Corrupted Windows 7 Reinstall

[Anpippin]

Ok so I have a corrupted Windows 7, and I'm trying to reinstall by formatting my hard drive. But in the command prompt all it shows is X:\Sources> and I can't use any commands, and I've tried changing the directory by typing cd C:\ but it just keeps saying X:\Sources> Can anyone help me. I'm using the command prompt because I can't make it through the regular installation without going to a blue screen of death.

 

[TimStitt]

Hi Anpippin,

Do you have a USB stick still plugged in?
X:\sources\ is the default location of the virtual drive for installing win 7 and contains the install.wim image. (X:\sources\install.wim)

Take out any usb sticks and DVD's and reboot. Let me know what happens and we'll take it from there.

Cheers

Tim

EDIT: I should have added that this can occur (although it is not too common) when the bios is set to boot from the usb. i.e. Win7 can get caught in an install loop. IF your bios supports it, try booting as a one-off from the usb drive for the install only. If this is not your issue then disregard.

 

[TimStitt]

If this doesn't fix your issue. Please let me know what the status was before you began and what you are trying to acheive.

Is it just a reinstall of WIN7 on a blank HDD, or are you trying to format the drive during the isntall process?

What happens before it fails, how far along the install process do you get?

This will help... Good luck!

 

[karlsnooks]

Anpippin,
All is in order. the X: is the drive letter that the Windows PE used by Windows Setup has assigned to the ram drive where there is an abbreviated version of Windows 7.

By creating a ram drive and putting the WinPE there, then the DVD drive is free to be used.

Now more to your problem. I'm assuming you want to format a drive before installing/reinstalling Windows 7.
At the X:> prompt, type DiskPart (stands for disk partitioning) and hit Enter.
type List Disk and hit Enter.
Most probably your "c" is disk 0 but to be sure, then
type Select Disk 0 and hit Enter
type Detail Disk and hit Enter
From what is shown you should be able to positively identify the disk you want to format.
I don't know whether you've used the disk before, so we will keep going.
type list partition and hit Enter.
If the partition you need is already listed, then:

1. type select partition 1 (assuming that's the one you want)
2. type Format fs=ntfs and hit Enter (this will format the partition)
3. type ACTIVE and hit Enter (this will make the partition the "system" partition)
4. type Assign and hit Enter (a drive letter will be assigned to your partition)
5. type Detail Partition and hit Enter (this will show you the drive letter assigned)
6. type EXIT and hit Enter (this will exit you from DiskPart)
7. type EXIT and hit Enter (this will exit you from the command prompt)

If no partitions are listed, then

1. type Create Partition Primary and hit Enter
2. type Format fs=ntfs and hit Enter (this will format the partition)
3. type ACTIVE and hit Enter (this will make the partition the "system" partition)
4. type Assign and hit Enter (a drive letter will be assigned to your partition)
5. type Detail Partition and hit Enter (this will show you the drive letter assigned)
6. type EXIT and hit Enter (this will exit you from DiskPart)
7. type EXIT and hit Enter (this will exit you from the command prompt)

Hope this helps,

 

[gregrocker]

Once you confirm your Disk # using commands given by Tim, I would CLEAN ALL to zero the HD, giving you the cleanest possible slate to install. You mention you had some corruption.

 

[Anpippin]

Once you confirm your Disk # using commands given by Tim, I would CLEAN ALL to zero the HD, giving you the cleanest possible slate to install. You mention you had some corruption.

How long does it take to clean all? I have 1 250GB hard drive and 1 300GB hard drive.

 

[gregrocker]

At least an hour each.

What kind of corruption do you have? Possible virus?

You can use just CLEAN for shorter version.

 

[Anpippin]

At least an hour each.

What kind of corruption do you have? Possible virus?

You can use just CLEAN for shorter version.

No virus, I burned a Windows 7 iso that didn't burn right or whatever and when installing it, it said windows could not find installation media or something like that. After I exited that my Windows wouldn't start up, and then I tried startup repair, and the chkdsk would freeze at starting in 1 second everytime, so I couldn't run chkdsk. Then I tried system restore, and that blue screen of death'd on me, and then when I would start up my comp, it would just restart each time before it booted to my hard drive.

 

[Anpippin]

At least an hour each.

What kind of corruption do you have? Possible virus?

You can use just CLEAN for shorter version.

I tried using clean and clean all and it said Clean is not allowed on the current boot, system, pagefile, crashdump, or hibernation volume.

 

[TimStitt]

Is your installation media ok now? Have you re-burnt it or downloaded a new copy?
TIP: If creating a DVD version burn at the slowest possible speed.
If the media is ok, you can delete the partition and reformat it during the windows 7 install.

Where exactly is it failing for you?

RE: Your error on CLEAN, it looks as if you have not selected the correct disk or partition. i.e. as if you are trying to write the DVD clean, not the HDD. Hope this helps

 

[karlsnooks]

Anpipin,
I'll bet you tried to run DiskPart's Clean command from within you normal Windows 7.

You can boot from your Windows 7 DVD and when you get to the first dialog requiring action on your part, then use the SHIFT + F10 combo to get to a command prompt. Now you will be able to use DiskPart's Clean command.

If you have a System Repair Disk (which you can create using that option from the left-hand pane of Backup & Restore), then you can boot from the System Repair Disk and choose "Command Prompt" to execute DiskPart's CLEAN command.

 

[gregrocker]

Verify your Win7 DVD using ImgBurn. View attachment 61802

Load ISO in using file icon, make sure it says "Bootable" in text at left, then insert DVD to Verify against ISO.

If DVD fails to Verify, then burn another DVD at 4x speed with Verify - ImgBurn never fails.

Now with a properly burned DVD, see if you can repair your Win7 using Startup Repair correctly. Boot into DVD repair console, see if it discovers an installation to repair, accept repair, if Win7 will not start, boot Win7 repair again, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair repeatedly with reboots to see if Win7 will start.

If not, then reboot into Win7 DVD, select Custom Install, use Drive Tools to delete all partitions, create new one(s) as you wish, then format before installing Win7 to first partition.

 

[Anpippin]

Verify your Win7 DVD using ImgBurn. View attachment 61802

Load ISO in using file icon, make sure it says "Bootable" in text at left, then insert DVD to Verify against ISO.

If DVD fails to Verify, then burn another DVD at 4x speed with Verify - ImgBurn never fails.

Now with a properly burned DVD, see if you can repair your Win7 using Startup Repair correctly. Boot into DVD repair console, see if it discovers an installation to repair, accept repair, if Win7 will not start, boot Win7 repair again, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair repeatedly with reboots to see if Win7 will start.

If not, then reboot into Win7 DVD, select Custom Install, use Drive Tools to delete all partitions, create new one(s) as you wish, then format before installing Win7 to first partition.

The DVD verified just fine, and I was using the command prompt in the Windows 7 setup, also I just used that same disk to install Windows 7 on my laptop to see if it worked, and it installed on my laptop ok. But on my desktop when I install it, it says Windows cannot install required files. The file may be corrupt or missing. Make sure all files required for installation are available, and restart the installation. Error code:0x80070570

 

[gregrocker]

Check BIOS setup for SATA controller setting. Try ACHI first, then IDE if neccessary.

Test Memory using WMDiagTest. Try removing all but 2gb RAM for install.

Test HD by running full CD scan: Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.. Use diag CD to zero HD for deepest possible clean.

 

[Anpippin]

Check BIOS setup for SATA controller setting. Try ACHI first, then IDE if neccessary.

Test Memory using WMDiagTest. Try removing all but 2gb RAM for install.

Test HD by running full CD scan: Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.. Use diag CD to zero HD for deepest possible clean.

Which one would I download if I have a Western Digital hard drive?

 

[gregrocker]

Use Data Lifeguard. Or GW Scan.

 

[Anpippin]

Use Data Lifeguard. Or GW Scan.

Is there any I could burn to a dvd-r? Because I can't use gwscan because I can't boot into windows on my desktop.

 

[gregrocker]

You have to boot disk to scan the HD. You can burn either as CD or DVD. Boot from CD - How to Boot your Computer from a Bootable CD or DVD - Boot to CD

 

[Anpippin]

You have to boot disk to scan the HD. You can burn either as CD or DVD. Boot from CD - How to Boot your Computer from a Bootable CD or DVD - Boot to CD

Yes but isn't Data Lifeguard an exe, and gwscan only for floppy disks? I can't burn those filetypes to a dvd-r

 

[gregrocker]

I have GWScan (tried to upload it here but it won't go) which is an .exe that extracts to C: root where you can browse cabs file for .iso to burn to CD.

Have used it on all makes and it worked on all except one (which I forget).

GWSCAN 5.12