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Windows 7 Repair Install ... expert advice needed
I've had severe problems with the icons and taskbar on my Win 7 desktop since I replaced the hard drive a few weeks ago. I've tried various troubleshooting methods (restore points ... sfc scan ... malwarebytes), but nothing has brought things back to full working order. The PC is a couple of years old and had been fine before this.
The problems are so various that I haven't been able to determine if my user accounts are corrupt or the Win7 files are corrupt. As examples, my main account is the only one that ever shows desktop icons. Even the PC's built-in Administrator account never shows any icons on the desktop or taskbar. And the Control Panel never shows any icons, regardless of which user is logged on. All my 8 or 9 installed applications run OK, but none of them show icons or graphics in their help files, only text.
Anyway, I'd like to entirely replace the Win7 on C:, but keep the contents of the D: and E: drives that I set up. When I read about repairs and reinstalls, I'm unsure how much of the hard drive will be erased. I'm also a bit strapped by the fact that the Win7 "copy" that I have was written from the PC back when it was new (pre-SP1 and pre-new-drive). I seem to recall it claims to overwrite everything.
So, what is my best course of action? ... one that leads to a reliable O/S in the fewest steps.
Thanks in advance for any help.