Windows 7: Repair Install

Hello Dawgman, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I'm sorry, but you will not be able to do a repair install since it must be done from within Windows and not at boot or in Safe Mode.

If you like, you may be able to use the method in the tutorial to copy any important data and files you need before possibly having to do a clean install.

Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console

Hope this helps some,
Shawn

Thanks for the quick reply. I directed the drivers to be installed to my boot disc and I get the message that no signed device drivers were found. That tutorial seems to be for someone who can actually boot the OS. Could I slave the hard drive to another computer to salvage the data?

Sure, you could connect the HDD to another computer to copy what you want off of it.

So I have the laptop hard drive hooked up to my desktop and can see all the files just fine. I mainly want to copy over pictures, my documents, and a few other docs on my desktop (from the laptop). I can't see to find these files anywhere. I would assume it is under Users, but when I try to access my name in users, it says I don't have authorization to open that file. Any other ideas how I can access all of these files? I can see all of my program files just fine. Thanks.

No problem. You'll just need to use OPTION THREE in the tutorial below to take ownership of and set permissions to "Allow" your user account "Full control" of the folder first.

Take Ownership of file - Vista Forums

Got all the files, now on to reformatting. Something didn't like the Windows update the other day. Oh well, at least I got all the data off. Thanks so much for all of the help.

You're welcome. I hope the reinstall goes smoothly for you.

I have a botched Windows 7 thanks to several failed .NET 4.0 attempts. At the root of the issue seems to be some confusion over credentialing - the rig was stable for a couple of years until the .NET 4 fiasco[s] but now can't run MSI's, can't create any alternate user accounts and successfully login/configure.

anyone want to guess as to whether a repair install will remedy this? I may as well try... can't get too much worse

Hello Zapp,

Not sure it will with that many issues, but it's not going to hurt to try other than the time it takes to do it.

Just be sure to backup anything that you do not want to lose first.

Thank you for the tutorial.