Re: Tutorial: How to DIRECTLY download the full 5.7GB Windows 10 Offline ISO (bypassing Media Creation Tool)

If you care about something, then (my advice is to) never install it in the
hierarchies that Windows (or external programs) expects it to be in.

Below is an example, from today, for the advice to never store anything you
care about where Microsoft (& other programs) "expect" it to be stored.

Starting yesterday (when I created the Windows 10 recovery media) and
finishing today, I helped recover a teen age grandkid's Windows 10 PC.

Interestingly, everything in the locations Microsoft "expects" software and
data to be, was wiped out in the process, but everything stored "where it
belongs" (which you define!) was preserved.

Specifically, since the registry was rebuilt from scratch, all the programs
installed where they belong in C:\app\{1 dozen folders for all computers!}
were still there, and working, while all programs that owned dumb
installers which installed into the Program Files hierarchies were wiped
out. All they needed was to be run once, to re-establish registry keys.

Worse, all data in C:\users\ was apparently wiped out, but all the data
stored where it belongs (which YOU define!) was preserved in C:\data.
That included all the software installers in C:\data\software too!

In summary, by storing software archives, data and installed software
OUTSIDE of the polluted Microsoft hierarchies, they were preserved in this
recovery.

The lesson here is, if you care about something, then never install it in
the hierarchies that Windows (or external programs) expects it to be in.

It's counter intuitive, but it's sheer genius because it works beautifully.
-- 
Just one person paying it forward with clear lessons for a better PC.