RANT: Everything I knew about Windows is being denied me

[ChrisGreaves]

No, not early-onset Alzheimer’s, but a seeming erosion of knowledge in the name of progress. I seek re-assurance that Microsoft really has embarked on a program of reducing my previous knowledge towards zero without making any functional changes to the operating system.

Example: Making a System Restore Point

Back in the good old days (1990?-2019) I used to make a system restore point by opening the Start Menu, Control Panel, System, System Protection, and away I went. Now the Control Panel is no longer a visible option (and I learned that last July when I was dragged, kicking and screaming, into Win10H₂0) but at least I know my objective, so in the search box I type “System Restore” because I have learned that the way to system security is still via Control Panel and a screen that has restore point Creation, which is what I want to do, as well as other stuff related to System Restore.

Untitled.png

Here is the result of my search.

Now we all know that Control Panel is on my system – I made use of it mere minutes after this screenshot – and we know that creating a restore point is still there, but Win10 search sends me off to the web to learn how to do something I have been doing for twenty years or more!
The functionality remains, but the access to it is denied.

My knowledge that something called System Restore points is still implemented has been rendered useless.

I tried but did not document “restore point”, “create restore” and one or two other futile search terms.

I know that I should have used “Control Panel” as a search term to gain access to restore points. “Control Panel” is scheduled to be disappeared, so it makes sense (NOT!) to maintain that as the only way to gain access to – SYSTEM SECURITY, for heaven’s sake!

I am struggling to understand why Microsoft makes the effort to reduce and remove useful data and call it progress. One day they will invent the phrase "enhanced user experience" and I shall go over the edge. Which, by the way, insists on appearing instead of my default browser, whenever I stupidly click on those results in the search box.

Given Windows bloat in space and time (“make sure you get a laptop with SSD”!) what would be the expense of leaving the old search terms in place alongside whatever the new name for System Restore Points might be, sometime, in the future?


Cheers
Chris

[stuck]

Try entering just 'restore' into the search box. If you do that, the top suggestion is a link straight to the relevant (and familiar) dialog within the System app in the Control Panel.

If you search for 'Control Panel' there are more clicks required before you reach that same dialog.

Ken
EDITED TO ADD:
You imply that searching for 'create restore' didn't help you but it works for me. Again a link to the relevant dialog is the top suggestion.

[Leif]

You imply that searching for 'create restore' didn't help you but it works for me. Again a link to the relevant dialog is the top suggestion.

Same here, Ken. Could it be a difference between Home and Pro, I wonder...

[stuck]

Dunno and I can't check because I've not got access to Home. I'm on my work device at the moment (running Enterprise) and my home device runs Pro.

[Leif]

Probably simpler if we just restore Chris to an earlier date.

[stuck]

The problem is that Chris is already in an earlier date. You'd have to roll back the whole world...

[DaveA]

I have the Home version and YES, when typing in restore the first listing is to "Create restore point"

[BobH]

Once you have located and opened Control Panel, pin it to the task bar where it will be available for a simple click. No?

[John Gray]

Maybe the attached will work?
.
.

Control Panel on Desktop.jpg

[ChrisGreaves]

Try entering just 'restore' into the search box. If you do that, the top suggestion is a link straight to the relevant (and familiar) dialog within the System app in the Control Panel.

Hi Ken, and thanks for the tip.

Untitled.png

I do get taken, but to the backup-and-restore part of CP rather than Create a System Restore Point.

Now, I don't think I used to search for "restore"; I think I used to search for "Restore Point" until a week or two ago. back in Win7 days of course I had the link to CP on the start menu, or tiles, whatever it was.

You imply that searching for 'create restore' didn't help you but it works for me. Again a link to the relevant dialog is the top suggestion.

Untitled2.png

'create restore' shows me a list of references, all to web pages (and hence Edge).
Nary a direct link to the execution of the desired utility.

For the record I thought to navigate to where I used to be:-

Untitled3.png

Click on 'System protection' and there I was, create a restore point and get on with life.

You might think that searching for 'System Protection' would work for me, but again, i am presented with just a list of links to web pages.

Back to my main point: Why, when I search for 'System Protection', can't the latest Windows serve up a link to execute the application? Not your fault, I know, but it does seem to me that the user interface is becoming increasingly obtuse.

Cheers and thanks
from Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

...Could it be a difference between Home and Pro, I wonder...

Good point! Leif.
I should have quoted name,rank and serial number when I started.

Untitled4.png

Cheers
Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

I have the Home version and YES, when typing in restore the first listing is to "Create restore point"

Hi Dave; is that first item in the listing a link to a web page (via Edge), or does it take you directly to where you can 'Create a Restore Point'?
Thanks
Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

Once you have located and opened Control Panel, pin it to the task bar where it will be available for a simple click. No?

Hi Bob, and yes, i could do that.
My Rant is aligned with "why do i have to jump through extra hoops to do what used to be a simple procedure".
If I have to start creating shortcut links in order to reproduce what Windows used to give me (via the Start menu, orb, or whatever), then Windows is making the operating system less user-friendly.

As you might guess, I was able to find my way and Create a Restore Point before posting the rant.
It seems to me that Windows is getting harder to use because the user interface is being changed, or removed to another spot, which immediately devalues users knowledge of the system; it makes us all a little less efficient.

At times it feels as if the car manufacturer has switched the windscreen and turn signal stalks on this year's model because - a change makes things look newer!

Cheers
Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

@Leif
Probably simpler if we just restore Chris to an earlier date.

Would that we could.
What a happy chappy I would be setting off on that ten-minute walk to school, clean handkerchief in pocket, looking forward to aceing the class in spelling, arithmetic etc.


@stuck
The problem is that Chris is already in an earlier date. You'd have to roll back the whole world...

I could reinstall my legal copy of Word97 if you think that would help.
Of course, I'd have to Create a Restore Point first ...

Cheers
Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

Maybe the attached will work?

Hi John, but please see my reply to BobH.

Yes, this suggestion works in the sense that it places a shortcut icon to Control Panel on my desktop, but again this is making me "correct" today's Windows so that I can use the knowledge I had that worked in an earlier version.

Actually, I am now beginning to doubt myself.
I'll swear that I didn't have to create shortcut links for easy access to Creating a Restore Point in the past, Win95-Win7.
Tomorrow morning I shall go to my two Win7 laptops and see what I shall see.

More puzzling to me is that so far, no one has agreed that, yes, today we have to jump through extra/unnecessary hoops to perform what ought to be a basic user function. How often are we urged to Create a Restore Point before installing new software?

Cheers
Chris

[DaveA]

Restore.png

This is what I get

[Rebel]

"Why, when I search for 'System Protection', can't the latest Windows serve up a link to execute the application?"

I have no idea why it's not working for you Chris, but If I search for "System Protection", this is what I get:

SystemRestore.png

[stuck]

The screen shots posted by Dave and John (Rebel) are what I see when I search for 'restore'.

Have you somehow changed your Windows Search settings and thus perhaps excluded it from finding stuff on your own PC? Go to:
Settings | Search | Searching Window    
and look at those options.

Ken

[John Gray]

I may well be missing something, but the internet is stuffed with ways of creating a restore point by double-clicking a desktop icon!

Using the very useful but arcane WMIC, here is one...

And the inimitable Brink has acres (sorry, hectares!) of tutorials about Restore Points.

[ChrisGreaves]

This is what I get

OK Dave. Given that I had changed a setting this morning I went back and tried again, lower-case, no spaces, nothing up my sleeve ...

Untitled.png

Once again, my system seems to be different from everyone else's
Maybe it is time for a factory reset; it's been almost a year
Cheers
Chris