Trying to repair Vista SP2

messed up · Jul 2, 2010

I've read just about everything and now my head is spinning. All I want to do is repair the corrupt or missing files from my OS. I have a hard copy of Vista Home Premium w/SP1 and I have downloaded the stand alone version of SP2.

I've read the article on slipstreaming, too confusing for an armature. Is there some way to recover using the partition? Exactly what is on that partition anyway??
Does that take you back to day 1, or has it kept up with all of the updates alone the way???
I'm thinking of smashing this whole thing with a hammer and getting a new one with Windows 7 on it. :mad:

I don't have any boot problems, yet. I bought Macrium Reflect and wanted to make back up images so I don't get into a mess. I can't get any of the images to verify.

Can anybody out there help with some kind of simple solution?? (Just need simple instructions). The tutorials are great if you are an advanced user. They are obviously made by advanced users and they tend to forget there are those with less experience trying to use them. Many thanks none the less for the time they took to make the tutorials.

richc46 · Jul 2, 2010

Welcome

I hear you lets start with the basics

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66978-system-files-sfc-command.html

This simple procedure will check for any corruption and try to fix it. If it does find errors run several times.

Tell me, exactly what is the nature of the problem you are trying to correct, if any.

Are you just trying to make a back up in case of a problem, that is easy?

Bare Foot Kid · Jul 2, 2010

Hello messed up, welcome to Vista Forums!

First off, completely forget about slipstreaming, it's not worth the trouble.

A couple questions ...

Do you mean you have a DVD disk that you can use to re-install Vista with?
(the SP 2 standalone will install itself)

Is there data on the PC you don't want to lose that can be moved to external media of some kind?

.

messed up · Jul 2, 2010

Thanks for the welcome!!

I have a copy (CD) of Vista Home Premium with SP1 that Microsoft sent to me. They had sent out an update that totally screwed up my computer. It wouldn't download any updates. They felt responsible so they sent out the recovery CD free of charge. This was last year. They had me do a clean install, then update to the SP2. I just assumed that if they could do that then why can't I get one with SP2?? They told me to use the slipstream to create one.
I read all of that stuff about slipstreaming and downloaded the stand alone version of SP2. Let me tell you with a dial-up connection it took 3 days. :shock:

What I 'm trying to accomplish is to create some kind of recovery CD to do a repair, not install, just to get the repair thing to work. I don't want to have to do a roll back which is basically what a recovery does.
The reason I assumed I had corrupt files is I also downloaded a copy of Acronis True Image 2010. It stop mid way of creating a backup image. It said I had corrupt files to check the "event log". So I did. There was something about a corrupt hive, which had evidently been recovered. A number of times. There were a couple of things that said failed to start, no such file.
I have no clue.

I did run the SFC, it found no problems. I ran it several times, same result. I also did a disk check and it found no problem. If I have "no problem" then why can't I create a good ISO image?? Something is wrong because my System Restore won't work. I get an error message that it "did not complete, files and data not changed".
All of my personal files are backed up to CD-- everything!!! I made that mistake the last time. I didn't realize that the recovery would wipe everything out. Lost a ton of stuff.

Once I get whatever is wrong to work right, I can use an ISO backup, I won't need a stupid recovery disk, but somehow I have to get it to put back or fix the corrupt files.

Bare Foot Kid · Jul 2, 2010

Howdy.

Here's what I would do were I you, as you have all your backups already made, I would re-install Vista (wait hear me out) as soon as the installation is finished (fast, as soon as you can do it) I would go to control panel in the start menu and open "Windows Update" at the left pane "Change Settings" and I'd set it to "Never Check for Updates" see the snip below; then I would install the SP 2 standalone, then I would make sure it's still set to "Never Check ..." and I would click (in the left pane) "Check for Updates", let it check, then when it's finished checking I would install no more than 1 or 2 updates at a time with PC re-starts in-between until all the updates are back on the PC.

click image to enlarge

Then you'll have a brand new Vista to make a clone of, with this FREE program everyone is using, it's getting really good reviews, have a look at the video tutorial someone at our Windows 7 Forum has put together.

Image your system with free Macrium

Take a day or so to go over this option and be sure to post back so we can help you further if need be.

messed up · Jul 2, 2010

Hi Bare Foot Kid

I have the paid version of Macrium Reflect. You are right it is a top notch program. Obviously Windows 7 worked out some of the kinks or should I say complaints about the PE system or lack of one in Vista. For that reason alone I had to purchase the full program. No regrets though. Vista has no PE system. You have to download something called WAIK.

I read that tutorial you mentioned. The warning at the top of the page caught my attention. I will have to check with the folks on the Macrium forum on that one. That is another thing about the full paid version of Macrium, unless you have it you can only do searches on the forum you can't ask questions or participate in chats. They eliminated a lot of the crap that clog up some forums.

I also have a dial-up connection. To have to do a re-install would take months to get all of the updates that have come out since SP2 was introduced last year. There has to be some way to repair it without all the hoop hopping.

Glad I read some of the stuff on the 7 forum though. They had some interesting comments, certainly made me think twice about changing my system. Doesn't sound like they worked as many of the kinks out of it as they thought. I guess it great if all you do is play with photo's.

I will post back if I can't get this worked out some other way and let you know how it went.
Thanks

Bare Foot Kid · Jul 3, 2010

Hello again, thanks for the update, be sure to let us know if we can help further.

messed up · Jul 3, 2010

Morning Bare Foot Kid
You are not going to believe this so sit on down. This morning when I booted up, once again ready to do battle with this thing, the thing decides to work fine. I started out running a new checksum, when the files came out the same I darn near fainted. So I ran a Macrium backup image and tried the verification process, IT PASSED YAHOO!!!!!! To make sure I wasn't seeing things I also ran one through Acronis and it too verified to be good. Out of the 2 programs I like Macrium the best. It's set up simple and is easy to use. I found Acronis, while probably great for those with some technological skills

, had too many ways for me to mess things up.
I did check with Macrium and I am setting mine up to restore according to Vista setting. That restore warning scared the crap out of me. I've got enough headache without backing up the wrong partition. My hidden partition is set up as primary, not the active one. I don't actually understand all of that but as long as I back up the right one in case this happens again I won't be up that same creek.
I guess it pays to threaten the hard drive with a hammer :roflmao:

I downloaded the new Macrium image to a DVD and put it away. If for what ever reason it decided it doesn't want to verify any more I still have one I can depend on. At least I won't have to go back to the beginning of time to make it right again. I find it best to run a back up every couple of days, you can always delete the ones you don't want anymore but you can't add them if things don't work. See, I'm learning:D

richc46 · Jul 3, 2010

So that others may benefit from your experience, what type of hammer is recommended? :roflmao:

Bare Foot Kid · Jul 3, 2010

Hello again messed up.

I'm pleased you found a solution that worked, thanks for letting us know.

kenny111111 · Jul 3, 2010

richc46 said:
So that others may benefit from your experience, what type of hammer is recommended?

BFH....LOL,and congrats to messed up!

messed up · Jul 3, 2010

Rich
Well you asked what kind of hammer I might suggest, right now it would be a 500lb mallet!! :sa:
It's like this, I thought the problem was fixed, it is not. I shut it down and went and had a cup of coffee. Wanted to see if my luck would continue to hold :zip:

This where the swearing starts!!!!
I ran a SFC to see if it picked up anything. It came back with some files are corrupt and the problem could not be fixed. I thought that's ok I'll just run that backup image I made. (No, not Macrium's fault, my own.) In my haste to get some kind of viable backup I forgot to verify the image. It validated that it had created it successfully and I was sure I had verify image after it is created checked, but somewhere between installing and uninstalling stuff I didn't reset it. I took the "validated" image to my external hard drive. So, it's totally useless. No harm no foul, I'm just back to square 1 again.

When I ran the SFC it came back with files corrupt see report in CBS log. So I open Windows, track down the CBS log, and think finally I'm going to see what the problem is. It denies me access. What the heck good is a log if you can't access it???
So unless I can figure out how to get the missing files out of "hidden" partition, I'll be doing the full reinstallation.:sa::sa: How come I can't just do a repair using the SP2? I know, because if the file is corrupt, it needs to fix it from the start, not the tail end, sorry I asked.

Getting really frustratedl.

richc46 · Jul 3, 2010

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/101393-repair-vista-options-preferred-sequence.html?ltr=R

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228

If there is anything here that you would like to try and need help just post. Unfortunately, I think that you have tried most. If you have the DVD the repair install may help.

theog · Jul 3, 2010

Check your HD.
Disk Check - Windows 7 Forums

Check with a hard drive diagnostic tools.
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.

Bare Foot Kid · Jul 3, 2010

The major problem is having SP 2 installed, you can't do a repair install (which is actually an upgrade, right) to an SP 2 Vista with an SP 1 disk, which, I believe is the original reason for wanting to slipstream SP 2 into the disk.
Am I correct in this?

messed up · Jul 3, 2010

theog:
I had the hard drive professionally tested, in fact they ran a full diagnostic on all of the hardware. They said no problem.
Rich
Let me sure I understand this correctly. The repair CD I have to have for a SP2 would have to be Vista SP1 and one of the stand alone version of SP2 combined together???
Can you explain this creating a repair cd a little better? If I get it, I'm supposed to install the SP1 version to my external HD, run the cleanup tool (?) then install the SP2 there too, run the cleanup tool for that (?)? I got lost with all the SYSPREP, running the WAIK which is the same as Macrium's PE (which I have already installed on my C drive). Then .... It's really confusing how to get from here to there. Where the heck did I put that mallet???????
I did check out the info on accessing and analyzing the SFC log. I'm gonna go have a beer then give that a shot. Maybe a six pack and I can make sense of the whole thing

Trying to repair Vista SP2

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