Update failed: Cumulative Update for Windows 11, version 25H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5070773) (26200.6901)

[ChatGPT]

Thanks — that screenshot matches what I expected: Chrome is trying to use Windows authentication (Windows Hello / the system credential UI) to unlock saved passwords, and because you removed your PIN / Windows Hello it’s falling back to the Windows Security credential prompt.
Two safe ways to stop that dialog

• Best (keeps PIN removed): stop Chrome from asking Windows to authenticate before autofilling passwords.
• Alternative (keeps Chrome behavior but removes the dialog): re‑enable a Windows Hello PIN (so the prompt will accept your PIN or biometric).

I’ll give the exact steps for the recommended option first (disable Chrome’s use of Windows Hello), then the PIN re‑enable option if you prefer that.
A — Turn off Chrome’s Windows Hello / OS authentication for autofill (recommended)

1. Open Chrome and go to:
   chrome://settings/passwords
2. Look for the setting labelled something like:
   • “Use Windows Hello to sign in to autofill passwords” or
   • “Require Windows Hello / OS authentication to fill saved passwords”
     and switch that toggle OFF.
   (If you don’t see an explicitly named Windows Hello toggle, continue below with the fallback steps.)
3. Test: go to a site where Chrome previously prompted and try autofill — Chrome should fill passwords directly without the Windows Security box.

If the setting is missing or the option keeps reverting, try this fallback:
B — Fallback #1 (disable the Chrome flag that forces OS auth)

1. In Chrome address bar open:
   chrome://flags
2. Search for “Windows Hello” or “OS authentication”.
3. Find the flag named similar to:
   “OS authentication will use new Windows Hello if available”
   and set it to Disabled.
4. Relaunch Chrome.

C — Fallback #2 (policy may enforce OS auth)
If your Chrome is managed by a policy (work PC) the Windows‑Hello requirement might be forced. Check:

• Open: chrome://policy
• Look for any password/Autofill/Authenticator policy entries. If a policy is present and forcing OS auth, you cannot change it locally — you’ll need the admin to change it.

D — If you prefer to keep Windows Hello behavior (re‑enable PIN)
If you want the extra protection of the system dialog (recommended for security), re‑enable a PIN:

1. Settings → Accounts → Sign‑in options → Windows Hello PIN → Add.
2. After you add a PIN, Chrome’s prompts will accept it rather than showing the blank Windows Security dialog.

Security note

• Disabling Chrome’s OS auth makes filling passwords easier but removes the extra second factor that prevents someone with physical access from getting your saved passwords. If you keep auto‑fill on, consider enabling a PIN or a 3rd‑party password manager with its own master password.

Which would you like me to do now?

• “Turn off Chrome OS auth” — I’ll wait while you open chrome://settings/passwords and confirm the toggle name (if present) and tell you where it is.
• “Use flag fallback” — I’ll give the exact chrome://flags steps to run.
• “I’ll re‑enable PIN” — I’ll give the exact steps to add a PIN.

Say which and I’ll walk you through the single exact change.

 

[Distorted Vision]

Toggling OFF: Use Windows Hello to sign in to autofill passwords

worked. Issue is resolved. Let me finish intalling Office and Adobe Creative Suite before we wrap up the thread.

No need to post any further command.

 

[ChatGPT]

Excellent — thanks for confirming and well done troubleshooting everything today.
Quick final notes while you finish installs (no commands):

• Re‑enable Kaspersky (or any AV you paused) before browsing and after installs.
• For Office 2019: redeem your retail key at setup.office.com (or install from account.microsoft.com) and activate with your Microsoft account.
• For Adobe Creative Cloud: install the Creative Cloud desktop app, sign in to your Adobe ID, then reinstall apps.
• After both are installed, I recommend creating another image/restore point so you have a clean baseline.

I’ll stand by while you finish — post when you’re done and want the thread wrapped up or if you hit any install/activation snags. Enjoy your evening — great progress today.

 

[Distorted Vision]

One little thing. When I right click anything it has 'Show more options'. I want to remove this and just show me the full list.

 

[ChatGPT]

Yes — you can make Windows 11 always show the full (classic) context menu instead of the condensed menu with “Show more options”. It’s done by adding a small HKCU registry key and restarting Explorer. It’s safe and fully reversible.
Two ways (pick one): Regedit (GUI) or PowerShell (one‑line). I show both and include how to undo.
Important:

• This changes only your user account (HKCU). No admin elevation is required for the HKCU changes, but you’ll need to restart Explorer (or sign out/in) to see the change.
• I recommend exporting the registry key first if you want a backup.

A — PowerShell (fast — copy/paste into an elevated or normal PowerShell window)
Run these lines exactly:

create the key and an empty default value​

New-Item -Path "HKCU:\Software\Classes\CLSID{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}" -Force
New-Item -Path "HKCU:\Software\Classes\CLSID{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" -Force
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Classes\CLSID{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" -Name '(Default)' -Value ''

restart Explorer to apply​

Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force
Explorer will restart and the classic (full) context menu will be shown immediately.
B — Regedit (manual GUI steps)

1. Press Win+R, type regedit, Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID
3. Right‑click CLSID → New → Key. Name it exactly:
   {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}
4. Right‑click that new key → New → Key. Name it:
   InprocServer32
5. With InprocServer32 selected, double‑click the (Default) value in the right pane and make sure the Value data is empty (blank). Click OK.
6. Close Regedit. Restart Explorer (Task Manager → find Windows Explorer → Restart) or sign out and sign in.

To undo (revert to Windows 11 modern menu)
PowerShell undo (single line):
Remove-Item -Path "HKCU:\Software\Classes\CLSID{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}" -Recurse -Force
Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force
Or delete the key in Regedit (right‑click the {86ca...} key → Delete), then restart Explorer.
Notes / caveats

• Microsoft may change how the context menu works in future updates; an update could revert behavior (you can reapply the fix quickly).
• This only affects your account (HKCU). Other users on the machine won’t be changed.
• If you use any context‑menu shell extensions, they will appear in the classic menu once enabled.

If you want, I can run the PowerShell lines for you or wait while you do them and confirm the menus look the way you want. Which do you prefer?

 

[Distorted Vision]

Yes the Powershell commands worked. Thanks.

 

[ChatGPT]

Perfect — glad that worked and everything’s looking good.
Quick checklist / optional tidyups now you’re stable

• If you want me to remove the temporary startup workaround (scheduled task + script) I can give the single commands or remove them for you now:
  • Delete scheduled task: schtasks /Delete /TN "RestartNetworkOnBoot" /F
  • Remove script: Remove-Item 'C:\Windows\Temp\RestartNetworkOnBoot.ps1' -Force
• If you prefer to keep the workaround for a few days while you finish installs and confirm stability, that’s fine too.
• When Office and Adobe are reinstalled, I recommend creating another full image or restore point as a final baseline.

Anything else I can finish for you now?

• Remove the scheduled task (yes/no)?
• Help with Office/Adobe activation steps if you hit anything?
• Post a short “resolved” reply to your forum thread?

Say which (one choice) and I’ll do that single thing. Otherwise, great progress — nice work today.

 

[Distorted Vision]

I actually already deleted the task and removed the script. But to check:

Windows PowerShell Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Install the latest PowerShell for new features and improvements! Installing PowerShell on Windows - PowerShell PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> schtasks /Delete /TN "RestartNetworkOnBoot" /F ERROR: The system cannot find the file specified. PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Remove-Item 'C:\Windows\Temp\RestartNetworkOnBoot.ps1' -Force Remove-Item : Cannot find path 'C:\Windows\Temp\RestartNetworkOnBoot.ps1' because it does not exist. At line:1 char:1 + Remove-Item 'C:\Windows\Temp\RestartNetworkOnBoot.ps1' -Force + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (C:\Windows\Temp\RestartNetworkOnBoot.ps1:String) [Remove-Item], ItemNot FoundException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.RemoveItemCommand PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks — that output shows both the scheduled task and the script are already gone (the Delete/Remove commands fail because the items no longer exist). That’s fine — cleanup complete.
A few quick, optional wrap‑up items you may want now or later (pick any):

• Create a final restore point / image now that everything’s working (recommended). I can give the one‑line Checkpoint-Computer command if you want.
• If you need help installing/activating Office 2019 with your retail key I can walk you through the exact steps (redeem at setup.office.com → download → install) or provide the ODT offline method.
• If you want, I can post a short “Resolved / temporary workaround applied” reply you can copy into your forum thread to close it.
• If you decide later you want to re‑enable a PIN for better security, I can show the steps — Autologon will keep working until you disable it.

Anything you want me to do now? (Pick one)
1) Make a final Restore Point (I’ll provide the exact command).
2) Help with Office 2019 activation/install.
3) Draft a short “Resolved” forum reply for you to post.
4) Nothing — we’re done.
Tell me the number for the action you want and I’ll do that one thing.

 

[Distorted Vision]

Will complete installation of Office 2019 and Adobe Creative Suite then return to create a restore point and wrap things up.
Will break after I start installation of Adobe as it takes a while to complete.

Don't post any further commands.

 

[ChatGPT]

Sounds good — take your time. I’ll wait here and we’ll create the final restore point and wrap up when you return after the installs.
If you run into any hiccups during Office or Adobe installs (activation prompts, missing keys, or installer errors), post the exact message or a screenshot and I’ll give a single, targeted fix.
See you when you’re back.

 

[Distorted Vision]

I've installed Microsoft Office 2024.
I forgot to change the power plan and it was set to put computer to sleep after 20 minutes. I left Adobe Creative Master Collection 2025 setup running without realising this and when I returned the PC was in sleep mode. When I tried to run Adobe Creative Master Collection again it got stuck at 3/24 Adobe After Effects 20% or something like that.

I've used Unlocker to delete Adobe directories in in Program Files and Program Files (x86) and in the Common Files directories. Also ran AdobeCreativeCloudCleanerTool.exe.

Before I try running Adobe CC setup again. I want to delete Windows.old. Please walk me through this.

 

[ChatGPT]

Okay — I’ll walk you through safely removing C:\Windows.old. Do this only once you’re sure you no longer need any files from the previous installation (profiles, custom app files, installers, etc.). I’ll give the safest, recommended GUI method first (Disk Cleanup / System Files) and then an explicit PowerShell method you can use if you prefer. I’ll also show how to verify everything and how to recover if something goes wrong.
Before you start — important reminders

• Deleting C:\Windows.old is permanent (it contains the previous Windows installation). After deletion you cannot roll back to the old install.
• You already have restore points and repaired the system earlier — good. If you want extra safety, create a fresh system image (Macrium Reflect or other) before deleting. If you don’t want a full image, at least create a restore point (may be subject to the 24‑hour throttle).
• Close all programs and make sure no installers or processes are using files in C:\Windows.old.

Recommended (safe) method — Disk Cleanup (removes previous Windows install safely)
1) Open Disk Cleanup as administrator:

• Press Start, type Disk Cleanup, right‑click Disk Cleanup and choose Run as administrator.
• Or press Win, type cleanmgr, then right‑click and Run as administrator.

2) Choose drive C: when prompted.
3) Click “Clean up system files” (you’ll be asked C: again — select it).
4) Wait while it scans. In the list of items to remove, look for:

• Previous Windows installation(s) (this is Windows.old)
• Temporary Windows installation files (optional)
• Temporary files, and other large items you want to remove

5) Check “Previous Windows installation(s)” and any other items you want removed, then click OK → Delete Files.
6) Confirm and wait — this can take some time. When finished Windows.old will be removed and space reclaimed. A restart is not usually required but may be prompted.
Alternative GUI: Storage Settings

• Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files → wait to scan → check “Previous version of Windows” (or “Previous Windows installation(s)”) → Remove files.

Command-line / PowerShell method (faster, but be careful)
If you prefer PowerShell and you’re certain you want to delete it now, run this as Administrator:
Test-Path C:\Windows.old
If True and you want to delete:

Take ownership (if needed)​

takeown /F "C:\Windows.old" /R /D Y

Grant Administrators full control (if needed)​

icacls "C:\Windows.old" /grant Administrators:F /T

Remove the folder (this is permanent)​

Remove-Item "C:\Windows.old" -Recurse -Force
Notes:

• The takeown/icacls lines are only necessary if PowerShell complains about permissions.
• Remove-Item can take many minutes depending on size. Don’t interrupt it.

Verify the deletion

• After completion run:
  Test-Path C:\Windows.old
  It should return False.

If Disk Cleanup / Remove‑Item can’t remove a file

• Reboot into Safe Mode and retry Disk Cleanup or Remove‑Item, or run the disk cleanup approach from Windows Recovery/PE if needed. But you likely won’t need this.

Finally — create a final restore point (recommended)
After the deletion and once you confirm everything is working, create a fresh restore point or a disk image so you have a clean baseline.
Quick Restore Point (Admin PowerShell):
Enable-ComputerRestore -Drive "C:\"
Checkpoint-Computer -Description "Post-AdobeInstall Baseline" -RestorePointType "MODIFY_SETTINGS"
(If the 24‑hour throttle prevents immediate creation, you can use the image approach instead.)
Would you like me to:

• Walk you through Disk Cleanup step‑by‑step now (I’ll wait while you run it), or
• Give the exact PowerShell Remove-Item commands and wait while you run them, or
• Wait while you create a disk image first and then delete Windows.old?

Tell me which method you want and I’ll wait while you run it and confirm the result.

 

[Distorted Vision]

I see this but no option to check "Previous Windows installation(s)"

 

[ChatGPT]

Good — here are two safe, simple ways to remove C:\Windows.old. Start with the GUI Disk Cleanup method (preferred). If that doesn’t give you the “Previous Windows installation(s)” option, I’ll show a PowerShell method you can run as Administrator. I’ll include how to recover if something is locked and what to do if a reboot to Safe Mode is needed.
Important: only delete Windows.old when you’re absolutely sure you no longer need anything from the previous installation. This is permanent.
Method 1 — Disk Cleanup (recommended, safe)

1. Run Disk Cleanup as Administrator
   • Press Start, type Disk Cleanup.
   • Right‑click Disk Cleanup and choose Run as administrator.
2. Select drive C: if prompted.
3. Click “Clean up system files” (you’ll be asked to pick C: again).
4. Wait while it scans. When the list appears, look for:
   • “Previous Windows installation(s)” (this is the Windows.old data)
   • You can also check other items like “Temporary Windows installation files” if you want to remove more.
5. Check “Previous Windows installation(s)” and click OK → Delete Files.
6. Wait for it to finish (may take some minutes). When done, Windows.old will be removed.

Note: In Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files the “Previous Windows installation(s)” entry sometimes appears only after a full scan completes — that can take a few minutes. If it doesn’t appear, use Method 2.
Method 2 — PowerShell / Command line (direct; use if Disk Cleanup doesn’t show the option)
Run an elevated PowerShell (right‑click PowerShell → Run as administrator) and run these commands exactly.
1) Confirm Windows.old exists
Test-Path C:\Windows.old

• If it returns False, nothing to delete. If True, continue.

2) (Optional) Take ownership and grant Administrators full control — this avoids permission errors
takeown /F "C:\Windows.old" /R /D Y
icacls "C:\Windows.old" /grant Administrators:F /T
3) Delete the folder (this is permanent)
Remove-Item "C:\Windows.old" -Recurse -Force
Alternative (CMD) to remove if you prefer:
rd /S /Q "C:\Windows.old"
If you get “file in use” or permissions errors

• Close all apps. If an installer or service is locking files, try a normal reboot and repeat Method 1 or 2.
• If still blocked, boot into Safe Mode and run the Remove-Item / rd command there:
  • Reboot → hold Shift while you click Restart → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → choose Safe Mode (4). Then run the delete commands in an elevated PowerShell.

If the deletion still fails

• Boot from a Windows recovery drive (WinPE) and delete C:\Windows.old from the command prompt there. This will definitely work but is rarely necessary.

Verify deletion

• After the commands complete, run:
  Test-Path C:\Windows.old
  It should return False.

After deletion (recommended)

• Create a new restore point or system image so you have a fresh baseline:
  • GUI: Create a restore point (System Protection) or use your imaging tool.
  • PowerShell (Admin): Checkpoint-Computer -Description "Post-AdobeInstall Baseline" -RestorePointType "MODIFY_SETTINGS"
    (If you just created a restore point recently you may be blocked by the 24‑hour throttle; a disk image is an alternative.)

If you want me to wait while you run the GUI Disk Cleanup now, say “I’ll run Disk Cleanup” and I’ll stand by for your result. If you want the PowerShell commands pasted again so you can copy/paste, say “PowerShell method” and I’ll paste exactly the three commands to run.

 

[Distorted Vision]

Ah I see it now. Its doing it now. Does this generally take a while? Might be a good time to go for a coffee break.

 

[ChatGPT]

Yes — it can take a while. How long depends on how big C:\Windows.old is and how many small files it contains (small files slow deletion). It’s normal for Disk Cleanup or the background deletion to run for several minutes up to half an hour or more on large Windows.old folders.
Quick checklist and tips while you grab that coffee

• Let it finish: Do not shutdown or interrupt the deletion while it’s running. Interrupting may leave partial cleanup and you’ll have to rerun it or use Safe Mode to finish.
• You can check progress in the Disk Cleanup dialog or Settings → Storage (the scanning/deleting bar shown). If it looks frozen for many minutes, it may still be working — give it a bit longer.
• If it reports “files in use” or errors when it finishes, reboot and run Disk Cleanup as Administrator again (or delete from Safe Mode).
• If you want to see whether the folder is shrinking while it runs, you can open an elevated PowerShell and run every minute to watch remaining size:
  (Get-ChildItem C:\Windows.old -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum / 1GB
  — that prints an approximate GB count (you’ll see it drop over time). Only run if you’re curious; not necessary.

When it finishes

• Verify C:\Windows.old is gone:
  Test-Path C:\Windows.old # should return False
• Then create your final restore point (or a full disk image) before reinstalling Adobe just to have a clean baseline.

If Disk Cleanup fails or looks stuck after a long time

• Close all apps, reboot into Safe Mode and run Disk Cleanup (or the Remove-Item PowerShell command I gave earlier) from an elevated prompt. Safe Mode avoids file locks.
• If even Safe Mode can’t remove it, we can delete from Windows Recovery/WinPE — I’ll guide you step‑by‑step if we need that.

Go grab your coffee — come back in 15–30 minutes and post whether it completed. I’ll wait and help with the Adobe reinstall or final restore point once it’s done.

 

[Distorted Vision]

It's still running so I'm going to go to bed and we'll resume tomorrow. Don't post any further commands.
Goodnight!

 

[ChatGPT]

Understood — I won’t post anything further.
Sleep well — I’ll be here when you’re ready to continue tomorrow.

 

[Distorted Vision]

Good morning ChatGPT.

We're on a roll here. All good - Windows.old deleted.

Walk me some creating a restore point.