Vista Repair/Reinstall Help

iamc3k · Mar 5, 2010

Folks,

I originally sought help for a problem with a hotfix, KB978251, which my machine would not accept. Over in the Updates thread, here, http://www.vistax64.com/windows-updates/271587-kb978251-cannot-install-why.html Flavius was gracious enough to respond. After running the diagnostics and posting the results he'd requested, the end result seems to be that my installation of Vista is corrupted.

I am thankful for Flavius' help.

His advice was to reinstall vista or upgrade to Windows 7. I am loathe to accept either course of action. The reinstall directions by Brink, here, http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html states explicity,

IF YOU HAVE THE VISTA SP2 INSTALLED:

This will not work if you have SP1 and SP2 installed unless your Vista installation DVD includes SP2.

I, of course, have SP2 installed. My Vista installation DVD did NOT include SP2; I patched my install to SP1, then later, to SP2.

To confirm, is it impossible to repair Vista if SP2 is installed and my DVD did NOT contain SP2?

Without reformatting my computer and starting from scratch, a course of action which seems quite drastic and perhaps not what Microsoft designed their OS to be known for, how can I repair my Vista installation?

My sfc files are attached. My understanding is that I have a lot of corrupt files. I am willing to replace them, but I need more information to interpret the results of the sfc output.

I appreciate any help.

Thanks,
Ken

P.S. Yes, I ran several searches about this, hence my understanding of the issues as stated above.

P.P.S. No, I never knowingly hacked, changed, modified, or edited my install. I only used Windows Update or installed commercially available, freeware, or shareware programs. Could one of those be the culprit?

geno3682000 · Mar 5, 2010

I am having similar problems with corruption. I cannot install net 3.5 framework and have been told to do a Vista repair install, but I don't see where to do it. All I see is startup repair which doesn't help

niemiro · Mar 5, 2010

Hi,

So much of your system is corrupt that I would strongly recommend doing a clean/repair install. In theory you could try to repair your system, but I think it would never be quite right. You cannot repair install without an SP2 disk, though if you are willing to do some (big) downloads, here is a tutorial on how to make a legal Vista SP2 install disk you could repair from (this is called slipstreaming): http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/230249-sliptream-vista-sp2.html

When you do a repair install, you should always back up important data, even though it should not be deleted. If you do a clean install, then your data will be copied to "C:\Windows.old", but again you should back up data. Your programs will need reinstalling. If you do a restore from your Restore partition, then your data will probably be wiped (back it up!)

Richard

niemiro · Mar 5, 2010

geno3682000 said:
I am having similar problems with corruption. I cannot install net 3.5 framework and have been told to do a Vista repair install, but I don't see where to do it. All I see is startup repair which doesn't help

Hi,

Here is how to do a repair install: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html

You cannot do it from a booted disk as you could in XP. As in my last post, here is how to slipstream your Vista disk (see my last post for a few more details): http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/230249-sliptream-vista-sp2.html

Richard

iamc3k · Mar 6, 2010

Folks,

Following the instructions for a repair install, I used Vista to create a new partition in my drive, specifically for the Slipstream Vista SP2 installation. A few questions popped up during that exercise...

First, I have 2 hard drives in my machine, both 500GB. They are SATA; the one plugged into SATA port 1 is my C drive with Vista Ultimate 64 (apparently now corrupt) installed on it. The other, D drive, is my backup. It is connected to SATA port number 2. Yet, the C drive, in Windows Disk Manager, is called Disk 1 while the D drive is called Disk 0. Why is this?

I have temporarily physically removed the D drive, and now the sole remaining drive, C with the OS on it, is correctly called Disk 0. Is this a symptom of a problem?

Next, I wanted to make a 25 GB partition for the slipstream install; per the directions it had to be on its own partition. With the D drive still connected (and called drive 0?), I could NOT get Vista to create a partition smaller than 100GB.

I ended up downloadind Partition Wizard to repair my partitions and create what I wanted. See the attached Jpeg.

What is that 128MB sector on Drive D/E? I have never used a release candidate or loaded any OS on that disk. It has been used solely as a backup location.

I am running Acronis True Image 10, but that should not, to my knowledge, create a 128MB reserved partition which Vista cannot even recognize. Why did the Vista Disk Management utility NOT see this, but the Partition Wizard did? What is it?

Thanks,
Ken

niemiro · Mar 7, 2010

Hi,

This small partition is called the "EISA Configuration" It holds certain recovery and system data and is present on most modern systems. Do not delete it, even though it is not totally crucial to the operation of Windows. It was not created by any 3rd party tools.

Richard

iamc3k · Mar 7, 2010

Richard,

Thank you so much for that answer! Here's my dilemma; I don't want ANYTHING system/OS related on the D drive. That drive is supposed to be purely for backup purposes. Is there a way to transfer the EISA Configuration to the C drive?

(Note that when I initially installed Vista - 2 1/2 years ago - following my standard practice, I only had one hard drive in the computer. I do that to ensure that there is no mistake in which drive is the primary drive. I'm puzzled....)

Off now to research the EISA Configuration partition.

Thanks,
Ken

niemiro · Mar 7, 2010

If you do want to try and move this volume, use Paragon Backup and Recovery and Paragon Partion Manager (both free) However, before you launch into this, make sure the location of this drive is moved in the boot options, otherwise your computer may not boot at all! I will give more details soon.

Richard

iamc3k · Mar 11, 2010

Richard,

Thanks. I've just been able to download a registered copy of UltraISO, so I can now commence the slipstream install of SP2. That seems to be the higher priority for me (repairing my Vista install). Next will be moving the EISA volume.

Time for me to get some required work done, then I'll work on the slipstream tutorial.

Thanks,
Ken

iamc3k · Apr 17, 2010

To sum: the slipstream method totally failed. The bonus is that the $30 I spent on Iso now enables me to use it for any other need I may have. :huh:

Total clean install on a new drive.

I am now in the anti-acronis camp, having used Total Image Home 10 (with updates - which was harder than having my teeth pulled to get an update from them!), I set up a fresh backup. I was told the backup was good. It was not.

The bonus is that my Vista64 install is working.

Ken

SIW2 · Apr 17, 2010

You may find you are better off using this for making backup partition images:
Paragon Backup and Recovery

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