startup repair failure

Hello,

Yeah, I've had an email from the vendor - they say they can't trace the product key - Microsoft on the other hand said they would issue me a new one, so i've sent them the details they require.

Boss2 thanks for your suggestions, but i'm a little confused...

I've got the Windows 7 update disc here so I dont need to make a bootable flash drive as I can do that from the dvd (I think???)

With Produkey - do you need to get into windows 7 to use it?

Sorry for the fundamental questions - i'm a bit new to this...

Many Thanks

You need to launch produkey or jelly bean from the command line because you cant get into the windows GUI- easiest way is to make a bootable flash drive, then add the app to it.

Good news!

Found the product key! Thanks again Bill2.

Now I have two new issues:

1. The first thing is getting some data off it - I've tried using knoppix, but after the penguin screen it just goes black and stays black. Is there's any other software that'll get into it?

2. When I try to reinstall Windows 7, it says:

The computer started using the Windows installation disc. Remove the installation disc and restart your computer so that windows starts normally. Then insert the installation disc and restart the upgrade. (Do not select "Custom (advanced)" to perform an upgrade. "Custom (advanced)" installs a new copy of Windows and deletes your programs and settings)

When I try and start it without the boot disc it goes into the repair loop - If I go against its advice, and do a "Custom install", will that wipe the slate clean? Will I be able to do a full install from this disc, bearing in mind its an upgrade disc from Vista?

I went into the dos prompt and followed some advice from the first reply in this thread (think it was a Bootrec/ last option). Now when I try and boot, it gives me the option to boot to Windows 7 or Vista. I tried Vista - it got very nearly there but failed after it asked for my password (just went into a light blue screen). Is there anyway I can get into Windows explorer etc from here?

If you have a External HD, you could copy & paste your data.
Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console
than copy & paste your data to new install or HD.

Your questions are very long.

Just boot from that disk, get into Repair- command prompt, look up your files and copy them off to a flash drive. If you dont like the command line and knoppix stops at penguin, get some bootable CD with a GUI and copy off your files. If you remember, I linked SIW2's excellent PEs earlier in this thread, they have a nice shell and you can use those.

You can do a proper clean install from an upgrade disk.

Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

Please note that if your data is on a partition other than windows, you dont even need to back it up. Just install win7 to the current windows partition, afterwards your files will be fine on the data partition.

Bootrec find the OEM Recovery Partition, you now have dual boot with Recovery & Windows 7.

You beauties!

Just copying my files over now, so all going smmothly. Something thats baffled me in the past (surprise surprise!) is the windows Vista install files seem to have remained on my computer eating up a ton of space -i could be wrong, but it seemed like I had very little space left on my hardrive and I hardly had anything on it?

Would I be best off just doing a fresh install and would I have to find all the right drivers?

Thanks everyone for your help - think i'm seeing a bit of light at the end of the tunnel!

On my computer I've got 3 Hard Disk Drives - Local Disk (C:), Recovery (D:), and Boot (X:). I assume I want to install it onto X:

When I go through the install and get to "Which type of installation do you want?" I click on "Custm" as upgrade wont allow me to install from the bootdisk.

I get the following:

Disk 0 Partition 1
Disk 0 Partition 2: Recovery

But I cant see the boot partition?? any ideas?? so close but yet so far...

many thanks

D: is your old Vista Recovery Partition.
C: is your OS Partition
X: is Windows installer Ram Drive

I would delete D: & c:, than remake partitions to suit yourself.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Hi

I've done the HDD wipe following the above instructions and created 2 new partitions, and attempted to reinstall windows 7, i've got the product key issued by the retailer, which comes up invalid.

Just got off the phone from microsoft who advised me they cannot help me and to contact the vendor.

I've contacted the vendor who's told me the install disk i've got is an upgrade and will not work unless there's a copy of Vista installed underneath it. I've wiped my HD, so thats a big no.

So whats the way round this? I bought the computer fully licensed with Windows Vista, paid for a genuine upgrade and the things failed on me. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

JD