Repair Install

raloop · 23 Dec 2012

Looks like a contradiction in the information

"You can do a repair install on a factory OEM installation with the latest official Windows 7 with SP1 ISO file here: Dell Community - Windows 7 ISO Downloads, and use Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool to create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive with the ISO to do the repair install with."

(so you can do a repair installation from dvd)

contradicts

"You can only do a repair install from within Windows 7.
You cannot do a repair install at boot or in Safe Mode.
You must be logged into Windows 7 in a administrator account to be able to do a repair install."

Perhaps you couldn't pre sp1(or pre the latest windows 7 release with sp1) and you needed to do it from windows 7 from an administrator account, but you can now. If that is so, then perhaps that could be added?

I think i've seen that Upgrade option appear on a recent W7 ISO on boot. Though i've heard maybe it didn't used to appear.

Brink · 23 Dec 2012

Hello Raloop,

Nope. No contradiction in terms.

While you are still technically creating a bootable DVD/USB, you can still only be able to do a repair install from within Windows and not at boot.

I've added to that statement to help make it more clear and avoid any confusion though. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. :)

raloop · 23 Dec 2012

But as there are two options. Upgrade and Custom. Both there when booting off my USB that was taken from DVD. What does Upgrade do then?

would upgrade try to start windows, and then fail if it can't?

Brink · 23 Dec 2012

A repair install is the same as an in-place upgrade. This can only be done from within Windows and not at boot.

You can give it a try using "Upgrade" at boot, but it'll most likely fail.

raloop · 24 Dec 2012

yep, confirmed. One cannot do a repair install from booting off a Windows 7 disc Sp1 or otherwise. In case it's of interest to anybody, i've included the message it gives!

Clicked Upgrade(I tried it), from booting from Disc/iso and it said

"The computer started using the Windows installation disc. Remove the installation disc and restart your computer so that Windows starts normally. then, insert the installation disc and restart the upgrade. (Do not select "Custom(advanced)" to perform an upgrade. "Custom(advanced)" installs a new copy of Windows and deletes your programs and settings.)"

Brink · 24 Dec 2012

Thank you for double checking and confirming Raloop. :)

TONPumper · 25 Dec 2012

I ran this fix and now my computer is slow to boot. Some of the programs that should run at startup do not run. Any suggestions?

Brink · 25 Dec 2012

Hello TONPumper,

Looks like the repair install was unable to help with your issue. You might consider backing up anything that you do not want to lose, and reinstall Windows to have nice fresh install again.

TONPumper · 25 Dec 2012

It's weird that the fix would do that though. Doesn't it just reinstall Windows?

Brink · 25 Dec 2012

It really depends on what the issue was before doing the repair install. Sometimes the issue may be beyond being fixed by doing a repair install.

A repair install is an in-place upgrade install that basically just upgrades the current OS to the same edition. It's not the same as a clean install.