System Repair Disc - Create

How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc​

   Information

This will show you how to create a Windows 7 system repair disc to be able to use to boot to system recovery options to help recover your Windows 7 installation if you don't have a Windows installation disc, can't find your Windows installation disc, or can't access the recovery options provided by your computer manufacturer.

A system repair disc is not able to install Windows 7.

   Note

If you are unable to boot your Windows 7 to create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc, then you could create it on another computer to use on your computer.

   Warning

• A system repair disc is not the same as a OEM factory recovery/restore disc.
• A system repair disc is not an installation disc. You cannot do a repair install or install Windows 7 with a system repair disc.
• A system repair disc can only be used to repair Windows 7 through the system recovery options.
• 32-bit System Repair Disc can only be created on a 32-bit Windows 7.
• 64-bit System Repair Disc can only be created on a 64-bit Windows 7.
• 32-bit System Repair Disc can only be used to repair a 32-bit Windows 7.
• 64-bit System Repair Disc can only be used to repair a 64-bit Windows 7.

:note: For Windows 10, see the following link - System Repair Disc - Create in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Tutorials

EXAMPLE: System Recovery Options
NOTE: Using the System Repair Disc that you have created below, you can boot to the system recovery options screen below.



Here's How:
1. Open the Start Menu, then type recdisc.exe in the search box and press Enter.
A) Go to step 3.
OR

2. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click on the Backup and Restore icon.
A) Click on the Create a System repair disc link in the left blue pane. (See screenshot below)

3. Insert a blank unformatted CD or DVD into your CD/DVD drive and click on the Create disc button. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you are prompted to insert a Windows installation disc, it means that the files needed to create the system repair disc cannot be found on your computer. Insert a Windows 7 installation disc.

4. It will now start creating the System Repair Disc. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If a AutoPlay window pops up, just close it.

5. When it's finished, click on the Close button. (See screenshot below)

6. Click on OK. (See screenshot below)

7. Remove and label your new Windows 7 System Repair Disc from the CD/DVD drive.

   Tip

If you would like to create a bootable System Repair USB flash drive, then you could use the free program ImgBurn to create an ISO file with this Windows 7 System Repair Disc (DVD), then use the Part 1 section in the tutorial below to extract the ISO file to a USB flash drive.

Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Tell if Windows 7 is a 32-bit or 64-bit System Type
• How to Create a Windows 7 Recovery Partition
• How to Create a Windows 7 Installation USB Key
• How to Boot to the System Recovery Options in Windows 7
• How to Boot to the Advanced Boot Options in Windows 7
• How to Run a Startup Repair in Windows 7
• How to Do a System Restore in Windows 7
• How to Do a System Image Recovery in Windows 7
• How to Run the Memory Diagnostics Tool in Windows 7
• How to Open a Command Prompt at Startup in Windows 7
• How to Do a Repair Install to Fix Windows 7
• How to Extract Files from the Windows 7 Installation DVD
• How to Make a MS-DOS Bootable Flash Drive
• How to Create a System Recovery Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Create a Windows 7 Backup and Restore Shortcut
• How to Create a Windows 7 Universal Installation Disc
• How to Boot Windows 7 System Repair Disc from USB Pen Drive or External Hard Disk Using Grub4Dos
• How to Recover from an Infinitely Looping Startup Repair Loop without Reinstalling Windows
• How to Slipstream Windows 7 SP1 and Updates to Create a Bootable USB, Installation DVD, or ISO File
• How to Hide or Show "Do you want to create a system repair disc?" Message

 

[LucasI34]

When downloading the .iso file, does it matter which version (Home, Ultimate, Professional) I download to use? Does it have to be the same as the computer that I am repairing?

 

[Brink]

It must be the same 32-bit or 64-bit version. It doesn't have to be the same edition, but it would be best if it was.

 

[LucasI34]

Okay, thank you. I was checking through the downloads on the dell link you provided a few posts ago, but there was no option for Enterprise, so what would be the best fit from the other three?

 

[Brink]

For Enterprise, you could download the ISO files for the 90-day evaluation below at Microsoft for this.

Windows 7 Enterprise| Trial, Evaluation, Test, Deploy

 

[vagrant]

Thanks for the tutorial.

I do some IT support. I know you can dual boot 7 for 32 and 64 bit editions, but could I create a setup on a USB stick to dual boot for Win 7 SP1 Repair 32 and 64 bit versions? What I'm thinking in fact is to have a usb stick with 5 partitions, 2 for the aforementioned, 2 for SP2 when it comes out and a fifth partition for data/storage. I guess it would also be beneficial to put the respective ISO files in each partition. Any ideas on how to go about this would be much appreciated.

 

[Juxxize]

thank-you a great tutorial. I have made a repair disk but it's on a re-writable disk is that OK or should it be on a normal DVD disk or CD ?

 

[Golden]

thank-you a great tutorial. I have made a repair disk but it's on a re-writable disk is that OK or should it be on a normal DVD disk or CD ?

A normal or re-writable DVD will be fine.

 

[ExcelsiorPC]

Can I create the Syst Repair on one and use on another

Can I create this System Repair disk on my Win 7 computer and use it to repair another Win 7 computer. Both are laptops. The one that is having the problem is an HP.

 

[Brink]

Hello ExcelsiorPC, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If both PC are the same 32-bit or 64-bit type, then yes you can use it on both.

Do note that a "System Repair Disc" is not the same as an "OEM Factory Recovery/Restore disc", and cannot reinstall Windows. It can only be used to boot to and use "System Recovery Options" screen.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[FredyC]

Hey. I am wondering, is there any way how to make repair disc on USB ? It's been like 5 years I had used any dvd drive and I don't have access to any currently.

I had found this program ... TotalMounter - a Free Virtual CD/DVD Burner That's Easy to Use. Anybody has experience with it ? Guess I can burn repair disc to image, but I am not sure how to place it on USB afterwards so it's bootable. Thanks for help.

 

[VistaKing]

Copy the contents of the DVD to a bootable USB

Use DISKPART to create a bootable USB

 

[marsmimar]

Hey. I am wondering, is there any way how to make repair disc on USB ? It's been like 5 years I had used any dvd drive and I don't have access to any currently.

I had found this program ... TotalMounter - a Free Virtual CD/DVD Burner That's Easy to Use. Anybody has experience with it ? Guess I can burn repair disc to image, but I am not sure how to place it on USB afterwards so it's bootable. Thanks for help.

From the tutorial:

   Tip

If you would like to create a bootable System Repair USB flash drive, then you could use the free program ImgBurn to create an ISO file with this Windows 7 System Repair Disc (DVD), then use the Part 1 section in the tutorial below to extract the ISO file to a USB flash drive.

Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool

 

[FredyC]

Thanks VistaKing, I will try.

marshmimar: That's odd, I tried searching for "usb" in this tutorial and it didn't found anything. Anyway, I don't think this is the same. On the link you provided it's mentioning it needs usb stick with at least 4GB of space. First thing is, I don't have that available (only 2GB) and for second this tutorial is talking about using CD, so I would expect it can be about 650MB in size. I will try virtual drive way first and see if it works.

 

[Brink]

Hello Fredy,

The USB flash drive size 4 GB was for a Windows 7 installation USB. That would also include the "System Repair Options" (WinRE) if you like.

If you only wanted a pure "System Repair USB", then it's a two part process. Create the System Repair Disc from this tutorial, and create an ISO file from it using the "ImgBurn" program. Next, use the same instructions in PART 1 of the USB tutorial with "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool" program to extract the ISO to your 2 GB USB flash drive.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[FredyC]

Sorry, but I am probably missing something. Does ImgBurn also offers some kind of virtual burner ? I didn't found that information on theirs site. Thing is, that "Create system repair disc" option allows to pick only drives and there is no option to create ISO or something else.

 

[Brink]

You would create a "System Repair Disc" to a DVD as usual in the tutorial first, then use ImgBurn to create an ISO from the DVD.

The ISO is what you would use to create the USB with using "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool".

 

[FredyC]

Um which part of "It's been like 5 years I had used any dvd drive and I don't have access to any currently." you didn't understand ?

 

[Brink]

Um, you asked, I told you, and gave you a secondary option since you didn't have a DVD.

You're best option would be to create a Windows 7 installation USB that can be used for the same, but it needs at least 4 GB USB flash drive.

 

[FredyC]

Ok so we are back at original option of virtual burner with TotalMounter and than transferring the result to USB. Hope it will work, I don't want to buy another flash stick just to have repair disc on that.

 

[VistaKing]

FredyC, you asked you SHALL receive


Insert the memory stick into a USB port on your computer. Open Windows Explorer, right click on the drive and choose Format.

NOTE: Before formatting your memory stick, don't forget to backup your files as the process will erase all its contents.

In the Format Removable Disk window choose the NTFS format and click on Start. The other configuration options are not important, the defaults work just fine.

After you formatted the USB stick, create on it two folders named boot and sources

he Recovery and Boot folders on your computer will contain the files needed to be copied on the memory stick.

The first folder is located at 'C:\Recovery'. This folder is used by Windows 7 to load System Recovery tools.

The Boot folder is located at 'C:\Windows\Boot' and its contents is used to boot the operating system.

Both folders are hidden by default. To view them, open Windows Explorer and access Folder Options. In the View tab check 'Show hidden files, folders and drive' and uncheck 'Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)'. Press the Apply button to enable the new settings.
Next, you need to open the Recovery folder on your computer. By default it can't be accessed, even though you are logged on as Administrator. In order to open it, http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1911-take-ownership-shortcut.html


How To Put System Repair Tools on the USB Flash

Now you have all the needed files to create the bootable memory stick. First open the Recovery folder. You will notice a sub-folder with an automatically generated name (series of numbers and letters) with a standard length of 32 characters. Open it.

NOTE: The folder name will be different from one PC to another.

Next you have to copy the file boot.sdi to the folder boot from the memory stick.

Then copy the Winre.wim file to the sources folder from the memory stick and rename it to boot.wim.

Now open the folder 'C:\Windows\Boot\DVD\PCAT' and copy the BCD file to the boot folder from the stick.

Go to 'C:\Windows\Boot\DVD\PCAT\en-US' and copy the bootfix.bin file to the folder boot from the USB flash.

Finally, go to C:\Windows\Boot\PCAT and copy the bootmgr file to the root of the memory stick.

:note: DON'T FORGET to test the memory stick .