-all, but I thought I should correct this so people don't get mixed-up:

Reset: Erase the drive and only reinstall Windows.

Refresh: Erase the drive, reinstall Windows, restore personal settings and Store apps.

Restore: Erase the drive and reinstall from an earlier point in time (basically reverting the whole system to a backup).
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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2013-05-04T21:37:31+00:00

I think we can all agree that this warning message needs to note on the last bullet point what will happen to apps that aren't from the Windows Store. This is the pain spot for most users. It says the Windows Store apps will be kept, but it doesn't outright say that the non-store apps will be lost.

You can also install all your software and extra (non-store) programs just the way you want, then use that point as you refresh image snapshot. If you ever one-click-refresh again, that will be the configuration used to restore back to.
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Anonymous

2013-05-04T19:52:50+00:00

Refreshes only save the files you created, not applications that you downloaded. You will need to reinstall all those applications, but it will probably have been worth it if you get your computer working again. Also, it will have saved you a list of the apps you need to reinstall on your Desktop.
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