Solved Requesting Advice - Restore from old Image or Repair Install

[Cyber Coach]

I currently run Windows 7 Ultimate, 64 Bit, with all maintenance installed, except the Win 10 nags. It runs on a custom built system with an Asus p8p67 MB forming the base. (16 GB, OS on Samsung SSD, data on physical separate Raid 1 drives)

My installation is five years old and some things don't work as they should. One, it will not restore from restore points, so I image every couple of months with Terabyte Image for Windows. It won't create a dump file when it BSOD's and the other day it BSOD awakening from sleep after copying all data to an encrypted external drive. Overall the system works and is my main day to day machine.

I thought it might be time to do something like a refresh given it is five years old. My goal is to have everything working again. When I originally built the system and programs I created a bootable HDD clone. This image is five years old so the apps are very much out of date, my processes have changed, no longer using Blackberry and sync iPhone through Outlook using EAS, not to mention the drivers are antiques. That said the clone is a working, authenticated copy of my windows and machine environment five years ago. I ran SFC and had no errors so figure "refresh" is way to go to get everything back in order.

I came to this forum to see if I could get read some advice and came across an excellent article on doing a repair install. ( The information on this forum is really excellent, congrats to everyone who produces). Really liked the idea that programs and drivers remain intact with repair install. Even went so far as to create a bootable DVD with SP1 following the instructions so I could implement.

Both methods seem to be what I'm looking for but I'm not sure. The repair install looks closer to what I want, keeps programs (many were installed after cloning) and drivers, but I do not understand how it may or may not clear invalid window's system registry entries, things that are preventing restores or dumps.

Can anyone comment on how the repair install handles the registry? Knowing that I could use a very old HDD image or the repair install process what would a guru do? (I'm trying to avoid clean install but I did go to Asus MB site to get what they have posted as latest drivers).

Thank you.

 

[samuria]

After that lenght of time a clean install is far better as then all your problems have gone and its like a brand new pc

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi indeed,
It's a lot easier to clean install these days with the unofficial sp2
There are essentially 3 updates needed for a clean install of windows that will get you updated through April of 2016

KB3020369 & KB3125574 & KB3172605 all can be downloaded from the M$ catalog using internet explorer
http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Install.aspx

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com...17/simplifying-updates-for-windows-7-and-8-1/
When manually installing updates you need to switch your update settings to Never check for updates and restart the machine first.

After restart you will need to ensure the built in windows update service is stopped and set to manual first too or it will conflict with the stand alone installer.

Afterwards reset the windows updates service to what it was before and update settings to your preference and check for updates
Should be only 50 or so updates left to install.

 

[Holmes177]

Have to agree with Thrashzone on this. With the repair install, you would get a "new" windows OS, but the registry would not be completely "new", as you would be retaining all your apps, pgms, etc. With a fresh install, everything is NEW, just need to do the updates & reinstall your pgms. Somewhat more time consuming, but a better end result.

 

[mjf]

It's a lot easier to clean install these days with the unofficial sp2

If it was clean install vs repair install I'd go clean install unless you had a good system image.

Can we have a link to the unofficial SP2.

 

[Holmes177]

Thrashzone already posted, but here it is again. There is a prep file that needs to be run, then pick the 32 or 64 bit version of the compiled updates.

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com...17/simplifying-updates-for-windows-7-and-8-1/

 

[Cyber Coach]

Seems my thank you didn't make it when I clicked solved.

Thank you all for responding. I was really trying to avoid a clean install. I read instructions on using unofficial SP2. Read article. Not understanding the known issues and which patches to install that they excluded it is above my pay grade.

Interesting no one thought Repair was the way to go or the old clone that was created when the machine was built.

I agree a clean install will yield the best Windows environment. It will also shed all those programs I installed for a single purpose. Will have to investigate what a clean install could mean to my data raid.

Thanks again for information.

 

[ThrashZone]

It's a lot easier to clean install these days with the unofficial sp2

If it was clean install vs repair install I'd go clean install unless you had a good system image.

Can we have a link to the unofficial SP2.

Hi,
I have all three updates on my OneDrive if you don't want to deal with the catalog
It is listed as 3125574 32 bit or 3125574 64 bit
https://1drv.ms/f/s!AsjD7o6P3KLKj2TjShn8-SumV1rr

 

[Cyber Coach]

I know it has been a couple of months since I started this thread. Quick update. I took everyone's advice and did a clean install.

Definitely the right advice and an opportunity to not include some old baggage (programs). Also took the opportunity to upgrade my video card as AMD has discontinued formal support for a slew of their devices. Learn a lot and documented it all so next time it will be a simple follow these steps. For those that read my question on whether my separate data Raid, drive D:, would survive, on my board it did. The trick is to document (or print screen) all the settings you have performed in all the various programs.

Thanks again for the solid advice.