@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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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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@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.
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/
I can't believe Microsoft did this. Like the rest of you I thought it would go back to the last restore point. Instead it basically returned the unit to out of the box condition. It got rid of office, windows mail, all my contacts, and all other programs I installed. I'm not sure about all of the data yet. Windows 8 is the biggest screw up Microsoft has done to date, worse than Vista. There has to be a shadow file somewhere that can be restored.
I did a REFRESH as well thinking it would just delete Windows Apps, but it erased ALL my Programs. Microsoft certainly screwed me over on this one.
1, REFRESH IS A MISNOMER.
I had cloned my original c: drive and it was on the cloned drive.
There is a utility called Recuva http://www.piriform.com/recuva that can restore some deleted files if they have not been overwritten. It's worth a try.
The Refresh option should produce a giant red warning screen that says specifically that all of your installed applications will be toast and that once you commit there is NO GOING BACK!