Change time to display OS from installation disk command prompt

[Bradley]

Hey, how we all doing?

I was stupid enough to manually delete my acronis files when I couldn't uninstall it the ordinary way.

Now windows 7 gives a short BSOD after logo and computer restarts.

Startup repair doesn't fix the problem, neither from my windows 7 usb or from laptop, I have tried it several times.

I don't have any system restore created.

I don't have any system image either to restore to either.

I really don't want to do a clean install again and wanted to try to do a repair upgrade, the problem is I can't boot into windows to begin with, and this seems to be needed to do a repair upgrade. When I try to do it from the USB it says I need to boot into windows first.

Is there a way to start the repair upgrade without having to boot into windows?

When I press F8 I don't get the options of safe mode, probably because I set the "time to display list of os to 0".

Since I can't boot into windows 7 I can't change this above 0. Is there a a way to set this time above 0 from command prompt from my windows 7 installation usb?

Any other ideas as to how I should fix the situation?

Appreciate the help.

edit: tried the fix mbr tutorial, didn't help.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello Bradley, welcome to Seven Forums!



As soon as, immediately as soon as you hit the PC power button, start repeatedly tapping the space bar, this should force the Windows boot manager from where you should be offered the F8 safe mode option.

 

[whs]

Ted, that is a neat trick that I did not know yet. Where did you get this one from. I tried it and wanted to see what the diagnostics menu is. But it went immediately into a RAM diagnostic which runs for ages. After 15 minutes it is still only 56% complete. Had to fire up my new laptop to continue working - LOL.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Ted, that is a neat trick that I did not know yet. Where did you get this one from. I tried it and wanted to see what the diagnostics menu is. But it went immediately into a RAM diagnostic which runs for ages. After 15 minutes it is still only 56% complete. Had to fire up my new laptop to continue working - LOL.

Hello my friend, how've you been doing.


It's just another of the little tricks I've seen here around the forums, I don't remember who I originally saw post it but I've only seen it once and I remembered it.

 

[whs]

God bless you. You have a good memory. I have to write everything down - in BIG letters so that I can read it - LOL. But else we are OK. Thank you for asking.

PS: Now the memory check is complete - no errors. Using the laptop is painful for me because it has an American keybord. The layout is quite different to my German keyboard.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

God bless you. You have a good memory. I have to write everything down - in BIG letters so that I can read it - LOL. But else we are OK. Thank you for asking.

PS: Now the memory check is complete - no errors.

Well done mate.

 

[Kari]

PS: Now the memory check is complete - no errors. Using the laptop is painful for me because it has an American keybord. The layout is quite different to my German keyboad.

Could you find another, old and no longer used laptop with same size and type of keys? Or key caps, I don't know how to call them in English but you understand what I mean. That's how I always change the keys on laptops I buy here with German keyboard, changing it to Finnish I use. My desktop keyboards and laptop external keyboards I order from Finland or Sweden (same layout).

You could also ask on Chip forums if someone has keys to send to you? Forum - CHIP Online

I assume you've already swapped at least the Y and Z keys?

Kari

 

[whs]

Kari, we buy all (most) of our gear in the US. What I usually do is use a German USB keyboard to run one of the 4 laptops (which are in 3 locations). But right now I did not have the space to spread the laptop and the keyboard.

I am not changing them because the wife uses them too - in fact she is the main user of the laptops - and she is American. The VAIO I like to use because it has a backlit keyboard which makes my "search for the key" easier. The keys also have a nice touch.

 

[Bradley]

I appreciate the replies.

I decided to reinstall windows 7.

Now I have decided I want to install windows 7 enterprise, since it's so much cooler .

The problem is it's too big for my 4gb usb stick, missing 144 mb.

Are there some files/folders I can directly delete from the extracted windows 7 enterprise 64 bit iso file?

I'm also aware of the slipstream alternative, but rather not do that since I have no experience with it.

 

[Bradley]

Problem solved, am now running w7 enterprise \O/.

Now the setup begins...

The old windows installation is saved as a map on my HD, can I simply drag the files in that program folder to my new program folder, thus avoiding hours of installation?

Also is the same true for user account?

Or will this just bite me in the back in the future, screwing up all kinds of things? Will I have to install software and create new user accounts anyway?

 

[whs]

can I simply drag the files in that program folder to my new program folder, thus avoiding hours of installation?

That will not work. There is more to a program installation than just files - Registry entries, .dlls, etc. I am afraid that you have to reinstall all the programs and redo all the settings. It is a pain, but that's the way it works.

To avoid future reinstallations I recommend to make images as often as possible: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?ltr=I

 

[Bradley]

The problem is my HD is damaged so whenever I run an imaging software I get an error message about corruption.

Anyhoo I'm on a acer laptop 5110, is it recommended to hunt down all the mobo drivers or am I just as good (performance wise) with using the ones windows 7 have decided to use?

If there's a difference, how much? How much performance will I gain? Is it worth the time?

 

[whs]

If the drivers work, I would not change it. Only in rare cases will a different driver improve performance. Most times one changes a driver because of a missing function ar because the old driver did not work at all.