Repair Install

Hi I tried to follow the instructions on page one showing how to repair windows, but at step 8, when I click the Upgrade option, it tells me I have to exit out and use Anytime Upgrade instead. I cannot proceed with the repair install.

Is there any solution for this? I tried removing SP1 in case this was some new 'feature' since SP1 but it made no difference.

I have used the system file checker but it showed no issues. I used to solve all kinds of problems by installing XP over itself in the old days, so I was hoping it might fix my issues now.

Any advice? Thanks!

Are you doing this on a system that came pre-installed with Win7? Are you trying to do a repair install with a DVD from a different release than what is installed on the system?

I ran into this message not long ago. I wasn't trying to do a repair install, though, but had a Win7 Home Premium upgrade DVD that I wanted to use on a netbook that came with Win7 Starter.

When I tried to upgrade the netbook using the DVD, I got this same message to use "Anytime Upgrade" instead. Since I WAS actually upgrading, what the hey. I clicked on Anytime Upgrade, gave my new serial number from my DVD upgrade media, and all proceeded correctly, system activated over the internet, etc. all as expected.

About 45 days later the system booted up with a "not genuine" message. I've no idea why, nothing had been changed on the netbook hardware/software wise, not even windows updates yet. I was able to activate again over the internet, thankfully no call to m$ was needed. That netbook is still running fine today, some months now since that 2nd activation.

Maybe someone else knows more about this message. If you make full backups of your system (and a Win7 or other 3rd party full disk image backup is a very good idea too), you could try the Anytime Upgrade path just to see where it takes you...

Kind regards,
--appyface

Hi all,
I've been considering doing a repair install for a few days now, but would love to hear some opinions before I start. I have a driver problem with my Huawei K3715 dongle - as a result, it won't let me connect to the internet and I keep getting RAS error code 31.
The dongle's working perfectly fine on an XP, but seems to have serious problems with Win7, no matter how many times I uninstalled and installed the drivers. Nothing worked. It seems that I need a 'clean' version of drivers. If I perform a repair install, will these settings revert back to when I installed Win7? I really wouldn't want to make a clean install, it would take ages to transfer back everything to my pc. What do you nice and expert people here suggest me to do?

Thank you for the quick reply, Brink. I shall try and post in the section you suggested, hoping that there's a solution to this problem.

In its early days when my comp was most stable I made both a WindowsBackupImage (saved to another internal BU drive), and Slipstreamed the OS c/with SP1.

With the collapse of my system I tried to Restore the WindowsBackupImage but no joy ..Windows, in any of its routines, can't find the BU folders. Even Acronis with its Windows BU simulations won't work in rebuilding them.

Instead, following the instucts in the Repair Install sticky, I decided to do a Repair (Upgrade) Install of Windows 7. While in Windows I loaded the OEM Windows disk and it would not let me "Upgrade" due to saying that "Your current version of windows is more recent than the version you are trying to upgrade to. Windows cannot complete the upgrade."

So, thinking that since my 'trusty' Slipstreamed copy was made with the SP1 update and would qualify for the new Windows version, I then tried again with that Slipstreamed Win 7+SP1 copy ..still same report: "..Windows cannot complete the upgrade." Gee, I thought that was one of the major points of building a Slipstreamed disk.

So, what to do next? Must I uninstall SP1 and then try again with either the original OEM install disk or the Slipstreamed+SP1 disk?

Thanks for the speedy reply!

It doesn't appear to be a Windows Recovery installation Disk but a "genuine" "OEM" installation disk package purchased from a large well-known online retailer. It comes with its own Product Key, etc. On the package it says it is intended for OEM system builders : "licenced for distribution only with a new PC" -- it's what was used to do my original install with, and must stay with this motherboard.

Is this the same thing ?