New
#470
Will do. I'm hoping to have the results tonight some time. :)
Question: For those of us who have an OEM license, can we not simply uninstall SP1 first, then attempt a repair install?
However, in my case, I don't see any "Service Pack Backup Files" listed in Disk Cleanup. I don't recall ever deleting said files; could that be because none were created, since I invariably installed all Windows Updates up to the date of SP1's release?
Last edited by Brink; 18 Mar 2011 at 14:34. Reason: updated
Hello BammBamm,
If it's a retail OEM installation disc copy and not a "OEM Factory Recovery" installation disc, then you should be able to uninstall SP1 and do a repair install with it. Of course, this all depends on if the SP1 backup files were removed or not to be able to uninstall SP1.
Ok. The results are in, and it doesn't look good for being able to use a slipstream Windows 7 SP1 installation disc to use to do a repair install with.
Here's are the results:
Tutorial updated with results in warning box at the top of it.
- 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 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 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.
So you have to be an MSDN or Technet subscriber to get the .iso - that sucks. I just checked a few torrents that were posted by My Digitl Life. But those were all blocked for violation.
That, or wait until the retail package copies of the Windows 7 SP1 installation DVD are available.
What if you uninstall SP1, then run a repair (upgrade), then re-install SP1?
Thanks for the 4-1-1, Shawn. (And, 'yes', mine's a retail OEM.)
As luck would have it, I managed to locate the elusive SP1 Backup Files by enabling the actual Administrator account in Local Users and Groups via Computer Management. I'd initially reckoned that, since my regular user account had Admin privileges, the backups would show within Disk Cleanup; looks like I reckoned wrongly.
Now for my next (possibly obtuse) question: Is there anything inherently wrong/bad about performing a repair install, even if we suspect that nothing major's gone haywire with Windows? Is there any particular benefit to doing so as it relates to Windows' performance, necessarily, or is it to be used only as a last resort?