Windows 10 - The Emperor's New Clothes?

I actually like Windows 10 and think it's potentially a very good platform but ..... Microsoft's ethos still seems to derive from its early days when its response to any software error was to suggest the nuclear option, that you reboot the PC or, even worse in mission critical environments, reboot the server.

However, rebooting, assuming it's even possible, won't clear all your Windows 10 errors and the nuclear options usually suggested by MS 'support' are to scrub your user account and create a new one; to reinstall WIndows 10 (assuming that's even possible) or to contact your PC's manufacturer and hope that they can help you. Alternatively the problem is just ignored no matter how many communal web sites are filling up with horror stories.

Lost the Store app?

One particularly awful example is the widely reported problem with Windows 10 apps that came preinstalled with the OS or were obtained from the Windows Store. In the worst case you lose the Store app itself and then, well, you're probably finished.

The TechNet thread concerning this major problem was started in November 2015 and makes a typically depressing read.

Can't reinstall Windows 10?

Oh no. The thermonuclear option itself has failed. Good luck with that one.

This was the deal when it happened to me .......

I created a recovery USB stick from the Microsoft.com site but this runs into the two problems described at the top of the following post:

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/the-drive-where-windows-is-installed-is-locked

I was not willing to start messing around with disk partitions so I followed the Repair Master Boot Record link on that page to:

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/repair-master-boot-record-mbr-windows

I then carried out those commands but ‘bootrec /RebuildBcd’ failed to complete with the message ‘The requested system device cannot be found.’. I then searched for information on that problem and came to another depressing read:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-update/bcd-problem-0xc000000d-the-requested-system-device/f66d292a-427d-4878-9c48-3bd50a37c691

This Microsoft response basically says they don’t know what’s going on and the best bet is to contact your PC vendor. Thanks guys.