A Windows Re-install routine similar to XP.

I'm going to ask this another way than I have before.

Is there a repair installation for Win7 similar to what needs to be done to _re-install_ the operating system.

Whenever I had to do this in XP I had to have a printed sheet in front of me saying what to press next-- it was that confusing. Example: In XP to reininstall, you don't select Repair (Win7 never says it can or does repair anything-- they say call the company) you say install but branch to an install that
doesn't kill your data files.

What is the recommended way from Seven Forums to install the operating system (which got damaged on mine by a clone operation) and save the data files? Microsoft could not have gone so far backwards as to make it impossible. However, 'repair' is not the answer.

As always I appreciate your response.

A clean install would be a disk wipe of data, yes?

A repair _install_ different from a simple repair. The use of the words here is still
confusing.

I will look at what you've given. thanks again.

Repair it will be since the other description says it does not save files and settings.

Oddly the repair info you gave says you have to have Windows of the same kind on the disk.
I'm going to try it since I have readable files on the disk but the OS doesn't load.

A repair _install_ that needs a working copy of the OS sounds like a contradiction.

But the instructions look easy to read: I have no choice, I have to continue.

Will report back.

I'm just attempting to do this repair install now.

FIY the error report is " A disk read error occurred, Press Cntl Alt Del to restart."
That's as far as the damaged disk gets. But the file content is accessible. My reason for
the reinstall is there is a large area of shared files from a network folder which is not
available.

Perhaps, as part of this, you know a way to find the shared content on the folder named "Public."
As afar as I know that only comes on when the homenet connection is active.

Further information:

I got out my old Hirens Boot CD (last full edition 5 years ago) and ran Seagate Seatools for this
old 500Gb drive. Seatools does not see anything.

Hirens Mini XP which is supposed to be able to allow viewing of the data files on the
disk did not load. Perhaps there is a mini Win7 some place to run as a CD .iso (?)

The NTLDR leader program (for old XP) just gave the same original error saying
can't read the drive.

I'm still poking around in Hirens.

Still poking.

Hirens miniXP on a different backup cd. It reported looking to start NTLDR and the screen just went dark
and that was it.

I don't know if there are NTLDR tools around for this: to just write what is needed.
I may be able to find some fix mbr routine to force an overwrite which is what seems necessary.

Again, I was able to view data from this Seagate when it was on as a slave and not boot disk.

It just won't go. To answer your question, no there is no booting of windows at all.
Seatools (for this Seagate drive) cannot even see the drive installed.

It looks like curtains.

As to the tutorial, yes I followed it as far as the original system DVD could take it.
In the routine it gets to a spot that says, now remove the DVD and boot windows (which
we know cannot take place.) Removing the DVD is odd at this point since whatever
went into memory would be lost.

Maybe you can explain this odd procedure. I cannot get such a thing so call me
ignorant if that be the case.

NTLDR and all that, ok, it's not something that will work. But in the old XP you could eventually
find the routine to run setup off the source removable disk. All this other seems incredible.
"Use what you don't have to get back what you lost" is the message from any of the 'tutorial' or anything else in it.

.