Repair install... wait... what if I can't boot?
Ok, so here's a two part question:1. Just say something has gone terribly wrong and I cannot boot into Windows.Some corrupt Windows file - Im thinking important things like winload.exe and some vital dll's - or maybe something has gone wrong in the registry.How do I do a repair install to fix the problem without deleting all of my programs, current registry etc?I know in XP you could just boot off the disk and do a repair install, but I can't seem to find a similar function with 7.2. Here is a situation that has led me to be in the above situation many times. You have a perfectly operating Windows 7 installation (and assume this would apply to Vista too) and you go and do something like: change a motherboard, move the HDD from one computer to another... or in some way or another CHANGE THE STORAGE CONTROLLER that the HDD has to boot from.This results in a BSOD on boot. I would assume this is because the installation doesnt have the driver for the controller, and if it does - it isnt installed, and set to boot from that controller (bad wording there, but I am guessing that there is some way that the windows install is set to boot from only the specified storage controller/driver)Again, in XP, I would just do a repair install booting to CD with the correct storage controller driver. This was tedious, but the only way I knew of to get the HDD booting again.So, as I cannot seem to find a way of repair installing with 7/Vista (and even if I did find a way, I hope there is some easier thing I can do), what can I do to stop this problem from occurring when the storage controller is changed? Can I pre-install the driver? How do I set it to use that driver to boot? (again, assuming something like this happens)Sorry for the long winded question(s), I hope you guys can help me out! :)jt
April 2nd, 2009 11:55am

JT...It's simple.. Boot from the DVD and go through the installation wizard. When it asks you if you want to do a clean install or an upgrade, select the Upgrade option. This will do what is called an "in place upgrade" of the OS. This will also work for Vista. The installer for Windows 6.x (both Vista and 7) are almost identical in this regard.When you finish, you will need to re-activate Win 7 and you will likely want to run Windows Update to make sure you've got all of the latest updates from there, but your installed apps will still be there.
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April 2nd, 2009 12:13pm

"2. Here is a situation that has led me to be in the above situation many times. You have a perfectly operating Windows 7 installation (and assume this would apply to Vista too) and you go and do something like: change a motherboard, move the HDD from one computer to another... or in some way or another CHANGE THE STORAGE CONTROLLER that the HDD has to boot from." That, my friend, is your problem. Unlike older Win9x and some current Linux operating systems, you just cant arbitrarily change key hardware components. Yes, there are situations in which you can do that; replace a bad motherboard with a replacement that is an exact matchat least has the same chipset and controllers; However, you cant remove an Abit motherboard, install a Gigabyte replacement and expect everything to be okay. Moving one boot/system hard drive from one system to another with differing hardware is just the same as the replacement motherboard example. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is to help reduce the instances of piracy. The other, more important reason is for system stability. Bad hardware, computer configurations, and device drivers are responsible for a good majority of blue screen errors. Replacing key hardware components only undermines Windows stability. What can you do to prevent this problem from occurring when the storage controller is changed? Nothing. If you need to change a storage controller that will be connected to the boot/system drive, then you will need to make preparations and such accordantly. Outside of the rant . . . Like Wolfie said, you should be able to boot with the Windows 7 DVD, do an in-place-reinstall. That should fix your boot problem and provide you with a somewhat stable system. In my opinion, a better option is to do a clean reload so you have no remaining migration artifacts looming in the background.
April 2nd, 2009 5:32pm

And what happens if you boot from the DVD to do an in-place upgrade and it tells you that you need to boot to the OS on the hard drive. However, that will not boot and has a blue screen 7b stop error which you cannot fix no matter what approach you took? Is there a way to force the upgrade to occur with a setup switch? Trying to find anything to save installation of hundreds of applications.
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October 5th, 2009 5:55pm

JT... It's simple.. Boot from the DVD and go through the installation wizard. When it asks you if you want to do a clean install or an upgrade, select the Upgrade option. This will do what is called an "in place upgrade" of the OS. This will also work for Vista. The installer for Windows 6.x (both Vista and 7) are almost identical in this regard. When you finish, you will need to re-activate Win 7 and you will likely want to run Windows Update to make sure you've got all of the latest updates from there, but your installed apps will still be there. Doesnt work... it says you have to run the upgrade from inside windows... your only choice is a clean install at that point. Unless I am doing something wrong.
October 6th, 2009 9:57pm

The problem here is GREED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing more, nothing less. Just plain GREED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I dare the CEO of Microsoft to prove me wrong. I have a customers system, a new MSI I5 with Win 7 home prem. For some unexplained reason the system will not boot. My Eng. Deg. & 25+ years in the IT Biz and my trouble shooting have led to one possibilty. A messed up boot file issue. The HD can be accessed, it showed a couple of Viruses and may have been attacked, but I removed them. I can boot off DVD and run repair, system sees the Windows install, I did a system restore, I ran Startup repair but the Startup repair reports no problems. the system goes through post and then with a flash and no cursor I get a black screen. It sorta seems like the Win 7 equivalent of the old XP Boot.ini file might be corrupt so the system boots to no where, real fast. Of course this is exactly the place for a repair option from the boot disk to come save the day but not with the greed of Microsoft involved it seems. This system was in for repair and got a new MB under warranty but it worked for several weeks after so I don't think that is the problem. I have seen many similar situations, not related to BSOD (0x0000007B) when changing MB or disk controler etc. where in XP you boot from install disk and do an "upgrade"/repair would fix it. MANY MANY TIMES THIS WAS THE ONLY OPTION AND IT WORKED. This customer should be up and running with minimal time lost and minimal expense for me to fix it. Repair OS and keep programs & data or redo from scratch at 3 or 4 times the time @ $75.00+/hr. Which is the best option for the customer? For me, the tech, I get paid more thanks to MS greed, but also being me a moral and decent business man, I can't accept that on behalf of my customers and all the other MS customers who are being SCREWED by this inmoral policy. How about the rest of you, don't you think MS at least has a moral opbligation to make a scratch install the ABSOLUTLY LAST option one has to take and that when taken it will be truly because of unsurmountable hardware/software technical issues and not just because they are afaird some poor schmo might pirate a copy. MY CUSTOMER HAS A PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE REASON AND NEED FOR AN XP LIKE REPAIR OPTION VIA BOOT DISK THAT IN NO WAY VIOLATES ANY KIND OF MS LICENSE EVEN THE NEW EXTRA GREEDY OEM VERSION THAT PROHIBITS A MOTHER BOARD UPGRADE !!!!!!!!!! (HOW ABSOLUTELY EVIL OF THEM as that kind of greed is PURE EVIL.) There is no technical reason that Microsoft can not provide this capability. There is only GREED. Surly they are rich enough to take the "risk" of piracy that "Might" be incurred if they made this method of repair readily available. But no, wait, they might have to give up their 10th mansion or 7th million dollar car or the gardener, for the weekend retreat in France, heaven forbid !!!!!!! I think we need to get the Government to bail them out so they can afford to give REAL and reasonably expected repair tools for all the poor saps who are stuck with blown Win 7 OSs. I DOUBLE DARE every hack, every Microsoft engineer, every Microsoft MVP to scream bloody murder about this kind of greed and evil and to find a way a round it. Make a new free "Barts PE" based on Win 7 with ability to get around this greed. Raise major stink in every blog in every medium and demand a verbal response from MS CEO on You Tube and MSNBC directly addressing this issue and using real math, yea what a concept, (No phantom math about what might be lost if x number of people pirate it.) prove how allowing this would cause him or MS to have to declare bankruptcy or state that it will immediately be released and the evil greed will end. And look to You tube for video record of this post if MS tries to censor it for the truth that it speakes. I have a few tricks to try to get around my prob, will let you know if they work. Ralph Malph
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December 14th, 2010 1:26am

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