Re-installing Win7 Home Premium Files

[WIN7 NIGHTMARE]

Greetings All,

New here and have a few questions and could use some assistance.

I have a disabled brother (service connected) in another State and have no direct access to his computer...He has a Dell desktop with sufficient SATA hard drive space, 2 gigs ram, and running Win7 home edition 32bits...He no longer has any discs for same.

Problem:
He started (or attempted to) start his computer and left either an audio or video disc in the optical drive..Since then, his computer will not boot/start. I have been at it for 4 days with him on the phone and all I can remember (I am really burned out with this!) he gets error messages, the main one seems to be "Windows Explorer has stopped working"

I can get him into "safe" mode and hit a restore point or, fix errors, etc but, his computer still will not boot. He made an "emergency boot disc from the installation before it "crapped out" but, it does little good.....I have attempted to get him to utilize "system file checker, fix mbr and so on and it seems we are getting closer but, "no cigar"...We hit a wall with a message that there is still a "fix" pending but stopped right there before we killed each other on the phone (grin).

I have a Dell desktop similar to his and as a last ditch effort, will have him send me his drive to see what I can do with it...Can I rebuild/restore/re-install Win 7 OS files w/out data loss and if so, what is the procedure with this?....Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SIW2]

left either an audio or video disc in the optical drive.

Has he been able to eject the disc?

If you sent him the installation media would he able to install it and use his product key ( probably on a sticker in the battery compartment).

 

[SIW2]

Can I rebuild/restore/re-install Win 7 OS files w/out data loss

If it is not hardware problem, then it should be fixable.
It is not trivial to explain all the steps you might have to go through .

Better if you can send him the installation media. He could install onto another partition and later fish out any files he wants from the original installation.

he could do with some more ram as well .. so could you. 2gb is tight nowadays.

 

[WIN7 NIGHTMARE]

Thanks for the reply....

The disc was removed easily and was never stuck.

Something got screwed up in his computer and I am running out of ideas....I don't run Win 7, I run XP and am happy with it.....I don't want to hack a copy of Win 7 if I can help it....I have sent him multiple discs (hirens, Ultimate boot disc, Essentials pro, etc and it is VERY difficult to attempt this over the phone...I suppose my more focused question is if I can install Win 7 (should I locate same by any source) to REPAIR his system w/out killing all his data.

 

[SIW2]

If you can get installation media to him - worth him booting that and trying system restore first.

System Restore

A repair install can only be performed if you can boot into the os.

Otherwise, install from booted media without formatting the target moves the previous installation into a folder called windows.old. That can be accessed afterwards.

Or install onto a separate partition.

 

[WIN7 NIGHTMARE]

If it is not hardware problem, then it should be fixable.
It is not trivial to explain all the steps you might have to go through .

Better if you can send him the installation media. He could install onto another partition and later fish out any files he wants from the original installation.

he could do with some more ram as well .. so could you. 2gb is tight nowadays.

############################

*Caps are NOT yelling and only serve to segregate portions of the conversation*

If it is not hardware problem, then it should be fixable.
MAN, I HOPE SO. HE HAS SOME MEDICAL RECORDS THAT HE NEEDS TO SAVE AND TO AD INSULT TO INJURY, A WHILE BACK I SENT HIM A 1TB EXT HD TO BACK THE DARNED THING UP!

It is not trivial to explain all the steps you might have to go through .
I NEVER IMPLIED IT WAS AND LIKE I SAID, I HAVE BEEN AT IT FOR MORE THAN A FEW DAYS.

Better if you can send him the installation media.
WHICH I DON'T HAVE AS STATED

He could install onto another partition and later fish out any files he wants from the original installation.
HE WOULD BE SENDING THE HD TO ME FOR "SURGERY" ......PARTITIONING I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO RISK AT THIS TIME....I THOUGHT THAT SOMEPLACE I MAY HAVE READ THAT WHEN INSTALLING WIN 7 WHEN/WHERE THERE IS ALREADY ONE PRESENT, THAT THERE IS A SECTION-BAR-BUTTON THAT ALLOWS THE USER TO SELECT TO "REPAIR" THE EXISTING INSTALLATION TO OVERWRITE THE FILES, WHICH SHOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEMS W/OUT DELETING THE SAVED DATA.

 

[SIW2]

WIN7 NIGHTMARE

WHICH I DON'T HAVE AS STATED

enable private messaging in your user control panel.

ALLOWS THE USER TO SELECT TO "REPAIR" THE EXISTING INSTALLATION TO OVERWRITE THE FILES, WHICH SHOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEMS W/OUT DELETING THE SAVED DATA.

That can only be done from inside the running os. Read my previous post. Those are the options.

 

[WIN7 NIGHTMARE]

If you can get installation media to him - worth him booting that and trying system restore first.

System Restore

A repair install can only be performed if you can boot into the os.

Otherwise, install from booted media without formatting the target moves the previous installation into a folder called windows.old. That can be accessed afterwards.

Or install onto a separate partition.

######################

So, I am shafted then to attempt to repair system files.

 

[WIN7 NIGHTMARE]

@WIN7 NIGHTMARE



enable private messaging in your user control panel.



That can only be done from inside the running os.

#################################

enable private messaging in your user control panel.

I looked but, could not locate it.

 

[SIW2]

user cp. on the left. Under settings and options > edit options. then scroll down a bit, tick the box for private messaging, then scroll to the bottom and save.


I can't remember if there is a minmum requirement for users to enable that. Maybe essenbe can recall.

 

[WIN7 NIGHTMARE]

Thanks for the reply....

I saw "allow visitor messaging" but, nothing titled as you have stated.

 

[SIW2]

Home Basic edition or Home Premium edition?

Whichever official 32 bit iso you get hold of, it can be adjusted to install any edition.

Doesn't matter if it is called ultimate, or pro, or home something. They all contain all the editions.

Point this at the iso and that's it.
View attachment eicfg_removal_utility.zip

Then when you install you get the choice

Obviously, you select the edition for which you have a license key.

This pic is a 64 bit iso showing all 4 consumer editions. The 32 bit has 5 editions




That pic is a 64 bit iso showing all 4 consumer editions. The 32 bit has 5 editions

 

[WIN7 NIGHTMARE]

Windows 7 Home Premium

 

[WIN7 NIGHTMARE]

Home Basic edition or Home Premium edition?

Whichever official 32 bit iso you get hold of, it can be adjusted to install any edition.

Doesn't matter if it is called ultimate, or pro, or home something. They all contain all the editions.

Point this at the iso and that's it.
View attachment 411149

Then when you install you get the choice

Obviously, you select the edition for which you have a license key.

View attachment 411150


That pic is a 64 bit iso showing all 4 consumer editions. The 32 bit has 5 editions

###############################

Thanks for the reply!

I will have to ask him if he wrote key down someplace but, I'm not banking on it!

**I looked at the zip file and not sure I fully understand it**

 

[Bree]

...He has a Dell desktop ... running Win7 home edition 32bits...He no longer has any discs for same.

The Heidoc Microsoft Windows and Office ISO Download Tool has links for many Dell OEM ISOs, including those for models that came with Windows 7. If you're lucky there may be one for this model of Dell.



Microsoft Windows and Office ISO Download Tool

 

[WIN7 NIGHTMARE]

Thanks for the reply!

Uh, is this page (link) telling me that I can DL a copy of W7?

 

[SIW2]

If you're lucky there may be one for this model of Dell.

Last time I looked 32 bit home basic only available in Han. I expect he wants english

 

[WIN7 NIGHTMARE]

Me - speaka - da - englis!

Oh, and the link DL'er that was sent was not a 32 item and "errored".

 

[WIN7 NIGHTMARE]

Curious as to how I sign out of this forum as I do not see a log-out button.

 

[Bree]

Curious as to how I sign out of this forum as I do not see a log-out button.

Scroll to the bottom of this page, it's listed under 'Site Links'. You'll also find it as the last item in the 'Quick Links' drop-down menu at the top of each page.