Odd Recent Update & Question

[DaveLembke]

So the oddity is that after the recent update of Windows 10, both the picture at logon changed where you enter password and my desktop changed to where I had gadgets working under 8gadgetpack installed, and the update wiped out that feature from my desktop and in its place was a shortcut on my desktop giving me the ability to restore the 8gadgetpack back to my desktop.

I ran the shortcut and 8gadgetpack was reinstalled to desktop and the shortcut automatically deleted itself from the desktop which I have never seen before. An interesting trash clean up routine vs having a shortcut not beneficial remaining after gadgets restored.

So question I have is... Does Windows 10 on updates install a completely fresh install of Windows 10, but import installed programs and personal data to a clean build of itself or does it still just patch like prior Windows versions as for after this update it feels like a clean build but my data merged to it?

Reason why it feels like its a clean install of the latest 10 with merged data is because its acting faster now after updates like it did when it was installed clean and shortly after the update and reboot .. maybe an hour later it popped up with a message in lower right corner stating that i could free up hard drive space if I chose to delete the old Windows installation. Given the 500GB HDD in it had only 7GB free because I have almost my entire Steam Game collection installed, I decided to delete the prior Windows install to get that space back.

[Quantos]

That's a helluva good question.  Since the last update or so my login picture keeps changing to anything but the one I want, I also noticed that after updates part of my music library has to be reloaded - I don't know if that has anything to do with the updates or if it's another 'undocumented feature'

[patio]

This would have to do with how you got to Win 10....updates as far as i know do not create an Old Windows...only an install does this...
For example if it was a Win7 PC updated to Win 10 that would be created...and/or if you did a repair install.

[Quantos]

I played around with it during the free upgrade for about a week, but I'm on the test system right now.  I think it might bet the new one - I know the Fall Creators dealymoohickey - but it wouldn't activate on the first one I'd tried, I don't think it was installed long enough.  So I used an extra Win 7 Pro key

Not sure if that answers your question or not

[BC_Programmer]

Major Windows 10 updates are effectively an upgrade install- like upgrading from Windows 98 to Windows XP type of deal.

The Major updates are when the Windows version changes. Version 1607 to 1703, or 1703 to 1709, etc.

It seems that sometimes these major updates are not offered directly via Windows Update, however an "update" will be delivered which installs the Update Assistant and creates a scheduled task which is designed either to update your system when you aren't looking, or avoid interfering with the use of the PC, depending on who you ask.

These "Upgrade" installs will typically create a Windows.Old folder as a result.

[Quantos]

Okay, that makes sense - I wondered where that icon came from

[Salmon Trout]

Do you mean an update which changes the build number? Like Creators Update (Build 1703, April 2017), or the Fall Creators Update (Build 1709, September 2017)? With that update type, you can choose either an upgrade install, where your personal files, apps, settings are preserved (as much as possible) or a clean install, where what you are getting is, as you ask, a new install of Windows. In either case a large number of system components are changed for new ones, and you may well notice changes in performance. The size of the download ISO is around 4.4 GB with minimum options, which gives you some idea of the amount of software being deployed. The Windows.old folder, in line with this, will be multi-gigabytes in size. The Update Tuesday monthly releases are patches however.

[EDIT] I see that while I was typing this others have got there first!

[DaveLembke]

The odd thing about this was that, it all started with shutting down the computer and it gave a choice to perform an update & restart. So I let it do its thing. I didnt do any manual install of a newer version of Windows 10 so it did everything on its own as a normal update would.

The good thing is that the system is running better after this, and I was able to undo what the update broke very easily given that there was a shortcut added to my desktop to restore and re-enable what Windows disabled and that shortcut removed itself when complete with this process.

When I get home from work today I will see what the history shows for versions and patch history to share more on this.

As per what Quantos said

Since the last update or so my login picture keeps changing to anything but the one I want, I also noticed that after updates part of my music library has to be reloaded - I don't know if that has anything to do with the updates or if it's another 'undocumented feature'

My Google Drive Folder reported some issues on this system after this too, and I was able to correct them through the pop up in the lower right corner that gave a choice to restore, recover or revert ( some "R word" to I am guessing syncs to correct for the difference between the local drive and the cloud but by which something became orphaned between the local drive and the cloud ). Everything was good with my cloud data on local C: and the cloud after the correction. I should have taken a screen shot of the message, but didnt think about it at the time.

Happy Holidays Everyone 

[patio]

The only Win.old folder i have was from update 1607 to 1703...good catch though i never knew it was created.

[DaveLembke]

Interesting Logon Survey at logon screen... do you like backgrounds and other stuff as seen in pic. I wonder if this goes along with what quantos was talking about with this changing on him. I selected that i like the picture so i guess i will get more like those. First time I seen this before. But also usually i logon first thing at boot and dont let it sit idle at the logon screen as well as generally I just hit a key or click mouse to open up the password box and get on without paying much attention to the screen.

Maybe there is a default of I dont like it if unanswered and so its subject to change after a timer triggers that its been active for so long without a user response.

Although by me stating that i like that background it also means that i will get more like that so its still subject to change.



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[BC_Programmer]

That has been in Windows 10 since release. It is part of Windows Spotlight.

It can be configured in Lock Screen settings. Either set the background to Spotlight, which means basically that Microsoft chooses your picture, or you can set it to a specific picture or a slideshow. I have it set to a slideshow, myself.

[Salmon Trout]

Either set the background to Spotlight, which means basically that Microsoft chooses your picture, or you can set it to a specific picture or a slideshow.

Or a plain colour, by a bit of tweakery.