Like many of us I tried all of the suggestions. Some seemed to work for a while. The approach I suggest here has kept me happy for six months. It's a little work. But it is systematic. There is a plan. And, can you believe it? It was developed and
carefully hidden by Microsoft
Download from MS the document “Tips to improve PC performance in Windows 10.”
That document recommends SFC (System File Checker) which exists in the system somewhere. It can be run in the “command mode” as an Administrator. SFC attempts to find and replace corrupted files. It gets replacements from a source in the system. It
takes a few minutes and if it says all’s well you are good to go. Restart your machine.
If SFC comes back saying it found bad files but can’t correct them, the Document says use DISM (Deployment Image Service and Management Tool). I think “Deployment Image” is a code name for Update Files.
Running DISM is just like running SFC but now you need to be “on line” and the software will use Microsoft as the source for replacement files. If DISM says it can’t fix it then you need a Recovery Disk or Recovery Memory Stick.
Basically it is saying there is SO much wrong, you can’t get there from here.
But you have ALL this stuff on your computer: programs , files including pictures and music, you don’t want to lose all of that. So you want to get a recovery disk or stick that will just replace all of the system files, leaving all else as is.
I downloaded an image of Windows 10 from MS and used RUFUS to make a Recovery Stick. RUFUS is a smart piece of freeware that uses an image of the windows system to make a recovery disk or stick. First you download a system image. You insert a writable
disk or a memory stick, and you run RUFUS on your machine. RUFUS uses the image as a supply for the files it needs to make a recovery source on your writeable disk or stick. It even goes to MS and updates the files that came with your image.
It worked flawlessly. It asks if you are happy with a “GOOD set of system files or if you would like to do a fresh install: lose all of your old files and programs. Say GOOD set and you are done. In 20 minutes I had a happy box.