Repair Install

I vaguely remember that there are two ways to to do a repair install of
Windows 7. Can anyone explain?

Thanks.

--
Z.

"Z." wrote in message ...
I vaguely remember that there are two ways to to do a repair install of
Windows 7. Can anyone explain?

Thanks.


Start he

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

It's been a long time, but at least one of the methods (don't remember which
for certain) worked for me.
--

SC Tom

Z. wrote:
I vaguely remember that there are two ways to to do a repair install of
Windows 7. Can anyone explain?

Thanks.


On WinXP, you can boot the CD and
1) Clean Install
2) Repair Install

On Windows 7, you can boot the CD and
2) Clean Install

To do Repair Install on Windows 7, the Win7
OS must still be running. You insert the DVD,
and execute Setup.exe off the DVD while Windows 7
is still running.

It is because of this limitation, that frequently
Windows 7 cannot be repair installed. Say, for example,
most of the OS files and registry are present, but
it won't boot. With WinXP in that situation,
you could fix it, keep your settings and
programs. With Windows 7, more often than not,
you'll be doing a Clean Install instead.

It's because Windows 7 needs to be running,
that Repair Install is so limited.

You can get a product like Laplink PCMover,
to move settings and programs from one device
to another. But this probably relies on the
source PC and OS, being in a running state too.
I don't know if you can slave up a damaged
OS C: partition next to a Clean Install drive,
and Laplink that across or not.

This is why for some people, backup and restore
is more useful than the installer DVD. Backup
and restore covers more failure scenarios.

Paul

Paul wrote:
Z. wrote:
I vaguely remember that there are two ways to to do a repair install
of Windows 7. Can anyone explain?

Thanks.


On WinXP, you can boot the CD and
1) Clean Install
2) Repair Install

On Windows 7, you can boot the CD and
2) Clean Install

To do Repair Install on Windows 7, the Win7
OS must still be running. You insert the DVD,
and execute Setup.exe off the DVD while Windows 7
is still running.

It is because of this limitation, that frequently
Windows 7 cannot be repair installed. Say, for example,
most of the OS files and registry are present, but
it won't boot. With WinXP in that situation,
you could fix it, keep your settings and
programs. With Windows 7, more often than not,
you'll be doing a Clean Install instead.

It's because Windows 7 needs to be running,
that Repair Install is so limited.

You can get a product like Laplink PCMover,
to move settings and programs from one device
to another. But this probably relies on the
source PC and OS, being in a running state too.
I don't know if you can slave up a damaged
OS C: partition next to a Clean Install drive,
and Laplink that across or not.

This is why for some people, backup and restore
is more useful than the installer DVD. Backup
and restore covers more failure scenarios.

Paul

I was afraid of that. Windows 7 was on an SSD and suddenly I got a BSOD
and couldn't reboot into Windows. I don't know if the SSD is toast or
something happened in Windows 7. I have reinstalled Win 7 on another SSD
so I will try to use Macrium Reflect to make an image and see if I can
load it onto the first SSD.

--
Z.

Z. wrote:
Paul wrote:
Z. wrote:
I vaguely remember that there are two ways to to do a repair install
of Windows 7. Can anyone explain?

Thanks.


On WinXP, you can boot the CD and
1) Clean Install
2) Repair Install

On Windows 7, you can boot the CD and
2) Clean Install

To do Repair Install on Windows 7, the Win7
OS must still be running. You insert the DVD,
and execute Setup.exe off the DVD while Windows 7
is still running.

It is because of this limitation, that frequently
Windows 7 cannot be repair installed. Say, for example,
most of the OS files and registry are present, but
it won't boot. With WinXP in that situation,
you could fix it, keep your settings and
programs. With Windows 7, more often than not,
you'll be doing a Clean Install instead.

It's because Windows 7 needs to be running,
that Repair Install is so limited.

You can get a product like Laplink PCMover,
to move settings and programs from one device
to another. But this probably relies on the
source PC and OS, being in a running state too.
I don't know if you can slave up a damaged
OS C: partition next to a Clean Install drive,
and Laplink that across or not.

This is why for some people, backup and restore
is more useful than the installer DVD. Backup
and restore covers more failure scenarios.

Paul

I was afraid of that. Windows 7 was on an SSD and suddenly I got a BSOD
and couldn't reboot into Windows. I don't know if the SSD is toast or
something happened in Windows 7. I have reinstalled Win 7 on another SSD
so I will try to use Macrium Reflect to make an image and see if I can
load it onto the first SSD.


Using the installer DVD, boot the DVD, select Repair
and look at the Repair options. The Startup Repair
will try to examine /boot and /boot/BCD. It will
also potentially do a CHKDSK. But that's where
I'd start. That is, unless you have some
other ideas, as to exactly how damaged
the device is.

http://www.sevenforums.com/attachmen...air-repair.jpg

That repair option, first tries to find an OS partition.
If the OS window remains blank, either the DVD needs
a driver (like Intel RST) to see the SSD, or the
OS really is ruined (key files are missing, preventing
recognition).

When installing Win7 to a RAID (I just did one
this morning), the Win7 installer DVD doesn't
have an Intel RST driver. I got a TXTSETUP.OEM
style set of INF and SYS files for the driver
and put them on a USB key. They can be offered
to the Win7 Installer DVD, either when installing
to "strange hardware", or when you're attempting
to use one of the repair functions. If you
slipstream those drivers into the disc and
burn a new disc, you can actually integrate
the drivers and avoid extra nuisance work.
(I don't like RAID, and this was a test install
for someone else. RAID is "too much work" :-) )

https://s10.postimg.org/yjs036yeh/Boot_Repair.png

Paul

Paul wrote:
Z. wrote:
Paul wrote:
Z. wrote:
I vaguely remember that there are two ways to to do a repair install
of Windows 7. Can anyone explain?

Thanks.


On WinXP, you can boot the CD and
1) Clean Install
2) Repair Install

On Windows 7, you can boot the CD and
2) Clean Install

To do Repair Install on Windows 7, the Win7
OS must still be running. You insert the DVD,
and execute Setup.exe off the DVD while Windows 7
is still running.

It is because of this limitation, that frequently
Windows 7 cannot be repair installed. Say, for example,
most of the OS files and registry are present, but
it won't boot. With WinXP in that situation,
you could fix it, keep your settings and
programs. With Windows 7, more often than not,
you'll be doing a Clean Install instead.

It's because Windows 7 needs to be running,
that Repair Install is so limited.

You can get a product like Laplink PCMover,
to move settings and programs from one device
to another. But this probably relies on the
source PC and OS, being in a running state too.
I don't know if you can slave up a damaged
OS C: partition next to a Clean Install drive,
and Laplink that across or not.

This is why for some people, backup and restore
is more useful than the installer DVD. Backup
and restore covers more failure scenarios.

Paul

I was afraid of that. Windows 7 was on an SSD and suddenly I got a
BSOD and couldn't reboot into Windows. I don't know if the SSD is
toast or something happened in Windows 7. I have reinstalled Win 7 on
another SSD so I will try to use Macrium Reflect to make an image and
see if I can load it onto the first SSD.


Using the installer DVD, boot the DVD, select Repair
and look at the Repair options. The Startup Repair
will try to examine /boot and /boot/BCD. It will
also potentially do a CHKDSK. But that's where
I'd start. That is, unless you have some
other ideas, as to exactly how damaged
the device is.

http://www.sevenforums.com/attachmen...air-repair.jpg


That repair option, first tries to find an OS partition.
If the OS window remains blank, either the DVD needs
a driver (like Intel RST) to see the SSD, or the
OS really is ruined (key files are missing, preventing
recognition).

When installing Win7 to a RAID (I just did one
this morning), the Win7 installer DVD doesn't
have an Intel RST driver. I got a TXTSETUP.OEM
style set of INF and SYS files for the driver
and put them on a USB key. They can be offered
to the Win7 Installer DVD, either when installing
to "strange hardware", or when you're attempting
to use one of the repair functions. If you
slipstream those drivers into the disc and
burn a new disc, you can actually integrate
the drivers and avoid extra nuisance work.
(I don't like RAID, and this was a test install
for someone else. RAID is "too much work" :-) )

https://s10.postimg.org/yjs036yeh/Boot_Repair.png

Paul

I'll try and see what happens. If it gets too weird, I'll see if I can
even format the drive and, if not, take it back for a replacement as it
has a five year warranty and I've only had it for a little over a year.

--
Z.