Repair Install

How to Do a Repair Install to Fix Windows 7​

   Information

This will show you how to do a repair install (aka: in-place upgrade install) to fix your currently installed Windows 7 and preserve your user accounts, data, programs, and system drivers.

   Note

Do a Repair installation if:

• A System Restore did not help fix your Windows 7.
• There is no other easier option left that can fix your Windows 7.
• You DO NOT want to do a Clean reinstall of Windows 7.
• You DO want to preserve your user accounts, data, programs, and system drivers.

   Tip

ITEMS THAT WILL BE RESET TO DEFAULT OR AFFECTED:

• Sounds
• Services
• Visual Effects Settings
• Device Drivers - Be sure to have these handy to reinstall. They do not always remain after the repair (upgrade) install.
• You may lose the ability to sign on to MSN Messenger, to solve this problem have a look at this thread Unable to sign in to WLM.
• You may lose your custom themes due to not having permisions set on the old themes. Go to the hidden themes folder at C:/Users/(User-Name)/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Themes, then Take Ownership of the themes folder and you will now have all your themes back.
• It has been reported that you may also lose your Media Center gadget after doing the repair install.
• Windows Updates will need to be checked and reinstalled again.

   Warning

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• You can use a retail OEM Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with.
• You can use a retail (full or upgrade) Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• You cannot use a slipstream Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with on a currently installed Windows 7 SP1.
• You cannot use a slipstream Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with on a currently installed slipstream Windows 7 SP1.
• You can only do a repair install from within Windows 7.
• You cannot do a repair install at boot or in Safe Mode.
• You must be logged into Windows 7 in a administrator account to be able to do a repair install.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Here's How:
NOTE: Be sure to back up anything that you do not want to lose first to be extra safe.1. Start Windows 7, and log on to an administrator account.

2. Disable any 3rd party firewall, antivirus, or other security program to avoid it from possibly preventing the repair in-place upgrade installation of Windows 7.

3. Do either step 4, step 5, or step 6 below depending if your retail Windows 7 installation ISO/DVD/USB has SP1 or not, and if your currently installed Windows 7 has SP1 installed or not.

4. Repair Installed Windows 7 SP1 using Windows 7 with SP1 ISO

   Note

If you do not have a Windows 7 with SP1 ISO, then you can download an official ISO with your retail product key from Microsoft at the link below.

:ar: Microsoft Software Recovery

You can also download the latest official Windows 7 SP1 Media Refresh (SP1 U) ISO file at the link below, but this link is not always available for download.

:ar: Microsoft: Windows 7 Direct Download Links

A) If you have not already, you will need to install a program like 7-Zip that supports extracting a ISO to a folder.

B) Using the program (ex: 7-Zip) from step 1, extract the Windows 7 SP1 ISO file to a folder on a partition or HDD other than the current Windows 7 partition. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: For example with 7-Zip, right click on ISO, click on 7-Zip, Extract files, browse button, select where you want to extract to, and click on OK twice.
C) While in Windows 7 SP1, open the folder that you extracted the ISO into, and run the setup.exe file.

D) Go to step 7 below.
5. Repair Installed Windows 7 SP1 using Windows 7 with SP1 DVD/USB

   Note

If you do not have a Windows 7 with SP1 ISO, then you can download an official ISO with your retail product key from Microsoft at the link below.

:ar: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery

You can also download the latest official Windows 7 SP1 Media Refresh (SP1 U) ISO file at the link below, but this link is not always available for download.

:ar: Microsoft: Windows 7 Direct Download Links

Afterwards, you can 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 using this step.

A) While in Windows 7 SP1, insert your retail Windows 7 SP1 installation DVD into the DVD drive, or connect your Windows 7 with SP1 installation USB thumb drive, and click on the Run setup.exe option in AutoPlay. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If the AutoPlay window does not open, then open the drive folder in Computer and run the setup.exe file.
B) Go to Go to step 7 below.
6. Repair Installed Windows 7 without SP1 using Windows 7 without SP1 DVD/USB

   Note

If you do not have a Windows 7 without SP1 installation DVD/USB, then you can download the latest official Windows 7 Professional or Home Premium without 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 using this step.

It is preferred to have SP1 installed on your PC and to use step 4 or step 5 above to do a repair install with instead though.

A) While in Windows 7 SP1 installed, insert your retail Windows 7 installation DVD into the DVD drive, or connect your Windows 7 installation USB thumb drive, and click on the Run setup.exe option in AutoPlay. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If the AutoPlay window does not open, then open the drive folder in Computer and run the setup.exe file.
B) Go to Go to step 7 below.
7. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

8. Click on the Install Now button to start the installation. (see screenshot below)
9. If prompted, uncheck the I want to help make Windows installation better box (unless you would like to ), and click on the Go online to get the latest updates for installation option. (see screenshot below)
A) Windows 7 will now check online for and install any available installation updates. (see screenshots below)



10. Check the I accept the license terms box, and click on Next. (see screenshot below)
11. Click on the Upgrade option. (see screenshot below)
12. Windows will now check for any compatibility issues. If any are found like in the example below, click on the red X to cancel the repair install and close this "Install Windows" window, take care of any found issues (ex: uninstall any incompatible program), then restart the repair install process over again.
13. The installation of Windows 7 will now begin. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: During the installation process, your screen may flash and computer will restart a few times.
14. After the final restart, you will see this screen for a moment. (see screenshot below)
15. Type in your Windows 7 product key number. (see screenshot below step 16)

16. Uncheck the Automatically activate Windows when I'm online box unchecked, then click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can activate Windows 7 later after you make sure it is running properly. (see step 23 below)
If you chose to automatically activate Windows online when you set up your computer, automatic activation begins trying to activate your copy of Windows three days after you log on for the first time.
17. Click on Use recommended settings. (see screenshot below)

:note: You will always be able to change your Windows Update settings at anytime in Windows 7.


18. Select your time zone and set your time and date settings, then click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)
19. Click on the option for your computer's location to select the correct network location type settings to be applied for that location. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: It is best to select Public location for the best security.
20. Windows 7 will now prepare your desktop to startup. (see screenshots below)



21. If you used a DVD or USB to do the repair install with, then you can remove the DVD or USB when the repair install has successfully completed and you are logged in to Windows 7.

22. Check to see if you are missing any user files. If you are, then you can copy them from the C:\Windows.old or the hidden protected operating system C:\$INPLACE.~TR and C:\WINDOWS.~Q backup folders. (see screenshot below)
23. If everything checks out in step 21, then you can run Disk Cleanup (step 5 at this link). You will need to click on the Clean up system files button first, and then could check the Files discarded by Windows upgrade, Previous Windows installations, and Windows upgrade log files boxes. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: This will delete the C:\Windows.old, C:\$INPLACE.~TR and C:\WINDOWS.~Q folders from step 21 above.
24. Refresh your Windows Experience Index (WEI) score.

25. When finished, activate Windows 7, and make sure that your 3rd party security programs (if applicable) are enabled again.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Do an Upgrade Installation with Windows 7
• How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7
• How to Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version
• How to Activate Windows 7 Online
• How to Run a Startup Repair in Windows 7
• How to Do a System Restore in Windows 7
• How to Repair Windows 7 System Files with System File Checker
• How to Extract Files from the Windows 7 Installation DVD
• How to Boot to the Advanced Boot Options in Windows 7
• How to Boot to the System Recovery Options in Windows 7
• How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc
• How to Run Disk Check in Windows 7
• How to Create a Windows 7 Installation USB Key
• How to Install Windows 7 FAST without a DVD or USB Device
• How to Do a Custom Installation of Windows 7
• How to Create a System Recovery Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Slipstream Windows 7 SP1 to Create a Installation DVD or ISO File
• Fix "The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded." Error in Windows 7

 

[xdya]

Yes, I'm using the German 64-bit iso, like the current installation...

 

[Brink]

In that case, it still looks like you will be unable to do a repair install, and will most likely will only be able to do a clean install instead.

 

[xdya]

Aah, ok, I was afraid I wouldn't... I don't know why does this always happen to me xD Thank you anyway Btw I love your work on this forum, your tutorials always help me a lot

 

[Valmighty]

Hi Brink and friends,

i have retail version of Win7 disc without SP1. But after some time, Windows Update had SP1 installed in my machine. Can i still use my retail disc (without SP1) to repair? I don't mind updating the SP1 via Windows Update again (once it's repaired) as long as i don't have to download the whole Win7 SP1 ISO.

 

[Brink]

Hello Valmighty,

I'm afraid not. You'll need to use the latest ISO that includes SP1. The ISO needs to be the same as what you currently have installed to be able to do a repair install with.

 

[Valmighty]

So even if i got the SP1 by Windows Update, i have to use the full version ISO that already has SP1?

Sounds good. Thank you, Brink.

 

[Brink]

Correct.

 

[Valmighty]

It's finished after about 3H. Thank you Brink and sevenforums!

 

[Brink]

Great news. Thank you for posting back with your results.

 

[Valmighty]

I have 30 more GB now on drive C!

 

[Brink]

Even better.

 

[Vorg]

Been trying to find exactly how to fix this and the answer may be in this thread, but at 176 pages and getting brain fog after a few pages in from looking everywhere else, I'm going to try to lay out the problem here.

Built the computer ~5 years ago and used an OEM Windows 7 Home Premium from Newegg. A few months ago a string of problems starting with a video card that died ended up with windows being damaged from removal tools a shop used to check for infections and such (All they found where some tool bars on explore which I never used as I use Firefox). I had 2 160Gb drives (1 with os and the other added after right after install for games) and a 640 for backups. The 160 for games also started dying and was replaced with another used 160 partly as a hold over.

I got a new Samsung 850 Pro 512Gb SSD to replace the OS drive and upgraded from 8 to 16Gb of ram. Then Did a clean install of windows to the SSD. After windows finished, I noticed windows didn't say anything about creating that 100Mb partition like it did the first time. I aslo noticed the 640Gb (which had an a windows backup from before the reinstall) was not showing up. We didn't know why at the time, but added a drive letter. I put the old OS drive an a USB case and copied over data files, storage folders, etc.. and got most everything reinstalled.

I got Crash Plan for creating remote backups the the Crash Plan servers and then got Macrium to use for full image backups. The plan was to also have Crash Plan keep backups of the image backups to provide remote storage of them and to keep them back farther then I could do locally. That is when I found out why the 640 didn't show up in the drive list.

I selected backup windows in Macrium and it wanted to include that 640Gb drive. We didn't remove the other drives and windows made the 640 the boot and because it was already partitioned with data on it, windows made the whole drive hidden .

I want the C: drive (SSD) to be the boot so the os drive is the boot drive. I may make the 640 my extra space and put in another drive for local backups. I don't want to worry about some point down the road, removing a hard drive and the system no longer boots because boot was in the wrong place. I have been trying to sort out how to make C: the boot drive. In the good old dos days, we just did something like "sys c:". I've been told just remove the hard drives install from the DVD and do a repair. In researching, I'm seeing stuff about first settings on the boot drive to make it primary, using install disk that already have SP1 on it, and so on. And on a sort of side note, I thought windows would check for updates right after the install and thought I was done, but the next it wanted to do SP1 and other stuff and then again the following day SP1 again and a few hours after that 130 critical and 60 important totalling over 700Mb even though SP1 had a new release date of 2014. I didn't know I could have downloaded a new updated install image with SP1 and the other junk. Also, Windows is saying I the motherboard and onboard graphics drivers need to be updated even though I got them from the Nvidia web site few days before the clean install. I'm rambling because I hate windows.

 

[Brink]

Hello Vorg,

A repair install is not going to help.

You'll need to mark the C: drive as "Active", and mark E: as inactive.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/197157-partition-mark-inactive.html

If this doesn't have it boot from C:, then you can boot from your Windows installation media, and do a startup repair.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html

Hope this helps for now.

 

[Vorg]

Thanks, I'll try when I get some more free time. I forgot to say, I found a hidden folder on E: called boot and a hidden file called bootmgr. These are not on C:. So I'm guessing the windows install disk will be needed to fix this. But, can I just use my original disk? or do I need to get one of the iso's with SP1 and make a new Install/DVD to do the fix? Oh, and do I still need to disconect the other drives to run the repair? Or will making c: the active be enough?

 

[Brink]

You could use a retail installation DVD/USB, or a System Repair Disc to run a startup repair from.

 

[Vorg]

Typical to how computer things have been going for me, it didn't go as expected... I changed the active partitions which went as expected. Then put the DVD in and autorun came up with option to run the exe or view folder. I went with run and got a window that said install with no other options. So I closed that and then did a reboot instead. Again, it came up with an install window asking for language, etc.. I took a chance and went with next and found the repair option. It did it's thing and said something about an error with the partition table which it fixed. I took out the DVD and clicked finish and windows did come back up. Only it remarked the 640Gb E: as active and now the drives have all moved in th emanager list which I thought was fixed to which sata plug they are in. Drive D: is now Disk 0, Drive C: (my SSD os drive) is now Disk 1, and the 640 drive E: is now Disk 2. Both C: and E: are now listed as active. It did not add a boot folder or the file "bootmgr" to the C: drive. They are still only on E: (I unchecked the hide system files to check on this.) The rest of the info about the drives in disk management is the same

 

[Brink]

Disconnect all drives except your Windows drive, and try again. This way you don't have to worry about it getting placed on the wrong drive by Windows.

 

[chrisnd]

Sorry Mr Grim - but I still can't get my themes back!
Nice try though.

 

[maxseven]

Having used a W7HP Upgrade disc on a (I think) XP x64 as the prior OS, I've had some problems over the years that I'd been reluctant to try this on but today I said "Enough!" and gave it a shot:

1. Having made a USB key with the tut's referenced tool, I first encountered the 0x80070241 error at about the 9% or 253MB mark of the Windows file copy (first line of many). After many more tries, I found a DVD that I'd made long ago of the X17-58997.iso which is W7HP SP1 x64, and amazingly it worked. How the USB stick was corrupt remains a mystery.

2. Upon arriving at the desktop, Windows said "Not genuine!" and after some fiddling with WindowsActivationUpdate.exe my browser took me to a page where MS wanted me to buy W7HP for $109!!! No thank you!!! But when I opened instead the System control panel and clicked "Is this genuine" or whatever it eventually activated me, after re-entering my Product Key, and it appears "problem solved'.

3. Next I ran sfc /scannow which previously was unrepairably corrupt somehow, and it said all was good.

Now I'm on the installation of number 26 of 118 Windows Updates but thankfully at least I have WSUS so didn't have to re-download all of them.

Thanks Brink for the tutorial--in the end it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd anticipated, though I did think when MS wanted $109 from me that I might have to re-image my SSD!!!

 

[Brink]