Almost all programs "has stopped working"

You most definitely want SP1 or you really don't even have Win7.

The one you want is Windows 7 Home Premium x64 SP1 U (media refresh) X17-58997.iso

Put your wireless or eithernet LAN driver in your backup so if it isn't provided during install you can get online to do all rounds of IMportant and Optional Windows Updates, which will provide most of the rest of your drivers. Only import missing drivers after all Updates are done.

Follow the other steps and you'll get and keep a perfect install. The tools and methods which work best with Win7 are compiled based on tens of thousands of installs we've helped with here.

If i dont need to keep any of the data on my laptop besides my pictures which i will load onto a flash drive can i skip some of the steps such as number 3

Sure those initial steps are to make sure nothing gets forgotten. Just check them off and move on to the next.

I have same problem.....

Do all the infection scans, establish a Clean Boot, run SFC from Troubleshooting steps below - in Safe Mode if necessary.

Report back results on these and other steps in this thread, then proceed with rest of Troubleshooting steps.