Lost Notepad - How can I re-install Notepad from Win 7 install disc?

file3456 · 25 Jan 2021

Couple of things here. First and foremost, lets see if you have a possible hard drive issue or a RAM issue. If both the RAM and hard drive check out, you may have a bad SATA cable or a SATA controller/motherboard issue.

To test the hard drive I would use Hard Drive Sentinel. You can just use the trial version. Download Hard Disk Sentinel Don't use the write to disk test option, just a read only option. Writing to the disk would of course write over your OS. That option is of course for a HDD that is blank or don't care about its data. In Hard Drive Sentinel read what the hard drive SMART data says. Another program to read SMART data is CrystalDiskInfo. CrystalDiskInfo – Crystal Dew World SMART data is just one indicator of a bad drive. It not always tells you a drive is bad so you have to use a HDD testing software. A simple read test may tell you. Also, a Windows chkdsk command could help too. To do that go to search and enter cmd. Now right click command prompt and run as Admin. In command prompt enter, chkdsk /f

To test the RAM, download and burn Memtest 86 to USB and boot that. The default options are fine. You may need to run it over night. In my case it took around an hour or so, but that was with a laptop of 4 GB of RAM. MemTest86 - Compare Editions You probably want the free version.

If both the hard drive and RAM check out, test your SATA cables.

About backups. I honestly think a full 1:1 disk clone is the better way to go rather than an image of files. Reason being is that if the hard drive goes out or you have a virus or something else, you can clone back to the HDD or new HDD in full with OS intact and it'll be like hardly anything changed. Where's an image backup requires you to reinstall the OS and then migrate the image of files back on your system.

But a two tier approach to backups is great too, and I do that in a way myself. First I do a full 1:1 disk clone to an external HDD of the same size or larger. Then every once in a while I use FreeFileSync to sync certain files to another HDD. On top of that, other very important data is more frequently backed up to many locations. In all cases all data is encrypted. My computers are encrypted so when I clone with Clonezilla that clone is in encrypted format. The other data is encrypted with Truecrypt partitions and/or 7Z EXE archives. Sometimes both. I utilize three cloud backups, three computers, a USB stick, and three hard drives. All external media is placed in a $35 fireproof safe.

Note on Windows 10 and FSX. You WILL want to install FSX into the root of C drive, C:/FSX. You will also have to install DirectX 9c. You can have more than one version of DirectX. Id' run FSX in compatibility mode for XP SP2 and as Admin. There may be other things that need to be done. It can be a PITA. Since I don't use 10 right now I don't fully know for sure. Only read posts at Flighsim.com

The new Sim simply called Flight Simulator I feel has a ways to go. I'm waiting for it to become mature before I even consider buying it. I was saying that from the jump and everyone bought it, worse PER-ORDERED IT! without seeing it and now are wondering if they should have bought it. LOL!

Windows 10 has a boat ton of telemetry. I have seen it myself running Windows 10 LTSC in VMware Workstation Player and monitoring the network connection. You can do one of two things to help mitigate this.

1) Go here and pick a utility. Comparison of Windows 10 Privacy tools - gHacks Tech News

2) Check out this project. Read EVERYTHING and understand it all. I'd personally add the Admin account back. But that's just me. I roll Admin. and haven't had any issues. Been doing that since XP. To get Admin back in this you need to run a command specified at their website. Download - AME To keep it legal build it yourself. Not too sure about the legality of the ISO download. This may be very niche and I have yet to try it. If you need updates, go with option 1 above. Note: frustration will probably happen after a lack of QC (Quality Control) update ensues.

OldGopher · 26 Jan 2021

Hi F22 Simpilot

Thanks again for all the INFO! I would be described as travelling light. Backup essential data and that's it! I do agree with the 1:1 disk clone concept.

I now have a positive ID on where the problem lies. It is in the C drive System disk a Samsung 240GB SSD. When starting the computer it comes up with "there appears to be a problem with this disk" or something similar. I ignore this and the computer then starts normally. (That's how I am still able to add to the thread). I tried to make a clone of the System disc and it all went well until 99% was reached -just 6GB from completion when it stopped with an error message! What is the best way of repairing the System disk? Your ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks again.

OldGopher · 26 Jan 2021

Hi F22 Simpilot
Well I have discovered the " How to repair Windows 7 System Files with System File Checker" information. I first tried a "Only Verify" process and this advised me that there were "integrity violations". I then tried to repair the System disk but using the "elevated command prompt shortcut"- Option 2. After repeating it three times the verify process still confirmed I had "integrity violations". Despite that I have just restarted the computer and everything worked as it should!!!!. I do appreciate that there were three Win 7 updates in the past that could lead to getting "integrity violations" so maybe I just have to live with that fact.

Tomorrow I will go the full distance and attempt a repair from a Command Prompt at Boot.

Anyway, whatever, I have my beloved Notepad shortcut back on my screen and it WORKS. I'm flying a Short 17L (1931) aircraft back to UK from Rome on Thursday in FSX so that will be a good workout. Just hope I do not meet a snowstorm enroute. Should over DVV way flying later this year. Might even fly over the KN beacon and land at KFNL on RWY33!!

OldGopher · 27 Jan 2021

Next day: Computer started OK this am. Notebook still works fine! I have learned a lot from you guys who responded to my cry for help - I thank all of you who responded to my thread. This is surely the best help forum for Win 7. Keep up the great work.

I consider this thread now SOLVED - I would like to press the SOLVED button but it is not on the screen!

file3456 · 27 Jan 2021

If this isn't an rouge lack of QC update thing, I suspect your HDD will die in short order. That's why I gave you some HDD test software ideas to use. That should help determine if it's the HDD or an update. One day you may end up losing all your stuff. It's why you need to clone at least once every month or as data accumulation dictates.

OldGopher said:

Hi F22 Simpilot
Should over DVV way flying later this year. Might even fly over the KN beacon and land at KFNL on RWY33!!

LOL! Rare is it ever anybody knows how to read my signature. Being a real life pilot you know and looked it up. If you fly on by, just watch for that orange glow of a SAM though. I do use primary radar and monitor ADS-B.

By the way, KFNL got its first virtual control tower not too long ago. First in the country I believe. They are currently testing it in conjunction with the FAA. As far as I know it's a bunch of cameras and now they have a tower and ground frequency. Used to be nothing but CTAF since the airport was built even before I moved here. I'm sure the tower guy has ADS-B reading ability on a screen so that's nice to coordinate traffic. It is a fairly busy airport and when there's a forest fire they trend to use it. Then candidate Trump flown in there with his 757. That sucker has modified Rolls Royce engines! Being a Brit you'd appreciate that.

OldGopher · 27 Jan 2021

Hi F22 Simpliot.
I just thought you might be a little amused to discover someone who knew what your signature meant. I LOL when I read your reply. I have learned my lesson the hard way this time. I tried to clone the System disc 3 times today and it always failed after 1:40 at the 99/100% point!! I tried again tonight but could not start the computer. After an hour, I finally discovered it was because "The partition table does not have a valid system partition" The repair was completed successfully I am told. I sincerely hope so. Is this a partition on my System SSD that is being referred to?? Maybe now the cloning will work. Watch this space. "Over and out" as we chaps say here! and Rolls Royce for ever!

file3456 · 29 Jan 2021

I'm assuming the system partition is the whole of the partition containing Windows. But I'm going by what Truecrypt calls it. Unrelated of course, but in the encryption program (now defunct), they call the whole Windows partition the system partition when it's encrypted. I do exactly this except for the boot loader. I may move to VeraCrypt, but TC was audited and I followed that audit and watched the hour long DEFCON presentation on their findings. As of yet, VeraCrypt has yet to be audited and may never happen since I read that it may be an illegal fork of TC.

Anyway, I really think you have a bad drive on your hands.

Edit-

Oh! About "over & out."

I'm into radio communications so know a thing or two based on my 25 years experience. Now "over & out" is typically not used. Usually the phrase "signing off" in amateur radio is more appropriate and you'd often follow that up with "73s." But interestingly enough, when I was a kid there was a toy made by the company Tyco called Spy Tech. This was a toy series with many different types of "spy gear." Through many birthdays and Christmas' I had damn near the complete collection of all that wonderful spy tech apparatus. Now along with each toy came a little black book/manual about how to use it "in the field." When I got the "walkie talkies" the little black manual stated that the use of "over & out" was improper. It's either "over" or "out" not both. LOL! So if I remember now going back some 30+ years, that manual stated that the use of "over" was used to say you ended your communication for that moment. To say "out" meant you ended your communication for a longer duration. LOL Not sure where Tyco got their information from, but perhaps they did their fair share of research.

Once upon a time I wanted to be a CIA field agent or something of that order and read books on working for the CIA. I had a friend that worked in Cambodia as a field agent during Nam, and my next door neighbor was in the agency. Still today I read books on paramilitary forces, espionage, escape and evasion, lock picking, cybersecurity, disappearing from society and all the rest. I know such things like how to properly use a burner phone, fly a Cessna if I needed to, cover my tracks, live on a cash only basis, you flipping name it. "I have a particular set of skills." Funny, that particular movie with Liam Neeson was great because they did do their fair share of research while at the same time made it all Hollywood so to speak. Movie was called Taken and there were three incarnations.

This was the commercial that started it all. I was sick in bed at the time when I saw its first debut while watching cartoons.

Spy Tech by Tyco Commercial - YouTube

Who ever had the idea for that product had a very good idea. Now a days a simple CCD camera can be practically bought from a vending machine. And IFTTT can blink your room lights if an "interesting" aircraft flies withen your radius. Behold the 21st century, folks.

OldGopher · 30 Jan 2021

Hi F22 Simpilot
Thanks for the potted history - what a busy life you have led thus far. Thanks too for all your thoughts and helpful tips - these are down in my reference file for the future occasions I have problems. Now to the update:

"I don't think this is a case of having to reinstall Notepad. You have something else going on there." This was your first comment to me and I was really beginning to think you were right. After my three unsuccessful cloning attempts with Samsung's Data migration tool taking over 4:30hrs I gave up on that. I then had success using the System Disc and the repair function. It said that it had "the partition table did not have a valid system partition". it successfully repaired it!

Yes the computer has been fine since. However I still wanted to clone the System Partition to make life easier in the future. I looked at Clonezilla but thought it a bit OTT. I then looked at AOMEI backupper and thought I would try that. This time I connected the SSD internally and within 35mins it had done the job with no problems. I then shut down and restarted on the newly cloned drive. No probs! So now I have a working computer with My Notepad and a system backup.

Thanks once again for standing by me. I felt I had a buddy keeping me going.

To you I say 73. Oh yes, I am a radio ham as well!

file3456 · 31 Jan 2021

Glad you figured it out.