Help needed reconfiguring after reinstallation of Windows

[pokeefe0001]

A repair shop reinstalled Windows after my PC had some hardware problems. I'm now having some software registration problems (I assume) because they changed the name of my PC (Computer name and Full computer name). I see how to change these names, but I don't know what the old names were. I have backups - both Window and Acronis - taken before the reinstallation. Is there some way I can find these names in the backups? I assume the info is in the registry but I don't know how to read it in a backup.

I suspect this is just the first of many questions like this I'm going to have to ask.

 

[zigzag3143]

A repair shop reinstalled Windows after my PC had some hardware problems. I'm now having some software registration problems (I assume) because they changed the name of my PC (Computer name and Full computer name). I see how to change these names, but I don't know what the old names were. I have backups - both Window and Acronis - taken before the reinstallation. Is there some way I can find these names in the backups? I assume the info is in the registry but I don't know how to read it in a backup.

I suspect this is just the first of many questions like this I'm going to have to ask.

If it was solely hardware and you have a complete backup why not just restore it. The names are probably included in it

 

[pokeefe0001]

This sounds bogus to me, but the people at the shop claimed that Windows had become corrupted - that restoring would restore some of the intermittent problems I was having. The problem was intermittently failing ram causing many freezes and automatic reboots. I don't see how this could corrupt anything in Windows except maybe the registry but I could certainly be wrong.

 

[zigzag3143]

This sounds bogus to me, but the people at the shop claimed that Windows had become corrupted - that restoring would restore some of the intermittent problems I was having. The problem was intermittently failing ram causing many freezes and automatic reboots. I don't see how this could corrupt anything in Windows except maybe the registry but I could certainly be wrong.

The most efficient way might be to re-install win 7 cleanly. Intermittent issues usually are pointed towards ram, but can be either the ram itself, or a driver writing bad data to it.

A re-install would not fix the ram but would the driver.

 

[essenbe]

You may be able to find the computer name by mounting the Acronis image and exploring it. But, as far as I know the validation of Windows is tied to the Motherboard, and if you were having problems with ram, a reinstallation of Windows would not fix the ram. As Zigzag said, if the problem was a driver, reinstallation would probably fix the problem, but not fix bad ram. If it was a driver, restoring the image would reinstall the problem driver.

 

[pokeefe0001]

The most efficient way might be to re-install win 7 cleanly. Intermittent issues usually are pointed towards ram, but can be either the ram itself, or a driver writing bad data to it.

A re-install would not fix the ram but would the driver.

Well, efficient or not, that is what was done. A new set of ram fixed the ram problem. A clean reinstallation of Windows fixed the (possibly nonexistent) Windows problem. Now I'm stuck with trying to reconfigure Windows as it was before it was reinstalled.

So back to my original question: How do I retrieve things like "Computer name" from a backup - either a Windows or Acronis backup?

 

[jeepmann4x4]

What all Hardware was Replaced?
What Software are you having issues with? The OS itself or 3rd party?
In ether of your backups can you pick and choose what you reinstall instead of full restore??

EDIT: IS your other thread here about the same Issue??

Reasonable explanation for crashes?
http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/192702-reasonable-explanation-crashes.html#post1622823

 

[pokeefe0001]

What all Hardware was Replaced?

12GB of OCZ ram (6 OCZ3G1333LV6GK ram modules) were replaced by 6GB of Crucial 2GB PC3-10600 ram modules. While that's half of what I had before, Windows was using only 4GB of the OCZ ram ... even though BIOS saw it all. Windows now sees and is using all 6GB of the newly installed ram.

What Software are you having issues with? The OS itself or 3rd party?

Random freezes of Windows or automatic reboots (even though I had automatic reboot supposedly disabled). Very rarely a BSOD - only 4 over the past year vs. hundreds of freezes or reboots.

In ether of your backups can you pick and choose what you reinstall instead of full restore??

I don't know squat about the Windows backups but I can access directories and files in the Acronis backups just as though they were the real live files.

EDIT: IS your other thread here about the same Issue??

Reasonable explanation for crashes?
http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/192702-reasonable-explanation-crashes.html#post1622823

Just about every question I've posted since Aug 2010 has been related to this issue. Hopefully I'll soon be able to crawl back under my rock and disappear now that the problem has (hopefully) been fixed. But first I have to recover from the recovery - get this PC configured like it was before.

 

[jeepmann4x4]

Quote: Originally Posted by jeepmann4x4
What Software are you having issues with? The OS itself or 3rd party?


Random freezes of Windows or automatic reboots (even though I had automatic reboot supposedly disabled). Very rarely a BSOD - only 4 over the past year vs. hundreds of freezes or reboots.

Not what issue you had, u said that was fixed by the shop and a reinstall of OS.
I meant what program(s) are u having issue's with now?

 

[Zomby88]

Did you allow them to reinstall or did they just do it ?

I know I`d be pissed, but then again, no one touches my PCs but me.

 

[gregrocker]

I'd lean toward recovering with your last good image: System Image Recovery.
You could then confirm your Computer Name at Computer>Properties and consider reinstalling following these steps to get a Perfect Reinstall.

There is nothing in the hardware changes that would restrict the use of the backup image. If you have a question about why Win7 was reinstalled, call the shop to ask if running the backup is an option in their view. And get clarification about exactly why they reinstalled to run it by us to see if it could affect the image.

If the Win7 backup image won't restore, then use the Acronis one from it's installed program or boot CD.

Just to be sure you have a path back to where you are, you can save a Win7 backup of the unauthorized reinstall if you want: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup. But we can help you get a much better clean reinstall.

 

[pokeefe0001]

Quote: Originally Posted by jeepmann4x4
What Software are you having issues with? The OS itself or 3rd party?

Oh, I wasn't having any real issues, just a lot of installs.

Acronis TrueImage
FireFox
Thunderbird
WinZip
Sibelus
Finale
Garritan personal Orchestra
CCleaner
Process Explorer (which isn't really an install so that doesn't count)
and a whole bunch of other little things that I haven't reinstalled yet.
​

Did you allow them to reinstall or did they just do it ?

I know I`d be pissed, but then again, no one touches my PCs but me.

It was a plan. They had run a bunch of diagnostics that turned up no hardware problems so they suggested that maybe Windows was corrupted when I did an "Anytime" upgrade from Home to Pro. They didn't make any promises - it was a shot in the dark. I agreed to let them do it on the assumption that professionals might get it right. But the PC finally died for them ... 3 times while they were trying to do the reinstall. Obviously Windows wasn't the problem (or not the only problem) but it was a bit too late to not do the install then.

 

[Corazon]

I'm a bit confused here.

You say that your PC had hardware problems, particularly bad RAM which was replaced in its entirety. Now in your last post, you say they ran diagnostics and didn't find any hardware issues, upon which they suggested it was a software issue (caused by upgrading Home to Pro) and reinstalled Windows for you.

If this was just a hardware issue and if they did reinstall Windows and if you do have a full backup of your system as it was before the reinstall, then this begs the question:
Why don't you simply restore your backup and blow the new Windows installation away? You'd have everything back the way it was. In the (IMHO) unlikely event that there really is a software problem such as a bad driver in your backed-up system, you can still start over and just reinstall Windows fresh again. But you wouldn't have to wonder about the backup anymore.

Am I just not understanding the entire situation? I have the impression this is a case of making a simple process complicated.

 

[Zomby88]

What does your PC name have to do with registering software anyway ????

If you have a backup image, you should be able to find it in the system properties. It`s gotta be there.

 

[jeepmann4x4]

Quote: Originally Posted by jeepmann4x4
What Software are you having issues with? The OS itself or 3rd party?

Oh, I wasn't having any real issues, just a lot of installs.

Acronis TrueImage
FireFox
Thunderbird
WinZip
Sibelus
Finale
Garritan personal Orchestra
CCleaner
Process Explorer (which isn't really an install so that doesn't count)
and a whole bunch of other little things that I haven't reinstalled yet.
​

Did you allow them to reinstall or did they just do it ?

I know I`d be pissed, but then again, no one touches my PCs but me.

It was a plan. They had run a bunch of diagnostics that turned up no hardware problems so they suggested that maybe Windows was corrupted when I did an "Anytime" upgrade from Home to Pro. They didn't make any promises - it was a shot in the dark. I agreed to let them do it on the assumption that professionals might get it right. But the PC finally died for them ... 3 times while they were trying to do the reinstall. Obviously Windows wasn't the problem (or not the only problem) but it was a bit too late to not do the install then.

I would say If you don't want to go through installing everything one at a time, you should....
Make a NEW back up of your system as it sits now (Do Not Overwrite your old one) and then try to Install your Old back up and see if the issue is gone. If it is great your done, And if not then reinstall you New back and your right back where you are right now. Then just suck it up and Install all your stuff and get it back to where you like it and Run a new backup (overwriting all the bad ones) and put it away somewhere!! So if you ever have a issue that your only course is reinstall you have a clean Backup W/your preferred setup!!
Good luck

 

[curtiswardwell]

Just wondering, from what I have read about windows 7. When it is reinstalled windows 7 creates a windows.old file. If this is the case with your issue, there should be a way to open or view this file inorder to see what your original computer name was.

Still Learning, Learning Still

Curtis

 

[essenbe]

I believe windows.old is only created on an upgrade install, it is not created on a clean install. He has an Acronis backup. He can mount the backup and browse it with explorer. He can find the old computer name that way. But, the computer name does not have an effect on windows validation. Windows validation is tied to the hardware, the Motherboard in particular.

 

[pokeefe0001]

I'm a bit confused here.

You say that your PC had hardware problems, particularly bad RAM which was replaced in its entirety. Now in your last post, you say they ran diagnostics and didn't find any hardware issues, upon which they suggested it was a software issue (caused by upgrading Home to Pro) and reinstalled Windows for you.

You confusion is based on a mangled time-line. The repair folks could find no hardware problem the first two times I let them diagnose the problem. And it would not fail for them those two times. The suggested that maybe Windows should be reinstalled. So I took it back to them for that purpose. It started failing for them when they tried reinstalling Windows. When they finally got it running they discovered that Windows could see only 4BG of the 12GB I had installed, and that was the case regardless of how they moved the ram modules around. They then removed all the ram and inserted 6GB from another manufacturer, rebooted, and Windows saw all 6 GB. They concluded that there was an incompatibility between the original ram and the motherboard even though no diagnostics showed a problem. And the problems they had experienced did not reoccur with the new ram.

That is certainly not conclusive, but highly suggestive.

was[/B] just a hardware issue and if they did reinstall Windows and if you do have a full backup of your system as it was before the reinstall, then this begs the question:
Why don't you simply restore your backup and blow the new Windows installation away? You'd have everything back the way it was. In the (IMHO) unlikely event that there really is a software problem such as a bad driver in your backed-up system, you can still start over and just reinstall Windows fresh again. But you wouldn't have to wonder about the backup anymore.

Am I just not understanding the entire situation? I have the impression this is a case of making a simple process complicated.

At this point I've reinstalled all the important software I had running before so I think I'll leave things alone.

 

[pokeefe0001]

What does your PC name have to do with registering software anyway ????

If you have a backup image, you should be able to find it in the system properties. It`s gotta be there.

I did find the PC name in the backup. And changing the name back did not help the registration problem. Long story that was ultimately unrelated to my PC problems. It's all been worked out now.

 

[Zomby88]

What exactly are you trying to register ?