What happened to my computer? Nothing is like it was last evening.

Question

What happened to my computer? Nothing is like it was last evening.

Shirley Glanden 10

Last evening everything changed on my computer.

Please set it back as it was yesterday

.

Bulldog 4,770 Reputation points

2026-10-02T13:51:13.0033333+00:00

No one here knows what your computer was like last evening, or what happened to change it. Unless you tell us.

It's a good habit to backup your computer every night so you can easily restore it to the way it used to be.

2 answers

Your answer

Bulldog 4,770 Reputation points

2026-10-02T13:51:13.0033333+00:00

No one here knows what your computer was like last evening, or what happened to change it. Unless you tell us.

It's a good habit to backup your computer every night so you can easily restore it to the way it used to be.

Answer 1

DaveM121 937.5K Independent Advisor

1

Please provide more information on what has changed on your PC, is it that Windows looks completely different, or have all your files and apps disappeared?

If your Windows 10 looks different, please provide a screenshot and indicate the difference you are seeing.

2

Click your Start Button, type winver and press Enter.

Please provide a screenshot of the resulting dialog.

0 comments

Answer 2

If the PC still starts, use the least disruptive recovery options first.

Open Settings > System > Recovery.
If the problem started after upgrading to a new version of Windows and Go back is available, select Go back. This keeps personal files, but removes apps and drivers installed after the upgrade and any Settings changes made after the upgrade.
- This option is usually available for only 10 days after the upgrade.
- It requires the windows.old and $windows.~bt folders to still be present.
If the issue started after a recent Windows update, use the recovery path for Uninstall a Windows update from Recovery options.
If a restore point exists from before the problem, use Point-in-time restore or System Restore:
- For Point-in-time restore: go to System > Recovery > Point-in-time restore to check available restore points, then go to Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now. In Windows Recovery Environment, select Troubleshoot > Point-in-time restore and choose a restore point.
- Point-in-time restore rolls back the entire PC including apps, settings, and personal files to the selected restore point. Changes made after that point are lost.
- If point-in-time restore is not available, use System Restore from Windows Recovery Environment.
If none of those options fix it, use Reset this PC from Settings > System > Recovery > Reset PC.
- Warning: reset is more disruptive. During reset, the screen can stay black for a long time and the device may restart itself. Do not manually restart it during the process.

If the PC does not start normally, enter Windows Recovery Environment and try recovery options there, including System Restore.