Patch Lady – Windows 10 versus 7 dealing with issues

In the post Windows 7 era – if you are now dealing with Windows 10 there’s different ways to deal with issues.

G. Winston Natoli shared this recap of the major ways to fix up 10:

Windows 10 keeps it’s own local system image (which it uses to operate a variety of Windows functions)

• It is not a backup of the system volume or boot volume (the system image you would create using Windows or 3rd party imaging utilities)
• Windows keeps an additional set of files called the component store located in the WinSXS folder. Note: Windows total component store is comprised of those files in WinSXS and other files (via Hard Links external to WinSXS) in various Windows system folders.
• DISM commands can: Scan, Check, Clean and Restore (repair)any files within the local system image.

ScanHealth
CheckHealth
Cleanup-Image
RestoreHealth

• When restoring/repairing using DISM’s RestoreHealth command) it will first look locally for file corruption, then automatically repair, if necessary also to Windows Update for the installed version specific files….once done restoring the local system image (that Win10 uses to operate) – effectively updating and fixing Windows files and ensuring that its component store is sound.
• SFC needs a clean, updated local system image and component store to function

Fyi…DISM is not available in Windows 7 and earlier(*).  i.e. the landscape for maintaining and fixing Windows has changed since Windows 7…one of the reasons, SFC in Windows 10 needs a functional, non-corrupted component store.

Repair Windows 10 Apps

• Use the Store Troubleshooter
• See KB4028054

< https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4028054/windows-10-repair-or-remove-programs>

If the Repair option is not available for an app, reset or uninstall and reinstall from the MSFT Store. If uninstall is not available, use the MSFT Store check if updates for the App are available then download and update the app.

• Reset the Store Cache (doing so resolves issues with installing and updating apps). An app error could be related to an outdated or broken app that can’t be updated. Resetting the cache ensures the Store can do its job to update a broken app.
• Reset Windows 10 Update Agent
• Use PowerShell to re-register the MSFT Store
• Use PowerShell to reinstall and re-register all Apps

As attempted to note earlier…..It’s always a good idea, before changing or attempting to change anything in Windows 10 to validate the local system image using the DISM CheckHealth and ScanHealth commands. Not doing so, one always risk the the chance of attempting to fix something that is broken with a broken Windows.

(*) As noted in the forum, it doesn’t do the same in 7 as it does in 10 and therefore not comparable.