Re-installing Win7 Home Premium Files

(&%^%^#^$*^%*^&%)( *(U !....(SWEARING).

There seems to be no easy work-a-round with this problem!

This is why system restore points and system images are useful.
YES, I KNOW...I THINK WE SAW ONE (WELL, MY BROTHER DID AS HE TOLD ME OVER THE PHONE) BUT, IN SOME WAY IT DIDN'T WORK.

There might be system restore points on that disk.
YEAH...I JUST GOT OFF PHONE WITH HIM AND HE IS GOING TO SEND ME HIS HARD DRIVE TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO WITH IT....I THINK ACETYLENE, OXYGEN AND A TORCH HEAD WILL COME IN HANDY!....I WILL SEE WHAT I CAN DO WITH IT...SHOULD HAVE IT BY LATE THIS WEEK.

SIW2 said:

No. Upgrade install can only be run from inside a working operating system.

It is the same as a "repair" install.

Repair Install

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Repair Install

• You can only do a repair install with the same edition Windows 7 installation disc for the same edition of Windows 7 that you have installed.
  OK - NO PROBLEM
  
  
• You cannot use a OEM Windows 7 "Factory" Restore/Recovery type of installation disc that came with or created from a store bought computer to do a repair install with. These can only be used do a clean install instead.
  OK - NO PROBLEM
  
  
• You can do a repair install on a factory OEM installation with the latest official Windows 7 with SP1 ISO file here: Microsoft: Windows 7 Direct Download Links, and use Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool to create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive with the ISO to do the repair install from within Windows 7.
  **I THOUGHT I COULD NOT DO A REPAIR INSTALL???
  
  
• You can use a retail OEM Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with.
  OK - NO PROBLEM
  
  
• You can use a retail (full or upgrade) Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with.
  OK - NO PROBLEM
  
  
• You cannot do a repair install with a System Repair Disc. A System Repair Disc is not a installation disc, and will only boot to the System Recovery Options screen.
  N/A
  
  
• If you have a 32-bit (x86) Windows 7 currently installed, then you must use a 32-bit Windows 7 installation disc to be able to do a repair install with.
  NOT AN ISSUE.
  
  
• If you have a 64-bit (x64) Windows 7 currently installed, then you must use a 64-bit Windows 7 installation disc to be able to do a repair install with.
  N/A
  
  
• You can use a retail Windows 7 SP1 installation disc (ex: Technet (available), MSDN (available), or retail (when available)) to do a repair install with on a currently installed Windows 7 SP1.
  **VERY GOOD - CAN DO - I THOUGHT I COULD NOT DO A REPAIR INSTALL???
  
  
• You can use a Windows 7 SP1 installation disc (ex: Technet (available), MSDN (available), or retail (when available)) to do a repair install with on a currently installed slipstream Windows 7 SP1.
  N/A
  
  
• You cannot use a slipstream Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with on a currently installed Windows 7 SP1.
  N/A
  
  
• You cannot use a slipstream Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with on a currently installed slipstream Windows 7 SP1.
  N/A
  
  
• You can only do a repair install from within Windows 7.
  **DAMN - I THINK I AM DEAD NOW!
  
  
• You cannot do a repair install at boot or in Safe Mode.
  **YOU MEAN, WHEN THE CD ROM BOOTS UP AND SAYS "REPAIR", I CANNOT DO THAT?
  
  
• You must be logged into Windows 7 in a administrator account to be able to do a repair install.
  **NOT CURRENTLY ABLE TO GET IN..MAY CHANGE WHEN HARD DRIVE SHIPPED TO ME.
  
  
• You must have at least 8.87 GB + what is currently being used of free space (more if you have a larger installation) on the hard drive/partition Windows 7 is installed on to do a repair install.
  NO PROBLEM
  
  
• If you changed the default location of a user account's profile folder, then you will need to change it back to the default C:\Users location first.
  N/A
  
  
• If you moved the default location of a user folder, then you will need to change it back to the default C:\Users\(user-name) location first.
  N/A

See if regular system restore works first.
IT DID NOT FOR SOME U/K UN-REMEMBERED REASON.

Boot installation media, select "repair my computer".
WILL TRY AS SOON AS HD RECEIVED BY ME.

It will scan for any os on the machine.
IT FOUND THAT.

Select it, click next. Then select system restore from the recovery options.
CRAPPED OUT

I made some 32 bit repair media. It contains all the regular MS recovery options, and other tools which you might need.
OK - WILL EXAMINE.


A repair install can only be performed from within the running operating system.

NOT RUNNING---C: DIR SHOWS HD CRAPOLA BUT, ISSUES BOOTING TO START UP WINDOWS.


If you cannot boot into your brothers windows 7, you cannot perform a repair install.
AS I RAISE THE GUN TO MY TEMPLE!

I think I have posted that about 4 times now.
YEAH, YA DID.

Thanks for the reply(ies).

Try regular system restore first.
WILL DO AS SOON AS I RECEIVE HIS HD.

There is an additinal possible snag. Even if system restore completes, there might be a mismatch between youir brothers hardware and yours.
YES, I ALREADY ANTICIPATED THAT AND TOLD HIM THIS MORNING.

That can cause problems for windows booting ( depending how different the hardware is )
IS IS ALMOST IDENTICAL - THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THAT I RUN DUAL MONITORS USING A "DUAL CARD".

If no joy, then shadowcopy view might show everything in the shadow copy.
UH - HUH?

If there is enough space , create a folder on the windows 7 partition called something sensible like OLDSTUFF.
FIRST THING IS I AM GOING TO ATTEMPT TO DO A CLONE COPY OF HIS HD TO A BLANK 4TB HD I HAVE BEFORE I START ANYTHING...NOT SURE IF THAT WILL WORK BUT, WORTH A TRY.

Then MOVE (not copy) all the folders from the win7 partition into OLDSTUFF folder.
UH, OK....

Then use shadowcopyview to copy the contents of the shadow onto the windows 7 partition. Don't rush, copy one folder at a time. The windows folder is particularly large and might better copied out in stages.
I HAVE TO DIGEST THIS BIT BY BIT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT SOME OF THIS MEANS...A BIT NEW TO ME....OK, GOING TO HIT MY COFFEE POT...WILL RETURN AFTER A BIT TO SEE WHAT TRANSPIRES.