Repair Install For Vista

druekberg · Oct 1, 2010

Ugh. Well, I thought I was following the directions. I have an OEM Vista Home Premium x64 with SP2 preinstalled by HP. I borrowed a Home Premium SP2 but never saw the repair option. Instead, it just completely reinstalled Vista, so I lost all my settings. I have backups of all my documents etc., but I was hoping to avoid reinstalling dozens of programs and customizations.

One of the later posts notes that since I had an OEM version my borrowed installation disk wouldn't work, but I didn't read through the 50 or posts that would have told me this. I wish it were posted on the original instructions. From what I read here and elsewhere, it should have just repaired my corrupted files. It did save old programs and settings in the "Windows.old" folder, but this doesn't do me much good since they're not paired with dlls in the Windows directory, etc. And I completely lost any settings in my user profile.

Does a guy have to go through this every time he has some corrupt Vista files?

Oh well, I now have a clean install, which some are recommending anyway.

Brink · Oct 1, 2010

Hello Druekberg,

Sorry to hear about what happened. It does mention OEM in the NOTE box at the top of the tutorial though.

When you have corrupt Vista files, then sometimes running a sfc /scannow command or doing a system restore may also help.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

dal987 · Oct 1, 2010

When you find you can't do a repair install... what should you have thought of?

Hi, there are some ways to mitigate the situation we OEM users seem to have been placed in by a certain - er- kind organisation - (know whom I mean, nudge, wink..?)
- i.e. no repair install/ in place upgrade on OEM of the same OS version
besides general backup of personal folders/files.

1. Disk imaging: Maintain (and keep an older copy too) of your Windows/installed programs partitions.
- allows you to revert to something that (mostly?? ) worked. Then rebuild from there.
There are some good free options for that.
2. Keep user data off your windows/programs partitions, so it's not lost in a reinstall or image restoration.
- can be restored from a current back up, but - er- how current would your back-up be if your PC became unbootable? Sure, you could use another PC to rescue data from your disk... not ideal...
- change certain registry paths/settings so user data is on another partition (e.g. favourites, mail messages, My Documents - if you must use that for personal data- and other 'special' folders like that...)
3. A great solution for installed programs is to use a 3rd party program that backs up your installed programs, so they can be easily automatically reinstalled on (an identical disk structure) on another PC or your reinstalled Windows. There are several around that claim to do this, I've found one that seems to work well.
4. Use one of the various driver update programs around to back up your installed drivers.
Very helpful especially where you might have tricky situations with legacy (old) hardware on, say, Vista.

As ever, it's often a case of learning the hard way.. and prepare for the worst.

druekberg · Oct 1, 2010

In reply to Brink, you say that there's a note in the original instructions that could have warned me about this. But all the note says is:

A OEM (retail version) Vista installation DVD that you buy at a store and does not come with the computer are usually the same as a regular retail (full or upgrade) Vista installation DVD, but have a OEM license (product key number) instead of a retail license (product key number).
If you have a OEM Recovery Vista installation DVD that came preinstalled with your OEM brand computer instead, then it will most likely only be a clone of the hard drive with Vista allowing you to only do a clean install with it instead. These OEM computers often have a Recovery D:\ partition that does the same thing as the OEM Recovery Vista installation DVD.

Anyway, today the situation is worse. I found I can't use my product key number to validate the new version. It won't accept the string "OEM" in the key. So I have to go back and do a restore from the HP restore routine. I should have just done this to begin with.

These notes try to clarify the differing industry uses of the term OEM, but don't really warn me that I CANNOT use an OEM Retail version of Vista to repair an OEM preinstalled version. All they do is describe the difference between the two uses of the OEM term, and also warn that the OEM Recovery disk is only a clone of the presintalled system, not an actual installation disk, which I knew.

If you could make it clearer that the Retail Version CANNOT be used to repair a PREINSTALLED version that would help others like me.

As for repairing my corrupt files, I've been fighting with this issue for months. I've tried sfc /scannow a few times, but it tells me there is an undetermined problem. I finally figured out how to open the UBS.LOG file (you can't just open it in Notepad, you have to open Notepad as an Admin and THEN open the UBS.LOG file).

Anyway, I spotted an error it didn't as I read the UBS.LOG file, which was a misspelled entry in an MS update file, but I have no idea how to correct the spelling so the update will install or just go away instead of failing my system.

As for system recovery, oh Lord, tried that dozens of times. Of course, the support at HP is little help; they know less than I do, which is not all that much, but the difference is they don't admit it.

As for dal987's comments, they are somewhat helpful, but so cagey as to not actually be truly helpful. As it happens, I do have my documents etc. on a separate partition of the C drive, so they were not lost. And, of course, I also have those backed up on an external drive, so that's all good. (Not sure at this point if a full system restore will wipe out my partitioned drive or not.)

What I'm crying about is the hours it will take me to reinstall and customize all of my programs. For the benefit of others, if dal987 could throw out the actual NAME of a program that does a backup of program and dll info, that could save some other poor soul a lot of time. (Just to give me a starting point next time around.) Thanks.

But we probably all agree that it's almost criminal that MS or HP etc. don't make it easier to repair a corrupted system. HP saves a little money by buying bulk licenses of the OS so they can preinstall it on a box they sell in the store (Does it pass that savings on to me? I kind of doubt it). Why don't they offer to rent or sell a repair disk or an upgrade or fulll retail disk for a small fee, such as the difference between what the OS costs retail and what it cost for the bulk license? I did beg them to loan me an installation disk so I could repair this thing. No help.

So in the future, I will be very reticent to buy a preinstalled OS from any of the big manufacturers. I will buy a naked box from a local PC builder and buy the OS separately so I don't have this problem again. My previous computer was a Dell laptop and I had to run the disk recovery twice. That was a pain I didn't want to have to go through again, but here I am, worse than ever.

Or maybe I will just get a Mac. It's more expensive, but my time is worth something too.

Anyway, Brink, thanks for the tutorial, I wish it had worked. Now it's on to the last resort....a full system restore. Wish me luck.

dal987 said:
When you find you can't do a repair install... what should you have thought of?

Hi, there are some ways to mitigate the situation we OEM users seem to have been placed in by a certain - er- kind organisation - (know whom I mean, nudge, wink..?)
- i.e. no repair install/ in place upgrade on OEM of the same OS version
besides general backup of personal folders/files.

1. Disk imaging: Maintain (and keep an older copy too) of your Windows/installed programs partitions.
- allows you to revert to something that (mostly?? ) worked. Then rebuild from there.
There are some good free options for that.
2. Keep user data off your windows/programs partitions, so it's not lost in a reinstall or image restoration.
- can be restored from a current back up, but - er- how current would your back-up be if your PC became unbootable? Sure, you could use another PC to rescue data from your disk... not ideal...
- change certain registry paths/settings so user data is on another partition (e.g. favourites, mail messages, My Documents - if you must use that for personal data- and other 'special' folders like that...)
3. A great solution for installed programs is to use a 3rd party program that backs up your installed programs, so they can be easily automatically reinstalled on (an identical disk structure) on another PC or your reinstalled Windows. There are several around that claim to do this, I've found one that seems to work well.
4. Use one of the various driver update programs around to back up your installed drivers.
Very helpful especially where you might have tricky situations with legacy (old) hardware on, say, Vista.

As ever, it's often a case of learning the hard way.. and prepare for the worst.

Brink · Oct 1, 2010

Druekberg,

I hope the clean install goes smoothly and doesn't take to long for you.

dal987 · Oct 2, 2010

Hi druekberg, Yes, I feel the same as you. Let down by MS over the lack of repair install (in-place upgrade) for OEM Vista.

Briefly:

Laplink PCMover
Move Me (Spearit)
SoftRescue Pro (Anovasoft)

amongst others claim to package and transfer installed programs from 1 PC to another. (Commercial).
Of these the last is least known, but is the one I use and proved the most promising for me after trying several.

A google search e.g.
"transfer installed programs to new pc" => much discussion.

I fear this is veering a little off topic.. but may assist someone.

There are many readily available and widely known solutions for imaging and driver management, many free (e.g. free versions and special offers from Paragon). I wasn't setting out to write a tutorial as I feel this is not the place and has been done elsewhere.

I've seen so many people lose data because they weren't prepared.. hadn't thought about it.. had thought their PC was immortal.. or not know of the various recovery options including others above and beyond.. and even MS support may quickly turn to reinstallation.

Disk imaging alone may well be of limited help for installed programs if your PC dies, whereas if you have many installed programs, a backup with one of those programs may help prepare for the (infrequent) worst, which I've experienced a couple of times with laptops now.

Good luck.

hassanm · Oct 11, 2010

Hi, my friend has a laptop with home premium, not sure whehter its sp1 or 2 or either service packs. Recently she has not been able to boot into the OS. I have the retail version of vista ultimate, can I do system repair using this CD, and if that fails, can I do an install that will not delete the files already on the machine?

Brink · Oct 11, 2010

Hello Hassanm, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Sorry, but a repair install must be done from within the started Vista. It cannot be done at boot or in Safe Mode.

Since your friend has a laptop, it most likely will have a OEM Vista that came preinstalled. If so, then you will not be able to install Vista with your retail Vista installation DVD on her laptop since her product key would not work with it.

You can use your retail Vista installation DVD on her laptop to do a system restore at boot using a restore point dated before she had this problem to hopefully fix it.

If not, then she should have a factory restore option available from either a recovery partition or DVD, but she would need to consult her manual for exact details on that. Some of these will give an option to backup the files in the current installation before installing the new one.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

hassanm · Oct 12, 2010

Hi,

Thanks for the info, I read that you can install without using a key, and then activate it after its installed. Is that true?

It's silly that microsoft didn't allow for reinstallation from boot dvds. It leaves no hope of recovery for people that can't boot into the OS

Brink · Oct 12, 2010

No, you can't use a OEM product key to activate a retail Windows 7 installation., or the other way around.

For OEM Vista copies, you would have to use the factory recovery/restore option instead. Most brands factory recovery have an option to backup.

ilikefree · Oct 12, 2010

upgrade install is greyed out I wanted to repair my registry to repair the system restore that keeps deleting all restore points.
Some registry keys are missing as well ex.wait to kill timeout.
Do I have to reinstall again. Only did it about 2 weeks ago.

Brink · Oct 12, 2010

Hello Roger,

What type of Vista do you have, and how are you trying to install it?

hassanm · Oct 13, 2010

Hi, my friend doesn't have a recovery CD for their laptop. It's a Belinea o.book 3.1. Some European make. Manufacturers should really give recovery cds with their laptops so people that do not know how important they are would not need to create one (a lot of people often ignore this option).

Would any OEM windows vista home premium work (or anytime upgrade cd)? Say I had to do a clean install, seeing as that is the only option microsoft gave if we cannot boot into window, would the product key on the bottom of the laptop work?

I have the required drivers already, which I downloaded from the manufacturers website.

Brink · Oct 13, 2010

Hassanm,

Sorry, but not unless your purchased a OEM or retail copy of Vista and installed and activated it with the product key number that came with it.

You could try contacting the manufacturer for a copy of the Vista recovery disc for the Belinea o.book 3.1, but it would probably be just as much or cheaper to just purchase a new copy.

dal987 · Nov 8, 2010

Hi Shawn, having now done an in-place repair of Vista SP2, I wanted to pass on three things I have discovered.

1. Changing %Program Files% from C:\Program Files =>
Upgrade install is greyed out and you receive 'Your Windows configuration cannot be upgraded'. I have confirmed this from experience (below).
(%Program Files% is the default install path for programs).

This begs the question.. what other default path changes might inhibit in-place repair? What if you change the desktop, start menu, My documents/Videos/Music folder locations to a separate partition to secure them from reformatting and reinstalling Windows, say?

2. Hotfixes on the installed Windows later than the service pack on the DVD are irrelevant, contrary to statements on a number of forums. (At least in my experience).

3. A 4th tier MS support professional has confirmed in-place upgrade repair is NOT documented by MS. :mad:

So.. if you're interested- here's my experience of %Program Files% and in-place upgrade..
Why change %Program Files%?
A number of tweak tools support such a change. I chose to do that for defrag, backup, control the size of my Vista partition etc etc.

Here's what happened:
I had reinstalled Vista, changed %Program Files% to D:\, and used Laplink PCmover to 'reinstall' all my applications. 95% or more worked fine- even the program keys had mostly been moved. So what was the problem?

Before using Laplink PCMover, SFC /Scannow had worked. Afterwards, it utterly failed- 'too many files to recover.. run SFC /Scannow again'. :confused:

Hmm. This was my 3rd attempt and I'd done everything I could to ONLY move applications.

(And I was doing all this 'cos I hadn't been able to run in-place repair on my old build).

So.. let's try an in-place upgrade. No- greyed out.
I changed %Program Files% back to C:\Program Files from D:\

=> Upgrade install was now available.

(And my installed Vista had been updated with hotfixes, proving what some say about needing a DVD with the same service pack to also have at least all updates applied to the Windows being updated wrong).

I did the upgrade install, and SFC /Scannow then worked.

But what had happened to my Start Menu? Ah.. all the now invalid shortcuts had been removed. (Those pointing to D:\....). So I changed back %Proagram Files% to D:\, copied back the shortcuts from the disk containing my old Windows build, so these were consistent, and all was well.

Brink · Nov 8, 2010

Hello Dal,

Thank you for posting back with your results. I have added a warning at the top of the tutorial in case someone else changed their default Program Files folder location and the shortcuts.

guy9 · Feb 12, 2011

Hi,

I am happy I found your great site because I have problems with Vista 32bits:

It freezes about 5-15 minutes after Start depending on what I do.
It freezes also if I do nothing!
It freezes immediatly if after a normal start I try to access the results of the
eventwriter (eventvwr)
It freezes on a safe mode boot start after loading the CRCcheck driver!
After a normal start CHKDSK is sometimes running automatically, and it says that it has repared 3-4 files.

I have made a check of the memory with the microsoft memory diagnostic tool: all is ok!
I have made a check of my hard-disk also with the micrsoft tool: all is ok
I have run Hijackthis for the Registry: all seems ok also here

I am thinking now of using this Vista repair possibility. What do you think?

In the header it is said that some drivers may have to be reinstalled afterwards, what does that mean? Does one have to save them before or what?

Thanks in advance.
Regards

Guy

Brink · Feb 12, 2011

Hello Guy, and welcome to Vista Forums.

If you have a retail copy of Vista and are able to start Vista to run the repair install in Vista, then it may be a viable option for you. Yes, you should have the latest versions of your device drivers (ex: sound card/chip, graphics card, motherboard chipset, etc.....) downloaded and saved somewhere to install if needed after the repair install.

If you are not able to start Vista long enough to run a repair install, then you might post your crash issue in the Crashes and Debugging forum area to see if you may be able to avoid doing a clean reinstall of Vista.

guy9 · Feb 12, 2011

Brink said:
Hello Guy, and welcome to Vista Forums.

If you have a retail copy of Vista and are able to start Vista to run the repair install in Vista, then it may be a viable option for you. Yes, you should have the latest versions of your device drivers (ex: sound card/chip, graphics card, motherboard chipset, etc.....) downloaded and saved somewhere to install if needed after the repair install.

If you are not able to start Vista long enough to run a repair install, then you might post your crash issue in the Crashes and Debugging forum area to see if you may be able to avoid doing a clean reinstall of Vista.

Thanks for the very quick answer!
Where are those drivers to save? In the Windows/System32/Drivers folder ?

If I understand you well ,as my Vista runs only for maximum 15 minutes before freezing, it will not be possible to do a repair install?
So I better go to the oyher forum?

Guy

Brink · Feb 12, 2011

If it's freezing that bad, then yeah I would try the other forum location here first to see if we may be able to solve the crashing issue.

You would usually be able to download device drivers for your 32-bit Vista at each device manufacturer's website in it's support/download area.

Repair Install For Vista

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