Solved Windows breaks after every repair install

[valzi]

Not too long after each Windows repair install I do, I have the same problem again. A month or two after repair, some programs lose the ability to reinstall.

For example: I recently uninstalled Soluto and Avast Antivirus, and now neither is installable anymore. Both programs claim that they don't have write access. I haven't messed with Windows settings or done anything unusual. Also, Dwrite.dll, PresentationBuildTasks.dll and console.dll.mui are corrupted and cannot be replaced by sfc /scannow because the original files are supposedly incorrect as well.

What should I do? My personal suspicion: my hard drive might be dying.

 

[gregrocker]

Work through these Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7 starting with testing your HD.

If you have questions about the integrity of your Win7 install (as I would) then you can follow these steps to get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 which are the same for retail.

 

[valzi]

I'm currently running a veryify/write/verify bad sector scan/repair with HDAT2 on the hard drive. I've already done almost everything in the guide you linked. I'll try what's left in it (probably mostly irrelevant in my case, but might as well.) I haven't run Samsung's disk check yet, so that's probably the last relevant step. (chkdsk found no errors, after I finally got it to work from the recovery console. It refused to scan for quite a while. I can't remember why.)

Anyway, if I don't spot a fix in any of that, I'll try a clean Windows 7 reinstall, as you suggested.

At that point, if the problems remain but the hard drive seems healthy, is there something else that could be the cause?

 

[Britton30]

If the sfc scan has files it can't repair after 3 tries, rebooting between runs a Repair install may or may not help, a superior way would be a clean install as Greg suggested. you can enjoy the machine with no bloat that way.

 

[valzi]

Britton: I can't understand you. How does rebooting start a repair install?

Also, my machine doesn't have bloat. I built it myself, and I keep its software fairly minimal.

 

[Layback Bear]

I believe Britton 30 is stipulating after you run a sfc /scannow and problems are found (reboot) and run sfc /scannow again (reboot) and run sfc /scannow again (reboot). Some times when sfc /scannow finds problems they are repaired during a reboot.

Step #15 in gregs post #2
Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7

 

[valzi]

Ah. I've run SFC /scannow about 8-10 times from the recovery console and it can never replace the files I described because it says it doesn't have good copies of the files to replace with.

 

[gregrocker]

Well the next step after unfixable System files are confirmed is to run the Repair Install, but since that is not working for you I'd do the Clean Reinstall making sure to follow the Best Practices with drivers and everything else so you know you have a perfect install.

I'd also wipe the HD first with Diskpart Clean Command to clear the boot sector of possible corruption we've seen manifest itself if many strange ways.

Once you've done this if problems persist you'll know its hardware, however installer failures are rarely hardware related that I've seen.

 

[valzi]

Alright, after a lot of testing in various boot programs by way of Hirens, including the one made by my hard drive brand, I'm convinced the disk is fine. I'll try reinstalling Windows in a few days. Hopefully I'll remember to update here. Thanks!

 

[valzi]

I'm finally almost at the point at which I will erase my hard drive and reinstall windows. Is there anything faster than the diskpart clean command for zeroing the hard drive? I have a hirens disk with a lot of different bootable disk management programs on it.

 

[Britton30]

"Clean" will take just a couple of minutes depending on your HDD size. "Clean all" can take hours to run.

 

[valzi]

"Clean" will take just a couple of minutes depending on your HDD size. "Clean all" can take hours to run.

Yes, I know that. My question wasn't about that. I want to know if there is a (probably bootdisk) alternative that would be faster/better. For example, HDD Erase or Active Kill Disk.

 

[Britton30]

As far as I know writing zeros to a HDD will take a lot of time no matter what program is used. The only better way but slower would be to overwrite the disk multiple times.

 

[valzi]

That's what I thought. Oh well!

 

[valzi]

One more question: Is there any reason why I'd want the hidden recovery partition that Windows 7 will install if I'm going to be making a system image anyway?

 

[gregrocker]

What hidden Recovery partition? Win7 installs no such thing.

Are you referring to the 100mb System Reserved boot partition? If so you can avoid it if you worry that it will complicate image recovery by pre-formatting your HD as shown in Step 2.2 here: SSD - HDD Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

 

[valzi]

We have a different understanding of "hidden." To me, hidden means "purposely removed from visibility." The recovery partition is purposely kept away from users (with good reason.)

Anyway, I can't seem to find much information in support of keeping it or against keeping it. I have no interest in bitlocker, and I plan to use a recovery image as well as a Windows 7 install disk for repair operations, so I can't think of a reason to keep the partition. On the other hand, it appears that the partition sometimes causes problems when imaging. Therefore, unless someone wants to suggest a reason to keep it, I'm about to skip it.


Thanks for the method for doing so, gregrocker.

(And thanks for all the other help too, gregrocker and Britton30!)

 

[Britton30]

One more question: Is there any reason why I'd want the hidden recovery partition that Windows 7 will install if I'm going to be making a system image anyway?

It doesn't have one unless you didn't do a drive format before installing w7.

 

[gregrocker]

And its not a Recovery partition by any definition of the term.

 

[valzi]

Well, everything's working great after my reinstall! Thanks!