I lost my Microsoft Office Starter 2010 when I ran the Open System Restore on my Acer A0 D257

I lost my Microsoft Office Starter 2010 when I ran the Open System Restore on my Acer Aspire One D257. (It works much better now). I wish to regain the apps that were removed, but can't find them anywhere. As well as Office Starter 2010, I have searched for the Acer Apps from the desktop list that was provided after it finished, such as Acer Crystal Eye Webcam. I did find Acer eRecovery Management, but didn't download it because there didn't seem to be an Acer source. The only app I have successfully reinstalled is the wireless printer.

Should I concentrate on regaining the Acer apps, and will they help me regain the Office Starter 2010?

Accepted answers

JackE

>>>If it is really gone, then do you think an eRecovery will leave me with some (any) operating system, even if it is Win 10?>>>

If the hidden recovery folder is *really* gone, the Alt+F10 eRecovery procedure shown in the video will NOT work. Make sure you follow the video precisely, including the timing and sequence of tapping the Alt and F10 keys. Another way to confirm that the hidden folder is "really" gone, is to open "control panel". Then do a search for the word "partition". Click on create or format hard disk partitions. A box will pop up showing if you still have a recovery folder or partition.

Jack E/NJ

All comments

JackE

What procedure did you use to restore?

Jack E/NJ

Cathy11

I used Control Panel > System & Security > Security and Maintennce > Recovery > Open System Restore.

JackE

Click the start button. In the search box at the bottom, try entering "microsoft office". Then report back on what if anything pops up.

Jack E/NJ

Cathy11

Thanks. I did try that and came up with a list of Office products beginning with 2010. on the right is an 'official' box with the logo. There are 2 download sites I had already tried the official one, but ran into purchasing options. Then I tried cnet, but couldn't actually see a download box for office, just for other programs.

So then I went back to start and typed, "microsoft office starter 2010" and came up with a list that I have cherry-picked before. However there is a site, "microsoft starter 2010 - free download". The first 2 sites after the ads are techspot, which didn't seem to have the actual program (last time), so today I followed brothersoft's links and have gotten to an acutal 'download' button. I am very nervous about all these different sites, but am willing to try it if anyone can say brothersoft worked out ok for them. What do you think?

(This is my small portable netbook that I only use while travelling or if another family member has the HP, although I did use Office Starter extensively for a volunteer recording-secretary position. I enjoy the smaller size of the netbook combined with the basic word processing and a bit of Excel away from home.) I do have another computer (HP) with an older purchased Office.

JackE

I was hoping you'd find it on your machine, not a download site. OK, let's try this next.

Click the start button again. Then above the search box, click All Programs. Scroll down thru the list to see if you can find Microsoft Office Starter 2010. Report back.

Jack E/NJ

Cathy11

I have a choice of "my stuff" and search the web. I chose "my stuff" but only came up with 2 Office Licence agreements (PDF and XPS) that I accidently downloaded hoping they were programs. I tried the other options suggested, One Drive, File Explorer and Settings. I know, the program was there when I bought the netbook at a retail outlet, and survived upgrading to Windows 10, and should be here.

One thing that did come up in Settings was a box that reads, "Allow an app through Windows Firewall".

JackE

>>> survived upgrading to Windows 10>>>

I'm glad you mentioned this as I thought you still had Win7. If you can find the "run" command in the start menu, enter "msinfo32.exe" but without the quotes. What does it detect as your operating system?

Jack E/NJ

Cathy11

I think this is what you are asking. There was more. I used run > My Stuff > and the suggestion was for a Desktop App.

"OS Name Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Version 10.0.10240 Build 10240
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name ACERASPIREONE
System Manufacturer Acer
System Model AOD257
System Type X86-based PC
System SKU NetTopSku
Processor Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU N455 @ 1.66GHz, 1666 Mhz, 1 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)"

Sorry to take so long with this. Our landline box disintegrated or something and the provider, Telus, came out and replaced it. Our internet was gone for about 18 hours.

JackE

OK. Looks good. You said earlier >>> I enjoy the smaller size of the netbook combined with the basic word processing and a bit of Excel away from home.)>>>

Do you recall the names (or partial names) that you gave to any word or excel files that you were working on with this computer before you lost them? If you do, please do the following.

(1) Press & hold the Fn key. Then press the F3 key. This will temporarily turn your wireless connection to the internet off so we don't go searching for Starter 2010 on the internet. We want to search your computer.

(2) Next, open File Explorer. On the left side click on the "computer" folder. Then click and highlight a folder with a name...any name...that's followed by C: . C: is your hard drive.

(3) With the C: hard drive highlighted, go to the search box in the upper right hand corner. Then enter the name or partial name of one of the files you lost immedieately followed by an asterisk *. For example, if the name or partial name of one of the Starter 2010 files you lost was "Cathynotes" then enter "Cathynotes* " in the search box but without the quotation marks. Don't forget the asterisk * at the end.

(4) This will search your entire hard drive for the file "Cathynotes". It may take several minutes to complete the search.

(5) If it finds the file "Cathynotes", it will display it. Then double click it to open the file. If it successfully opens, it mean that Starter 2010 program is still on your computer. Then we can do another search for the 2010 Starter program itself and put an icon for it on your desktop.

After doing this search, you can turn your wireless connection back on by again pressing and holding the Fn key, then press F3.

Jack E/NJ

Cathy11

I tried it and came up with word processing-type files, but presented in WordPad, which I had been able to pull up before I tried to reinstall Office Starter. The XL files open, but in WordPad and make no sense. I do have a list of all my documents, but again, they either in WordPad and the XL files, (XLSX opening but not readable).

Thank you for following up with this. I have a feeling there is no solution without cooperation from Acer or Microsoft.

JackE

Don't give up yet. Your personal files may have somehow gotten re-associated with wordpad instead of Starter 2010. Try this next.

(1) Turn off your wireless internet access as before.

(2) Re-open file explorer. Click computer. Then click the C: hard drive again.

(3) Click on the + button in front of C: drive

(4) Scroll down thru the folder list till you find the Program Files folder. Click on its + button.

(5) Search the list of folders under Program Files for any folder that has a name Office or Microsoft Office or Starter 2010 or something similar that may suggest the Starter 2010 may be still installed.

Report back

Jack E/NJ

Cathy11

I went to C: offline, but there is no + sign. I went to Program Files (no + sign) and clicked on the files and links but didn't see anything like Office, Word, Starter or anything that I recognize.

JackE

OS Restore seems to have saved your personal files. But it apparently installed a fresh copy of Win10 that un-installed the Starter 2010 suite. Win10 should only have been restored to an earlier date when your system was running better while leaving the suite installed and intact.

Accordingly, I think you only have 2 choices to try to re-install the Starter 2010 program suite. First is the Acer eRecovery process while saving your personal files. This will return your AOD257 to a factory-fresh Win7 state with the Starter 2010 suite installed. Follow this video if you decide to take this route. This eRecovery process depends on a hidden recoveryfolder that Acer originally installed on your hard drive. It also assumes that your Win10 upgrade process did not delete this hidden folder which unfortunately sometimes happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2xoMEPfiPQ

This eRecovery process would be my choice as I see little to no advantage of Win10 vs Win7 on an AOD257. If anything, I would expect Win7 to run faster and better on your machine. You can however always update to Win10 again if you just gotta have it despite its dubious advantages.

Your only other choice is to keep Win10 and download and install the Starter 2010 suite.

Jack E/NJ

Cathy11

I agree. I probably need to go way back. I have also run out of time for now and probably can't deal with this for several days, so I won't try or report soon. I am grateful for this support.

Cathy11

Hi, I have been out of town and now am ready to try the full eRecovery. I was able to watch the YouTube video on my other computer, but my Acer would not show it ("blank page"). As well, on my Acer this forum is down to bare bones, just text and links, so I am using my HP for this reply.

My question is, since you advised that the Win 10 update process may have deleted the hidden folder from the hard drive. If it is really gone, then do you think an eRecovery will leave me with some (any) operating system, even if it is Win 10?

JackE

>>>If it is really gone, then do you think an eRecovery will leave me with some (any) operating system, even if it is Win 10?>>>

If the hidden recovery folder is *really* gone, the Alt+F10 eRecovery procedure shown in the video will NOT work. Make sure you follow the video precisely, including the timing and sequence of tapping the Alt and F10 keys. Another way to confirm that the hidden folder is "really" gone, is to open "control panel". Then do a search for the word "partition". Click on create or format hard disk partitions. A box will pop up showing if you still have a recovery folder or partition.

Jack E/NJ

Cathy11

Okay! I now have Windows 7 Starter and Microsoft Office Starter using ctrl + F10. My (insert adjective here) Acer AO D257 is still full of "not responding" and extreme slowness, but it was doing that before I switched to Win 10. Thank you for your patience and clarity. This is an official solution!

JackE

>>>I now have Windows 7 Starter and Microsoft Office Starter using ctrl + F10>>>

Congrats on your solution Cathy! Was it the ctrl+F10 or Alt+F10 procedure?

As for the "not responding" and/or "slowness" issues I suggest going to your Start button. Then click on Run if its in the Start menu. In the box that pops up enter the file "wuapp.exe" but without the quotation marks. If that file is on your laptop, it should lead you directly to the windows update checker. Let your system check for and install updates....it may take a long time to check and complete since your laptop is now as it came from the factory a few years ago....but may speed up things a bit.

Jack E/NJ

Cathy11

Oops, yes it was Alt + F10. I will defintely try wuapp.exe to fill in the Windows updates and let you know how it goes.(I may actually have announced the eRecovery outcome 2 times because the Acer seemed to drop one or the other reply. So if another reply has turned up, that's why.) Thanks again.

Cathy11

Hi, regarding my other situation with slowness and freezing on my Acer AO D257, I don't have a Run option in my Start Menu, but did type it in the Search Programs and Files box, got the Run option (among others) and clicked on it. A box came up so I typed "wuapp.exe" without the quotation marks which brought me to Control Panel > System & Security > Windows Update, and below, checking for updates with a long bar with a moving green wave. Under that it said : "Most recent check for updates: Never

Updates were installed: Never

You receive updates: For Windows and other products from Microsoft Update."

I actually gave it about 4 hours. At one point it said it had an update for Windows Office Starter 2010 and I think I clicked yes or something. That immediately disappeared and the 'checking' screen continued. Much later I saw "Updates have been successfully (forget this part). You can go offline now." and I think I clicked an acknowledgement.

When I checked my program updates, none of them had the new date, just the date I eRecovered the previous day or the factory date. I still see the "never" message, even though I did check for updates.

Things are as slow as before. Do you have any other suggestions to improve performance? This message has taken me almost 20 minutes from bing bar to now.

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