Microsoft broke Windows 10’s Fresh Start feature in the May 2020 Update [UPDATED]

[Karlston]

Microsoft broke Windows 10’s Fresh Start feature in the May 2020 Update

Since the Windows 10 Creators Update in 2017 Microsoft offered a Fresh Start feature in Windows Security which allowed users to re-install Windows 10 while keeping your data intact.

 

Importantly the feature would not attempt to keep your existing apps, which would in many cases get rid of lingering compatibility issues and registry bloat, and offer users a “fresh start”, just like when they purchased their PC for the first time.

 

The description of the feature reads:

Start afresh with a clean and up-to-date installation of Windows. This will keep your personal files and some Windows settings and remove some of your apps.

 

In some cases, this may improve your device’s startup and shutdown experience, memory usage, Store apps performance, browsing experience and battery life.

With the Windows 10 May 2020 Update (version 2004) Microsoft appears to have broken the feature, removing the Get Started button.

 

 

The “Additional information” link remains, which directs to this web page, which offers information on the feature, but then recommends the circular action of “Under Fresh start, select Additional info, and then select Get Started to start the process,” which results in ending up back at the same web page.

 

 

HTNovo, who noticed the issue, noted that Windows 10 2004 does include a new Cloud Download feature, but that this is not an exact replacement, as it still leaves the OEM pre-installed apps on the device, which is often a source of issues all by itself.

 

It is not clear if Microsoft intended to remove the Fresh Start feature, or if this was simply a bug which was overlooked. Given the lengthy Windows 10 Insider process however, this is clearly another failure of Microsoft’s Windows 10 testing procedure.

 

Via HTNovo

 

 

Microsoft broke Windows 10’s Fresh Start feature in the May 2020 Update

 

[Karlston]

No Surprise: Microsoft ignored feedback about broken Fresh Start feature in Windows 10 May 2020 Update

We reported yesterday that Microsoft appears to have broken the Windows 10 Fresh Start feature, which gives you a fresh, bloat-ware free install of Windows 10,  and noted that this appeared to be another failure of the Windows 10 Insider program, given that such an obvious omission would have been caught by a proper professional test suite.

 

It appears, however, like most of the major bugs which slipped through to the shipped version of Windows 10, Microsoft had been made aware of the issue some time ago.

 

 

Reports on the Feedback Hub date back to at least 8 months ago, and Techdows, who noted the presence of the reports in the Feedback Hub, also showed that these reports were not isolated, as can be seen in their collated screenshots here:

 

 

As has previously been the case, the issue appears not to be the diligent Insiders, but Microsoft’s process of responding to their reports. It is notable that the issue is not listed as a Known Issue of Windows 10 2004 at the time of writing.

 

Following the major file deletion bug in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, Microsoft said they would put new measures in place to bubble up significant reports.  This issue is of course not of the same magnitude, but it seems a pretty egregious ‘fit and finish‘ bug to ship to end-users.

 

 

No Surprise: Microsoft ignored feedback about broken Fresh Start feature in Windows 10 May 2020 Update