How do I do a Windows 7 x64 repair install on system using Easy BCD

[Painterh52]

Hello friends;
I have a home built AMD socket 939 pc, which has been running well for a long time.
The system specs are as follows:
Asus A8n-sli Deluxe MB
AMD Opteron 170 dual core
3 GB Corsair XMS ddr memory
Asus geforce 7600gs video card with passive cooling
CD/DVD reader/writer
Floppy drive/card reader combo
2 160 GB SATA hard drives

This a dual-boot machine (Win 7 x64 and Ubuntu) using Easy BCD for managing boot config.
Everything was fine until recently when Windows Update failed to install Update for Windows (KB2731771)

Installation date: ‎11/‎18/‎2012 7:12 PM

Installation status: Failed

Error details: Code 80073712

Update type: Important

Fix for KB2731771

More information:
An update that provides new APIs for conversion between local time and UTC in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2 is available

Help and Support:
Microsoft Support

Windows help reports that remedy for this is to do a in-place upgrade using my windows 7 install disk however, when I do this and it nears completion I get a message saying "This version of windows cannot be upgraded" . The install is then rolled back to previous state.

If anyone can help me figure this out, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[essenbe]

See if this is what you need http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

 

[Kaktussoft]

Hello friends;
I have a home built AMD socket 939 pc, which has been running well for a long time.
The system specs are as follows:
Asus A8n-sli Deluxe MB
AMD Opteron 170 dual core
3 GB Corsair XMS ddr memory
Asus geforce 7600gs video card with passive cooling
CD/DVD reader/writer
Floppy drive/card reader combo
2 160 GB SATA hard drives

This a dual-boot machine (Win 7 x64 and Ubuntu) using Easy BCD for managing boot config.
Everything was fine until recently when Windows Update failed to install Update for Windows (KB2731771)

Installation date: ‎11/‎18/‎2012 7:12 PM

Installation status: Failed

Error details: Code 80073712

Update type: Important

Fix for KB2731771

More information:
An update that provides new APIs for conversion between local time and UTC in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2 is available

Help and Support:
Microsoft Support

Windows help reports that remedy for this is to do a in-place upgrade using my windows 7 install disk however, when I do this and it nears completion I get a message saying "This version of windows cannot be upgraded" . The install is then rolled back to previous state.

If anyone can help me figure this out, it would be greatly appreciated.

first run this tool What is the System Update Readiness Tool?
And post afterwards:
%SYSTEMROOT%\Logs\CBS\CheckSUR.log
%SYSTEMROOT%\Logs\CBS\CheckSUR.persist.log

 

[Painterh52]

Thanks to Essenbe and Kactusoft for the quick replies. I did use the update readiness tool and followed the instructions for doing a repair install. I have tried many times and always get the same result. Could Easy BCD be causing a problem because it modifies the master boot record?

 

[gregrocker]

I don't think so. It shouldn't interfere unless there is other corruption on the disk or in the install fouling out the reinstall.

But to be sure, install EasyBCD to the OS and from Edit Boot Menu tab highlight the other OS to Delete it. Reboot and try install again.

If it fails again, set the current partition Active in Disk mgmt, then boot into Win7 DVD to run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times so that the System boot files are written to or repaired on the same drive, while any boot problems are sorted at the same time.

Then try the Repair Install again.

If it fails then you may need to consider the Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 since there is deeper corruption than what the automated repairs can fix.

I would back up your files now, and if you want post back a screenshot of the maximized Disk mgmt drive map and listings using the Snipping Tool in Start Menu.

 

[Painterh52]

re

Thanks Gregrocker. I will give that a try in the morning and post back with results.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Thanks to Essenbe and Kactusoft for the quick replies. I did use the update readiness tool and followed the instructions for doing a repair install. I have tried many times and always get the same result. Could Easy BCD be causing a problem because it modifies the master boot record?

first run this tool What is the System Update Readiness Tool?
And post afterwards:
%SYSTEMROOT%\Logs\CBS\CheckSUR.log
%SYSTEMROOT%\Logs\CBS\CheckSUR.persist.log
Can you post the files!

 

[Painterh52]

Solved!

Well, good news to report. After running system update readiness tool for the umpteenth time, I removed the 2nd OS from the Master boot record using an Easy BCD edit. I then restarted my computer, restarted the upgrade install (from an elevated command prompt), and it finally finished the reinstall successfully! Thanks to all who helped me out because I was about at wits end. Props to all.

 

[essenbe]

Well done. I'm glad you finally got it to work correctly.

 

[Kaktussoft]

easybcd is just a bcd menu editor. It can also rewrite MBR and transfer bcd menu to another partition as well. But basically it's an bcd editor. Did you use it only to edit bcd entries? I can't believe that fixes your problem!

Why didn't you post:
%SYSTEMROOT%\Logs\CBS\CheckSUR.log
%SYSTEMROOT%\Logs\CBS\CheckSUR.persist.log
??

Please post these files as this explains what's wrong

 

[boyans]

easybcd is just a bcd menu editor

I think you are right, with the word menu underlined.

 

[Painterh52]

I will post the above mentioned logs. I didn't intend to be so vague. I use Easy BCD in order to dual boot with Ubuntu.

 

[Painterh52]

Update; Possible motherboard failure

Hello again;
Well, it looks like I have some major hardware issues. I removed all my ram and started testing it by trying to boot into Win 7 with different combinations of ram (one gig at a time). I had 3 gigs installed when the problems first started (2 @ 1GB chips and 2 @ 512MB). It turns out that at least one of the 1GB chips was bad, because after installing just 2 of the 512MB chips, the system booted. Now I have 2GB installed (4 @ 512MB in dual channel mode). The problem now is that despite the system booting, it is so slow and unresponsive it's virtually unusable. There must have been some collateral damage somewhere.
Did anyone look at the logs I posted in my last response, and if so, does it give any clue as to what may be going on? Thanks, in advance for any help provided.

 

[Kaktussoft]

And what happens if running in single channel mode?
Did you run a memory check with memtest86 to checks memory bank and sticks?

 

[gregrocker]

Double check that the RAM exactly meets the specifications of the mobo. If not replace it with the correct RAM.

If so test each stick and slot to narrow down to the problem one. Then run with the others.

Type Resource Monitor in Start Search box. On Memory tab how is RAM apportioned? How does RAM utilization look in Resource Monitor while using the PC.

Look over the Clean Reinstall steps I posted earlier to see how close you've come to getting a perfect baseline install. If not then I'd strongly consider it because getting a perfect install is in most cases better than getting a new PC.

 

[Painterh52]

I have only ran Memtest 86 for about an hour. I will start it again tonight and let it run overnight. I haven't tried to do a clean reinstall until I get this issue nailed with the memory, I'm afraid it would never finish installing.

 

[Painterh52]

re

Here's another update. I removed 2(1gb) chips from system and it booted into Windows. I now have 2 matched pairs of Corsair xms ddr (512 gb ea) installed and running in dual-channel mode. I ran Memtest 86 for about 12 hours and had no errors. I tried to boot into Linux and noticed some strange artifacts on the login screen and was unable to login. I again tried to boot into Windows 7 and was met wit some random color patterns on the login screen. I replaced my graphics card with the only one I had on hand which was a very old Riva TNT card (no Windows 7 drivers). I had to run it with basic vga drivers supplied in Win7.
It now boots into Windows but it is running so slow it is virtually unusable. Is this an expected behavior for a failed graphics card, or could the be more problems afoot? It would be good to know before I pick a new graphics card, even though I would move it forward into what ever I built for a new machine (when and if I can afford it). Thanks again