Ken Blake on Sat, 19 Jan 2019 12:00:43 -0700
typed in alt.windows7.general the following:
On Sat, 19 Jan 2019 10:00:24 -0800, pyotr filipivich
wrote:


The continuing saga. I can't create new user accounts. Something
is corrupted. I have had a new ISO downloaded to my computer, the
techs are thinking "reinstall windows" to "fix the problem".


As far as I'm concerned, that should be the last step--it's a lot of
work, something to do only if you've tried everything else and nothing
works.


Of course, a reinstall of the OS also means "reinstall the
programs". Which means "First, backup everything on the hard drive,
both partitions." Grumble, grumble, "if it has to be done...."
Be are that if you reinstall Windows, backups of your programs are
useless. They will have to be reinstalled from their original media.

That I know, but having all the files "makes me happier."
Especially the ones in the "Setup Programs" directory.

Backup of your data files, on the other hand, is not useless. It
should be done to external media regularly, whether or not you have
problems. It sound like you don't do that, and if you don't, you've
been playing with fire.

But then the question comes to me: why not just get a new (larger)
drive, and do the install on that? ("All" I would need to do is burn
a DVD with the ISO and we're good, yes?)
Leaving aside the question of a larger drive, what makes you think a
new drive will be better than the old one? Do you think are problems
are with the drive failing? That sounds very unlikely to me. If
there's nothing wrong with the drive, installing Windows on the old
drive or a new one would be almost exactly the same thing.

If I reinstall on this drive, I still have the issue of "I'm
running out of disc space". If I get a bigger drive, "re-install" on
that, then I have more space, _and_ a second drive.

And if course if the problem is hardware-related but not the drive
(possible, but doesn't sound likely), changing drives accomplishes
nothing
Drives run less than a
hundred.
That depends on the drive size. You can buy a 1TB from Amazon for $46.
But wait, how about getting a "new" refurbished machine? (They
run $200, and have a larger drive installed already.
Your choice, of course. Personally I stay far away from refurbished
computers. I think that's looking for trouble.

So far, aside from this issue ( a lost registry value, it turns
out), this has been a good machine.


--
pyotr filipivich
Next month's Panel: Graft - Boon or blessing?