Yes, please back up all programs.
Yes, please back up all programs.
You can restore all your programs and files by using a system restore point or a recovery tool, even if Windows is damaged. Backing up only settings won’t help—focus on restoring the full installation. If needed, consider using a bootable USB with recovery options to regain access.
I believe saving programs is pointless—just reinstall them. For big games from Steam or similar, find their installation directory and copy it straight away. But for settings and other files, they're typically saved in C:\Users\[username]. Move all of that over and after reinstalling everything, paste the contents back.
Sure, but just because you have many programs doesn't mean settings will help.
Identify the issues with your setup. Perhaps a fix is available using Macrium Reflect to create a full drive image. This file can be mounted on another system when needed. If your partition size isn't sufficient, it may not be worthwhile. You can also transfer user data and ProgramData folders for basic backups.
Saving programs without settings isn't sensible. During installation, they insert entries into your registry. Locating them all would be very time-consuming.
There’s no way to preserve just the programs and settings without saving the Windows configuration and files. You’d need a system image to capture everything at once.
Typically, most applications can work without installing and copying folders. Only a few major programs require registry entries. Others use it just for uninstalling or setting system defaults. Still, you haven’t clarified what’s causing the issue—what exactly is being corrupted? Apologies for the unclear quote; I’m unsure how to fix it using a phone.
Also uncheck (apply) then recheck the "Allow files on this drive to have content indexed in addition to file properties" option in the drive properties. It may take a while to finish. Another option is using third-party finders—some perform well and even quicker than Windows search. More details here: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/wind...b599b31bf5