Repair Install

Thanks, Brink. I caught that in your "warning" section, thus the query.

The system crashed during a routine back-up and won't boot. It starts to boot, fails, then runs a blue dump screen (which basically says W failed to load). I can get into the set-up and boot options, but none will do anything other than put me back into the same dump/recovery screens (I'm assuming the repair option won't work because I installed W7 from an upgrade disk). The good news is the hard drive appears ok as I was able to remove it and back up my files, but I'm really hoping there's a way to avoid a complete reinstallation (which will take 20+ hours). Given everything was running fine before and the disk seems to be ok, I'm assuming only one (or a small handful) of files somehow got corrupted. Thus if there was a way to identify the problem files and if they were generic enough to copy from my other machine, that would save a lot of pain. Is there any such tool or am I dreaming? If I can find a W7 boot disk could I then run a repair install on the hard drive's W7?

aPe said:

Thanks, Brink. I caught that in your "warning" section, thus the query.

The system crashed during a routine back-up and won't boot. It starts to boot, fails, then runs a blue dump screen (which basically says W failed to load). I can get into the set-up and boot options, but none will do anything other than put me back into the same dump/recovery screens (I'm assuming the repair option won't work because I installed W7 from an upgrade disk). The good news is the hard drive appears ok as I was able to remove it and back up my files, but I'm really hoping there's a way to avoid a complete reinstallation (which will take 20+ hours). Given everything was running fine before and the disk seems to be ok, I'm assuming only one (or a small handful) of files somehow got corrupted. Thus if there was a way to identify the problem files and if they were generic enough to copy from my machine, that would save a lot of pain. Is there any such tool or am I dreaming? If I can find a W7 boot disk could I then run a repair install on the hard drive's W7?

What's exactly on blue screen? Did you try "system restore" from recovery environment? If so.. was it a successful system restore?

Sounds like you got a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). Do you have the exact message on it?

Have you already tried doing a system restore at boot using a restore point dated before this happen to see if it may be able to help fix this to avoid a clean install.

EDIT:
Ron beat me to it.

See if you may be able to boot from your Windows 7 installation disc instead, then see if you may be able to do the system restore at boot or a startup repair.

Ok aPe. We'll be here. :)

Sammy888 said:

Hello everyone.

I was just revisiting this thread here. I noticed something which seems to me quite confusing. In the WARNINGS in the first thread, it reads:

You cannot use a slipstream Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with on a currently installed Windows 7 SP1.

I have the original full Windows 7 64bit DVD. I have SP1 installed (later of course) with Windows Update.

If I am to understand correctly, I can only repair my Windows 7 installation by running the Windows 7 DVD and then running the SP1 separately? If so, is there no way to get the full Windows7 + SP1 together on one DVD or USB?

You can uninstall SP1 and use the original install DVD.
OR
find the correct ISO here (correct bit version and language version, and type [for example ultimate]) Windows 7 Direct Download Links

Hello Sammy,

The note box under step 5 in the tutorial can help show you where and how to download an official Windows 7 w/SP1 ISO that can be used to create a DVD/USB with. :)