How a fluffy happy bunny can turn evil or how Microsoft’s best intentions can wipe your machine
I meet a lot of people who are only happy to slag off anything Microsoft produce without giving it a real chance. I was the last to move over to Windows 8 and I knew I was going to hate it, I now love it, but I have turned it in to a Windows 7 look alike. There I would have stayed telling everyone that its not the OS its the way it’s setup, I remember doing the same for 2000, XP, Vista, Windows7 – never Millenium edition, hated that one. However I am going to join in and give Windows 8 a good kick.
Every operating system has been hated before it’s accepted and Windows 8 is no different. There are two people at CMX who loved it from the start but they are now testing Windows 9 for Microsoft but only one of them knew about this dangerous item that I am now going to tell you about.
“Factory reset” is known by everyone, and feared at the same time. If Vodafone ask you to do one you either lie and say you’ve done it or dread doing it. Well imagne they described it as the “fluffy Bunnykins button”, You wouldn’t be frightened but it would change what it is about to do would it, soon you would have a fear of rabbits – Leporiphobia, in case you wondered.
This is what Microsoft have just done. There is an optio to either “refresh” or “reset” your PC. This is Microsoft trying to be helpful and guarantee that you don’t need people like me and the techies at cmx. If you want to resell your machine you can reset or refresh it. You can make it all like new but this is what refresh does according to Microsoft:
“How to refresh, reset or restore your PC
If you’re having problems with your PC, you can try to refresh, reset or restore it. Refreshing your PC reinstalls Windows and keeps your personal files and settings. It also keeps the applications that came with your PC and the apps you’ve installed from the Windows Store. Resetting your PC reinstalls Windows but deletes your files, settings and applications – except for the applications that came with your PC. Restoring your PC is a way to undo recent system changes you’ve made.”
Seems sagfe enough doesn’t it? The screen looks like this
It look innocent and if you choose refresh you see this:
Looks OK doesn’t it but read lines two, three and four. What this means is any programs you have added will be permanently wiped, such as office, adobe, printers etc.etc. Everything will be set to default, no email settings or personal preferences. Only the apps from Windows store will remain, got any of them, that’s phone type apps. So our nice friendly refreshed is more like the mad axeman than the genial bunny. But if you choose “Reset” you get:
In rabid bunny speak that means “I am going to send your machine back to year zero, the day it cam out of the production line.
So if you are tempted to “refresh” your PC you have been warned. However if you want to sell it or hand it to another family member and you don’t want them to see your files and photos, then just use the second option and “nuke” them.