Win7 OS physical disk for repair?

I cannot believe that I'm the only person that runs into this problem. So here I am asking the community.

I've run into problems with the machine that are clearly related to corrupted chunks of the OS. Restore points do not go back far enough. Only an image from very long ago would likely resolve the problems. However, restoring that older image requires hours and hours updating and reinstalling software.

The solution would be to use the OS's own repair ability but that requires the original OS physical disk--something that USED to be always provided by computer manufacturers and now, at least with Lenovo, is impossible to even purchase at an extra charge with the machine.

If the installation files (not an image) were maintained on the machine for some utility to use to selectively repair corrupted OS files similar to using the physical disk that would be great but, again according to Lenovo, same is not available.

Has anyone found a solution to this problem?

Mark

You can download an ISO and create a disc or bootable flash drive,

The official Microsoft install media is available here,

Windows 7 Direct Download Links

But when you 'insert' and start-up the media will not the desktop OS ask you to insert your OS key?

My base OS on this machine is Vista that I later upgraded to Win7 32 that I later updated to 64.

Mark

Don't you have the key?

That is what you paid for, sounds like it was a retail key if you used an upgrade.

This tutorial may help with that,

Product Key Number for Windows 7 - Find and See

3 part reply question--

1. I clicked your link:

"You can download an ISO and create a disc or bootable flash drive,

The official Microsoft install media is available here,

Windows 7 Direct Download Links"

and repeatedly received the following: "Firefox can't find the server at www.heidoc.net"

I then used the following link: Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO Image Downloads | Windows 7 Forums

and successfully downloaded the file, burned the ISO file and started up the DVD.

2. The DVD did NOT offer the chance to 'repair' my existing OS files. The only 2 options were to do either a clean install or an in place install. If you all regard the in place install synonymous with a repair, ok. If not, then where, which and what?

3. I let the DVD go ahead with the in place install so as to test my system. The install wants iTunes uninstalled. I really, really do not want to do that since it requires reloading all the local music library links which is a huge PITA. The install DVD didn't ask if I want to go forward, it just kicked me back to the initial screen. Is there any way around not having to uninstall iTunes?

Mark

I hadn't, now I did and the repair process was not nearly as extensive regarding all OS files as I had thought.

I'll figure out a way to restore the correct iTunes directory so that I can uninstall same and run an in place Win7 install replacing all OS files to correct the several problems.

Thanks,

Mark

I'm relatively certain that I can--just a matter of determining all the locations where the relevant information is stored. I'm at work at that task now.

Thanks--

Mark