Repair Install

You might try another DVD, or make a USB stick and try that.

I did this recently, trying a USB stick I'd made following the tutorial, and it didn't work (different stoppage than yours, but still...). When I tried a DVD instead, THAT worked! The opposite of what I might have expected, but I never (well rarely) argue with success.

• If you changed the default location of a user account's profile folder, then you will need to change it back to the default C:\Users location first.
• If you moved the default location of a user folder, then you will need to change it back to the default C:\Users\(user-name) location first.

I wanted to re install windows without losing installed programs. I got the bootable media as well. I still have a doubt that @Brink has mentioned to move user folders back to the default locations before installation in "Warning" section of the first post in this thread

My C drive is almost full and my user folder alone is around is over 200 GB. Clearly I can't move all my user folders into the c:\users from D. Instead of moving it back into the proper place, am I still able to do a repair installation without getting into any troubles?

Please help!
Thanks in advance before.
Excuse my bad English, I'm not a native speaker.

I just realize that a person have already asked this exact question before and Brink has answered it. I could have used the search before I made my earlier post Anyway thank you very much sir.

Brink said:

web2 said:

Shawn,

At the beginning of your Repair Install process tutorial is a list of warnings. The last two are cautions about changed default locations for User Accounts. I can understand the need to have the Users' profile folder at the default location on the C: drive because that stuff is closely integrated with system and program operational information. In fact, I never move those files from C: for that reason.

But the rest of the files in the User Account folder are data, ideally separated from the operating system and application programs into another partition (dedicated to storing only data files) for lots of reasons. I'm talking about files such as Documents, Favorites, Contacts, Pictures, etc., etc.. What is the purpose of the warning on having those data files relocated from their default location on C:?

I agree that Windows will repair those user folders into their default location on C:, so those repaired folders will have to have their pointers restored to their non-default locations for access to their pre-repair data. But even if the repair process puts new files into those repaired folders, won't the location-moving process merely integrate the new files with those still located on the original data partition? [I guess I should try that, but you may already know the answer.]

I returned those folders, reluctantly, to their default locations on C: prior to the repair proces and then moved them back after completing the repair process because I didn't want to louse up the repair process and lose my time investment in it. Now that my crisis is over, I'm preparing in case such recovery is again needed by myself or others around me, so I am reviewing the repair process for efficiency and risk management. So help me understand that last item in your warnings list. please.

By the way, I made a backup of my entire system prior to runing the repair process, just in case something went awry. Good insurance!! It's too soon to be able to tell if I lost any data in the repair process, but I can get it back if some was lost.

Thanks again for a very fine job!

Bill

Hello Bill,

That's a smart decision to create a system image to be safe. You never know what monkey wrench may pop-up.

Anytime you move the location of either the user profile folder (user-name) or any of the user folders (Music, Pictures, etc...), you risk it not transferring over properly or not at all during the repair install and possibly causing a user profile error, or worse lost of data in the folders.

Instead of moving the locations of the folders, you might consider this below to be able to access the files from your libraries with the files actually located where you like instead. It's much easier to just include the folder again, than to try and fix a messed up moved user folder.

• Create a new folder at any location you want.
• Move any files you want from the user folders into the new folder.
• Include the new folder into a library of your choice.
• If you like, you can also set the new folder to be the default "save" to location for the library as well.

^^^

Awesome! Yes, they're all the same W7/64 Home Premium.

Thanks,
Ken

Using the retail key to Repair install the OEM install has worked. (I used the retail key to download the ISO from MS. I used the appropriate OEM key to reinstall the OEM OS.)

There were MANY popup windows about the install being "illegitimate" or somesuch. I activated it, and they went away.

I'm in the midst of update hell... But, at least, the Repair Install seems to've worked.

My desktop background is black, I have not checked for bookmarks and favorites, or email settings. I'll do all that once the updates are done.

There is a persistent .NET 4.5 error message. After the updates, I'll check and upload if needed.

The whole purpose was to repair a sfc /scannow error pointing to xpssvcs.dll: I'll check that AFTER all this other stuff is done. (Long morning...)

Ken