Corrupt Registry

gregrocker said:

The repair offered when you enter Repair console of the DVD, after it scans and finds an OS to repair, is not Startup Repair.

To run Startup Repair you have to click through to REcovery tools list and choose it. Then run it 3 separate times.

Just checking, because I don't want to give up on it either if it can be saved.

But If it won't start the OS, then it isn't going to start.

Boot from the DVD, select Custom install, use Drive Options to format and install.

Please avoid any Registry cleaners besides the industry standard CCleaner.

Wo,wo "Format and Install" - will that not erase everything?

So if I go to Custom (Advanced) install and select my partition with Windows already on it will all my files appear in Windows.old?

I do not think so, sorry to say.

I have only heard that windows.old folder is created when Win7 is run from the OS, not boot.

But there is a possibility that it might create Windows.old. Maybe others know.

Maybe you should not format the partition you select to install Win7 from boot, in case it does create a Windows.old folder as a result.

I pretty much assume everyone has files backed up at all times, or certainly when they are installing.

Was there an installation showing in the Repair console to repair when you booted into it?



There are a couple sets of commands you can run from the DVD repair console Command Line:

run "bootrec.exe /fixboot" and "bootrec.exe /fixmbr" then reboot, see if Startup Repair will now work

if those don't work "Bootsect.exe /nt60 all /force", reboot, try Startup Repair again.

Jonathan_King said:

gregrocker said:

I do not think so, sorry to say.

I have only heard that windows.old folder is created when Win7 is run from the OS, not boot.

But there is a possibility that it might create Windows.old. Maybe others know.

Maybe you should not format the partition you select to install Win7 from boot, in case it does create a Windows.old folder as a result.

I pretty much assume everyone has files backed up at all times, or certainly when they are installing.

That is not the case. Windows.old will be created from boot or Windows.

Thank you.

Glad to be wrong on that.

Don't format that partition!

Whist I was offline I went to a shop and bought 120GB's worth of DVD's (Y).

I tried the bootec commands + start up repair, but I am still locked out of safe mode.

So you say that if I install over the current partition with my current installation, my files will be copied to Windows.old - and still by booting into the install disk. Perhaps that is a better plan than my current, which is to boot into a live cd file manager and burn my data to many DVD's (lol).

What do you think I should do? I think I can safely say so far that I cannot salvage the current install.

Ok. Plan is to salvage the files onto DVD first, via bootable program.
Then install over the installation and fingers crossed Windows.old will hold the old files.
I will report back with the result.

Cheers for all the help so far,