Can I undo a refresh on windows 8, I have no restore points but would like to go back 24hours?

Anonymous

I've recently got a new computer with Windows 8, I was having trouble with it and decided to refresh to clean up all the bits and pieces I'd added to start again. The windows office package was installed recently by partner before he went away as he bought two licences and it has now gone.

Can I undo the refresh in any way? I have tried and tried but it seems there were no restore points. Very grateful for any advice as have just managed to get some work for first time this year and need word, excel etc.

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Anonymous

@Shawn yes make the users wrong for not understanding Windows 8's arcane messages. Microsoft can do no wrong (sarcasm.)

Raul Freitas

tech wizard

(not a Microsoft apologist)

For the record Windows 8 is worse than both Vista and ME.

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Anonymous

No restore points = no going back. I don't think that you can go back anyway, certainly there is no easy way.

Your other stuff will have to be re-installed..

If you are going to need Refresh in the future, make a CUSTOM Refresh image that better reflects what is installed and running. The new image is not perfect but better than the default Refresh..

http://www.howtogeek.com/108944/how-to-create-a-custom-refresh-image-in-windows-8/

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110 additional answers

Anonymous

2013-09-13T11:27:48+00:00

Vicky (and everybody else in this forum who fell for the misleading "Refresh - Destroy" feature of Windows 8:

After a couple of hours of panic and frantic online search for help, I re-read Brian's comments. And since my windows.old file is empty, I went and searched my entire C drive for any files being accessed or modified for the 4 hour period since I started the "refresh".

And I finally found (at least it looks that way) a good portion of my files and data under....

        OS (C:) Users

        ==> and then under "Conny" (my own profile) as well as under the "guest"

                 and the "public" profiles

The "only" thing to do now: I have to re-install all the erased programs (Google Chrome, MS Office Pro 2013, FlipShare, and so on - NIGHTMARE by itself).... if I remember all of these programs, that is! And then I guess I would have to manually delegate the data files from my profile location to the newly re-installed location. Never done this before..... and I'm usually the go-to computer geek in my company. I even have recovered and repaired computer/laptops that the geek squad diagnosed as "lost cause". And although I'm usually the ultimate optimist and love a good challenge: It's major B***S.H.I.T. to put Windows customers through this!!! My Windows 8 laptop is mere 6 months old!!!

And I have to say THIS situation here is not only a gigantic nightmare but the worst   F**K UP   that Microsoft has managed to create by far.

I'm with Vicky (and several other comments here): If I cannot recover all my data and files from this BS feature called "Refresh" I will start over..... with a MAC!
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Anonymous

2013-09-13T10:52:51+00:00

Found the file - but nothing in there???
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Anonymous

2013-09-13T09:51:25+00:00

Totally correct why can't microsoft just rename the "Refresh". It is not a refresh as the majority of the public would understand it to be, there was definately not three warnings on my computer and after hours of tryring to get me back to the position I was in before, the "windows.old" file did not contain all the data lost and I had to employ an expert to access the file!

MICROSOFT need to just make a few changes to save everyone from an awful lot of wasted time, money and stress!
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