Repair a corrupted Windows 10 - In place upgrade - with no data loss

Repair a corrupted Windows 10 with In place upgrade install of Windows 10 - with no loss of data and programs

Here's How:

1. Sign in to an administrator account in Windows 10.

2. If you have not already, you will need to disable or uninstall any 3rd party AV or security program you have installed first to prevent it from interfering with the upgrade to Windows 10. You can reinstall it after Windows 10 has finished installing.

3. To do a repair install of Windows 10 with Media Creation Tool

Do not use the Media Creation Tool to do a repair install with if you have an older build of Windows 10 installed and wish to retain it since the Media Creation Tool will not include support for older builds. You will be upgraded to the latest build provided by the Media Creation Tool.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to go to Microsoft, and click/tap on the bottom Download tool now button at Microsoft's site.

B) Save the MediaCreationTool.exe file to your desktop, and run it.

D) If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.

E) Click/tap on Accept for the applicable notices and license terms. (see screenshot below)

F) Select (dot) Upgrade this PC now, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

G) Windows 10 will now start downloading. Go to step 6 below.

4. Windows 10 Setup will now start preparing. (see screenshot below)

5. Select (dot) Download and install updates, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

6. Windows 10 Setup will now start getting things ready. (see screenshots below)

7. Click/tap on Accept for the license terms. (see screenshot below)

8. Windows 10 Setup will now check for and install any available updates, and make sure you're ready to install. (see screenshots below)

9. When ready, click/tap on Install to start the repair install of Windows 10. (see screenshot below)

   Note

If you only have Nothing available to select, then the installation media is not the same as what you currently have installed.

If you would like to change what you keep, then click/tap on the Change what to keep link, choose what to keep, click/tap on Next, and go to step 8 above.

If you don't have Keep personal files and apps selected, you will not keep everything.

10. Windows 10 Setup will now start the in-place upgrade to repair install Windows. (see screenshots below)

   Note

This will take a while to finish.

11. When it's ready, click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

12. Click/tap on Use Express settings or Customize settings for how you want to set these settings, and go to step 16 (Use express settings) or step 13 (Customize settings) below. (see screenshot below)

13. Turn On or Off the Personalization and Location settings you would like, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

14. Turn On or Off the Browser and protection and Connectivity and error reporting settings that you want, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

15. Click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

   Note

You will always be able to choose your default apps in Windows at anytime.

16. You can now sign in to Windows 10. (see screenshots below)

17. When each user signs in for the first time, they will see the first sign-in animation below before reaching their desktop.

18. Make sure that you have the correct time zone, date, and time set.

19. If you like, you could use Disk Cleanup to delete the Windows upgrade log files, Previous Windows installation(s), and Temporary Windows installation files items to free up the large amount of space that they take on your hard drive. (see screenshots below)

   Note

This step will delete the C:\$Windows.~BT and C:\Windows.old folders.

If you delete the Windows.old folder, you will no longer be able to go back to a previous version of Windows.

All done.