windows explorer has stopped working

[RolandJS]

Just before doing any clean install, if you are able:
Save to external media all of your data folders; all of your desktop folders & desktop icons; save all downloads from Downloads folder; and so on. After your clean install -- you can use the desktop folders and icons as roadmaps -- telling you what to reinstall and where.

 

[torchwood]

Hi Judith,
right lets get goin on the re-install
read this first, looks complicated but its not
Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

As for your concerns regarding partitioning
IF you only want 1 (ie C), then when you reach this point, see screenshot, select next
if you want more, (c/d) then select new. you can split it at a later date.

As for the download,
W7 sp1 oem x64 version english
SKIP the enter product code, it may auto authenticate, using the in built code belarc found.
6B88K-KCCWY-4F8HK-M4P73-W8DQG

The sticker code (COA) on your lappy is unique, DO NOT POST IT, and is a backup.

Now you like your USB's so were going to use that,
We need to make it bootable

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj200124.aspx
or use
Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way

THE FOLLOWING LINK IS ONLY VALID FOR 24 HRS (12.30 31/1/17)


https://software-download.microsoft...1485866477&h=98e39647751ee7aaad82c342da34fa67

CHANGE BOOT ORDER TO LOAD USB FIRST

 

[Judiver]

Hi everyone and thank you all for reacting!

bigmck
I've installed all of my stuff on another computer before but I've never installed an OS.
ICIT2LOL
This recovery in in a hidden part of the d drive. I guess it will wipe the c drive and reinstall windows to factory settings on c:. I will not use it.

I will worry about imaging later... There are a few ways to protect data on my Toshiba. With the built-in Toshiba recovery media creator I can make disks (as I did in 2015). It creates a recovery image. Also I'll make restore points.

I do not have a 2nd pc.
Roland
I backed up everything (I hope...). I'm just hoping my sticks won't let me down. That would be a disaster.

There still remains the question of which version to download from Heidoc. If I don't download the right one I'll be in deep sh... as my product key won't work (as I understand it...) and I will not be able to go online to download another. Windows 7, English (US) gives me:
1) Windows 7 Home Premium SP1
2) Windows 7 Home Premium N SP1
3) Windows 7 Home Premium K SP1
4) Windows 7 Home Premium KN SP1
5) Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 COEM
6) Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 COEM GGK
7) Windows 7 Home Premium N SP1 COEM
8) Windows 7 Home Premium K SP1 COEM
9) Windows 7 Home Premium KN SP1 COEM

Now I found that N means a European version without Windows Media Player (I have that 'damned' program which did such weird things, so that isn't it). K means no Windows Messenger (I think I do have that, never use it), KN means Korean. So none of these apply.
COE apparently is for people who build their pc. My product ID (Belarc and my computer) state 00359-OEM-xxxxxx.
Not sure what GGK is.

So should I download 1) or 5)?

Thanks for letting me know!

Judith

 

[torchwood]

HE HE
cross posting the links there

Roy

 

[Judiver]

yeah, I'm just going through yours

 

[Judiver]

Roy,

I emptied a flash drive (8GB) and I downloaded Rufus.

Which partition scheme and target system type should I use?

- MBR partition schem for BIOS or UEFI
- MBR partition scheme for UEFI
- GPT partition scheme for UEFI

file sytems:
- FAT32 (default)
- NTFS
- UDF
- exFAT

It's all Chinese to me!

Judith

 

[torchwood]

Hi Judith

mbr - bios

ntfs

Roy

 

[Judiver]

Clicking on the start button gives me the following error message:

< Please click on the disc button to select a bootable image, or uncheck the "Create a bootable disk using" checkbox. >

Well we want to create a bootable disk so I shouldn't uncheck. Clicking on the disk opens windows explorer.

So how should I proceed?

 

[Judiver]

Well since Rufus wasn't as easy as it pretends to be, I followed the process on the Technet link you gave me, Roy. So my USB now is bootable.

I'm in the process of downloading the iso. It saves to my pc, I hope that is what is meant. I would need to have it on the USB, so I would need to copy it to the USB later.

 

[RolandJS]

Not to be picky, however, one does not copy an ISO onto either a DVD or USB device; a process used by PowerISO or anything similar must be used.

 

[Judiver]

Hi Roland,

Any advice is good, so you're not picky . I was wondering already if I could treat this iso-file the same way as my normal data files.

I just downloaded and installed the 64bit version of PowerISO (unregistered copy) from here:
PowerISO - Create, Burn, Mount, Edit, Compress, Encrypt, Split, Extract ISO file, ISO/BIN converter, Virtual Drive, DAA File

I not sure how to use this program to get my (now fully downloaded) iso to my usb.

Judith

 

[Judiver]

It seems that the unregistered (unpaid) version is no good for what I want:

"What's the difference between the unregistered version and the registered version?
A: The unregistered version will display a dialog prompts you to register, and you can not create or edit image files greater than 300MB with the unregistered version. Except these, all other functions or features are the same."

My iso is 3.09GB...

Any suggestions?

 

[RolandJS]

I'm at school, cannot give you a step by step at this time; await others who can post a quick-list.

 

[RolandJS]

There are some free versions of ISO-burners out there...I and others will try to post a few suggestions in here.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello Judith now I see Roy beat me to it with that excellent tutorial it has just about everything in it.

Now another program you can use and is free to make the bootable disk or stick is this The Official ImgBurn Website

Just so you know when you do burn the disk or stick make sure you pick the slowest rate of burn as a fast burn may not give as good a quality disk/stick. For an example $x is reasonably good and I always pick (if the porgram lets me) an even slower speed.

 

[Callender]

If you are having problems a very simple and easy way to create a Bootable Windows 7 USB Installer is by using Unetbootin v494

UNetbootin - Browse /UNetbootin/494 at SourceForge.net

You'd need unetbootin-windows-494.exe

It's an old version of Unetbootin that still works. Newer versions cannot create a Bootable Windows 7 USB Installer as the functionality has been removed.

Instructions here:

Install Windows 7 From USB Drive [In 2 Simple Steps]

​

Choose ISO and Drive letter.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup (KB3125574)

There may be a large number of updates required after a clean install.

I'm not sure if the clean install tutorial has been updated to include the "Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup" (KB3125574).
This rollup updated the OS to April 2016 (it should speed up the reinstall process considerably).

There was a prerequisite update (KB3020369) for the "Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup" (KB3125574).
The prerequisite update must be installed first.
Here is a link to the info that I used last year:
How to Update Windows 7 All at Once with Microsoft’s Convenience Rollup

When checking for updates you may also experience the ridiculously slow Windows Update issue.

I think that "July 2016 update rollup for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1" (KB3172605) finally fixed the issue.
Here is a link about that:
Checking for updates slow on Windows 7? Here is the fix - gHacks Tech News


Aside:
Has anyone tried the "adding updates to the W7 image" procedure listed at the end of that article?

 

[Judiver]

Thank you Icit2lol, Callender and Lehnerus.

I've downloaded Unetbootin as it seemed the most simple (especially with the walkthrough).

Lehnerus, for the moment I just want to limit myself to A) reinstalling Windows 7 from this iso and B) establishing an internet connection. Everything here is new to me. Lots of info which in most cases is like talk from outer space to me, so I'm scared to make a mistake or forget something. I'm just a simple user, never had to deal with stuff like this. So I don't want to drown in information which can only lead to not doing correctly the essential things for steps A) and B).

If these updates can be done after A) and B), I'd rather deal with them at that time. And also, I don't mind if it takes long, I just want it to be right. But it's nice to know a quick rollup exists. So thanks for the tip.

Sometimes it's urgent to slow down...

So let's see if I can get this iso to this stick the way it should...

Judith

 

[Judiver]

Hi everyone,

I just copied the iso to the flash drive using unetbootin-windows-494.exe, as suggested by Callender. At completion it gave me the option to boot or to exit. I exited the program and I got a message from the Program Compatibility Assistant saying that "this program might not have installed correctly".

So now I am a bit worried if my iso got correctly copied to my stick.
Can I check this or is it saver to try the operation another way with another program?

Judith

 

[Callender]

I think you can just ignore that message and just eject the USB then reinsert it. Reboot and if it doesn't boot from USB and install Windows then check BIOS options to make sure that you can boot from USB.