Repair Install
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Windows 7: Repair Install
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How to Do a Repair Install to Fix Windows 7
Do a Repair installation if: A
did not help fix your Windows 7.
There is no other easier option left that can fix your Windows 7.
You DO NOT want to do a
of Windows 7.
You DO want to preserve your user accounts, data, programs, and system drivers.
ITEMS THAT WILL BE RESET TO DEFAULT OR AFFECTED:
Device Drivers - Be sure to have these handy to reinstall. They do not always remain after the repair (upgrade) install.
You may lose the ability to sign on to MSN Messenger, to solve this problem have a look at this thread .
You may lose your
due to not having permisions set on the old themes. Go to the
themes folder at C:/Users/(User-Name)/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Themes, then
of the themes folder and you will now have all your themes back.
It has been
that you may also lose your Media Center
after doing the repair install.
Windows Updates will need to be checked and reinstalled again.
&& Warning
You can only do a repair install with the same edition Windows 7 installation disc for the same edition of Windows 7 that you have installed.
You cannot use a OEM Windows 7 &Factory& Restore/Recovery type of installation disc that came with or created from a store bought computer to do a repair install with. These can only be used do a clean install instead.
You can do a repair install on a factory OEM installation with the latest official Windows 7 with SP1 ISO file here: , and use
to create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive with the ISO to do the repair install from within Windows 7.
You can use a retail OEM Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with.
You can use a retail (full or upgrade) Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with.
You cannot do a repair install with a . A System Repair Disc is not a installation disc, and will only boot to the
If you have a
Windows 7 currently installed, then you must use a 32-bit Windows 7 installation disc to be able to do a repair install with.
If you have a
Windows 7 currently installed, then you must use a 64-bit Windows 7 installation disc to be able to do a repair install with.
You can use a retail 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 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 .
You cannot use a
to do a repair install with on a currently installed Windows 7 SP1.
You cannot use a
to do a repair install with on a currently installed slipstream Windows 7 SP1.
You can only do a repair install from within Windows 7.
You cannot do a repair install at boot or in .
You must be logged into Windows 7 in a administrator account to be able to do a repair install.
You must have at least 8.87 GB + what is currently being used of free space (more if you have a larger installation) on the hard drive/partition Windows 7 is installed on to do a repair install.
If you , then you will need to change it back to the default C:\Users location first.
If you , then you will need to change it back to the default C:\Users\(user-name) location first.
Here's How:
NOTE: Be sure to back up anything that you do not want to lose first to be extra safe.1. Start Windows 7, and log on to an administrator account.
2. Disable any 3rd party firewall, antivirus, or other security program to avoid it from possibly preventing the repair in-place upgrade installation of Windows 7.
3. Do either , , or
below depending if your retail Windows 7 installation ISO/DVD/USB has SP1 or not, and if your currently installed Windows 7 has SP1 installed or not.
4. Repair Installed Windows 7 SP1 using Windows 7 with SP1 ISO
If you do not have a Windows 7 with SP1 ISO, then you can download an official ISO with your retail product key from Microsoft at the link below.
You can also download the latest official Windows 7 SP1 Media Refresh (SP1 U) ISO file at the link below, but this link is not always available for download.
A) If you have not already, you will need to install a program like
that supports extracting a ISO to a folder.
B) Using the program (ex: 7-Zip) from step 1, extract the Windows 7 SP1 ISO file to a folder on a partition or HDD other than the current Windows 7 partition. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: For example with 7-Zip, right click on ISO, click on 7-Zip, Extract files, browse button, select where you want to extract to, and click on OK twice.
C) While in Windows 7 SP1, open the folder that you extracted the ISO into, and run the setup.exe file.
5. Repair Installed Windows 7 SP1 using Windows 7 with SP1 DVD/USB
If you do not have a Windows 7 with SP1 ISO, then you can download an
official ISO with your retail product key from Microsoft at the link
You can also download the latest official Windows 7 SP1 Media Refresh (SP1 U) ISO file at the link below, but this link is not always available for download.
Afterwards, you can use
to create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive with the ISO to do the repair install from within Windows 7 using this step.
A) While in Windows 7 SP1, insert your retail Windows 7 SP1 installation DVD into the DVD drive, or connect your , and click on the Run setup.exe option in AutoPlay. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If the AutoPlay window does not open, then open the drive folder in Computer and run the setup.exe file.
B) Go to Go to
6. Repair Installed Windows 7 without SP1 using Windows 7 without SP1 DVD/USB
If you do not have a Windows 7 without SP1 installation DVD/USB, then you can download the latest official Windows 7 Professional or Home Premium without SP1 ISO file here: , and use
to create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive with the ISO to do the repair install from within Windows 7 using this step.
It is preferred to have SP1 installed on your PC and to use
above to do a repair install with instead though.
A) While in Windows 7 SP1 installed, insert your retail Windows 7 installation DVD into the DVD drive, or connect your , and click on the Run setup.exe option in AutoPlay. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If the AutoPlay window does not open, then open the drive folder in Computer and run the setup.exe file.
B) Go to Go to
7. If prompted by , then click on Yes.
8. Click on the Install Now button to start the installation. (see screenshot below)
9. If prompted, uncheck the I want to help make Windows installation better box (unless you would like to
), and click on the Go online to get the latest updates for installation option. (see screenshot below)
A) Windows 7 will now check online for and install any available installation updates. (see screenshots below)
10. Check the I accept the license terms box, and click on Next. (see screenshot below)
11. Click on the Upgrade option. (see screenshot below)
12. Windows will now check for any compatibility issues. If any are found like in the example below, take care of them first then restart the repair install process over again.
13. The installation of Windows 7 will now begin. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: During the installation process, your screen may flash and computer will restart a few times.
14. After the final restart, you will see this screen for a moment. (see screenshot below)
15. Type in your Windows 7 product key number. (see screenshot below step 16)
16. Uncheck the Automatically activate Windows when I'm online box unchecked, then click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can activate Windows 7 later after you make sure it is running properly. (see step 23 below)
If you chose to automatically activate Windows online when you set up your computer, automatic activation begins trying to activate your copy of Windows three days after you log on for the first time.
17. Click on Use recommended settings. (see screenshot below)
18. Select your
and set your time and date settings, then click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)
19. Click on the option for your computer's location to select the correct network location type settings to be applied for that location. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: It is best to select Public location for the best security.
20. Windows 7 will now prepare your desktop to startup. (see screenshots below)
21. If you used a DVD or USB to do the repair install with, then you can remove the DVD or USB when the repair install has successfully completed and you are logged in to Windows 7.
22. Check to see if you are missing any user files. If you are, then you can copy them from the C:\Windows.old or the
protected operating system C:\$INPLACE.~TR and C:\WINDOWS.~Q backup folders. (see screenshot below)
23. If everything checks out in step 21, then you can run . You will need to click on the Clean up system files button first, and then could check the Files discarded by Windows upgrade, Previous Windows installations, and Windows upgrade log files boxes. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: This will delete the , C:\$INPLACE.~TR and C:\WINDOWS.~Q folders from step 21 above.
25. When finished, , and make sure that your 3rd party security programs (if applicable) are enabled again.
That's it,
Related Tutorials
Related Tutorials
Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Thanks for this tut, resolved a couple of issues I had. This process creates two folders: C:\$INPLACE.~TR and C:\$WINDOWS.~Q, can these be deleted?
Keyboard Microsoft Comfort Curve USB
Mouse Razer Diamondback 3G
PSU Thermaltake ToughPower 850w
Case Thermaltake Armor
Cooling Scythe Mugen II
Hard Drives OCZ Vertex 2 120gb 3.5& (OS)
Seagate Momentus XT 500gb
Samsung F3 1Tb (games)
2x Samsung F1 1Tb
Internet Speed
64-bit Windows 10 Pro build 11082
Your welcome Swarfega,
Yep, you can use Disk Cleanup to delete them in step 18.
Keyboard Logitech Living-Room K830
Mouse Logitech MX Master
PSU OCZ Series Gold OCZZW
Case Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition
Cooling Corsair Hydro H100
Hard Drives 256GB OCZ Vector
2 x 1TB Samsung HDD HD154UI SATA
Internet Speed 100 Mb/s Download and 10 Mb/s Upload
Antivirus Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Browser IE11
Other Info Microsoft LifeCam Cinema
* Lite-On iHBS212 12x BD Writer
* Samsung CLX-3175FW Printer
* Netgear Nighthawk X6 R8000 Router
* Arris SB6183 Cable Modem
* APC Back-UPS XS 1500
* APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL
Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Just saved 4.80gb!
Keyboard Microsoft Comfort Curve USB
Mouse Razer Diamondback 3G
PSU Thermaltake ToughPower 850w
Case Thermaltake Armor
Cooling Scythe Mugen II
Hard Drives OCZ Vertex 2 120gb 3.5& (OS)
Seagate Momentus XT 500gb
Samsung F3 1Tb (games)
2x Samsung F1 1Tb
Internet Speed
64-bit Windows 10 Pro build 11082
Keyboard Logitech Living-Room K830
Mouse Logitech MX Master
PSU OCZ Series Gold OCZZW
Case Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition
Cooling Corsair Hydro H100
Hard Drives 256GB OCZ Vector
2 x 1TB Samsung HDD HD154UI SATA
Internet Speed 100 Mb/s Download and 10 Mb/s Upload
Antivirus Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Browser IE11
Other Info Microsoft LifeCam Cinema
* Lite-On iHBS212 12x BD Writer
* Samsung CLX-3175FW Printer
* Netgear Nighthawk X6 R8000 Router
* Arris SB6183 Cable Modem
* APC Back-UPS XS 1500
* APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL
Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
Just a note, the Files discarded by Windows upgrade box doesn't show up on the initial page in disk cleanup, unless you click Clean up system files first. Maybe this is already noticed when you use the (step 6 at link) but could still be kind of confusing for some.
Keyboard Logitech Wireless MK700
Mouse Logitech Wireless MK700
PSU Corsair HX1000W
Case Cooler Master HAF 932
Cooling Case Fans *3 230mm, *1 140mm/CPU - *Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme
Hard Drives 1 Samsung 250GB 840 Evo SSD
1 OCZ Vertex2 180GB SSD
1 TB Samsung Spinpoint F1 7200RPM 32MB cache
2 500GB WD Caviar Blacks 7200RPM 32MB cache (WD5001AALS)
Pioneer DVD Burner DVR-S18M
Internet Speed DL 15 Mbps UL 0.98 Mbps
Antivirus None
Browser Firefox Nightly
Other Info Processor-7.7 *RAM- 7.9 *Graphics-7.9
*Gaming Graphics- 7.9 *SSD- 7.8 W.E.I final score= 7.7
*Phone- LG Nexus 5
64-bit Windows 10 Pro build 11082
Agreed Aaron. Updated to help make it more clear.
Thank you.
Keyboard Logitech Living-Room K830
Mouse Logitech MX Master
PSU OCZ Series Gold OCZZW
Case Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition
Cooling Corsair Hydro H100
Hard Drives 256GB OCZ Vector
2 x 1TB Samsung HDD HD154UI SATA
Internet Speed 100 Mb/s Download and 10 Mb/s Upload
Antivirus Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Browser IE11
Other Info Microsoft LifeCam Cinema
* Lite-On iHBS212 12x BD Writer
* Samsung CLX-3175FW Printer
* Netgear Nighthawk X6 R8000 Router
* Arris SB6183 Cable Modem
* APC Back-UPS XS 1500
* APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL
Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
Very nice tutorial by the way, I used it and it worked great, got 11.5 gb back after deleting the discards.
Keyboard Logitech Wireless MK700
Mouse Logitech Wireless MK700
PSU Corsair HX1000W
Case Cooler Master HAF 932
Cooling Case Fans *3 230mm, *1 140mm/CPU - *Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme
Hard Drives 1 Samsung 250GB 840 Evo SSD
1 OCZ Vertex2 180GB SSD
1 TB Samsung Spinpoint F1 7200RPM 32MB cache
2 500GB WD Caviar Blacks 7200RPM 32MB cache (WD5001AALS)
Pioneer DVD Burner DVR-S18M
Internet Speed DL 15 Mbps UL 0.98 Mbps
Antivirus None
Browser Firefox Nightly
Other Info Processor-7.7 *RAM- 7.9 *Graphics-7.9
*Gaming Graphics- 7.9 *SSD- 7.8 W.E.I final score= 7.7
*Phone- LG Nexus 5
Windows 7 Ultimate Vista Ultimate x64
Just need to add some info that will affect most users, when doing a Repair Install afterward you may loose the ability to sign on to MSN Messenger, to solve this problem have a look at this thread
Another thing you might find is you loose your custom themes and this is due to not having permisions set on the old themes, go to the themes folder in C:/Users/Your User Name/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Themes and use the Take Ownership shortcut in your context menu found here
on the themes folder and you will now have all your themes back.
Keyboard Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard
Mouse Logitech G9 Gaming Mouse
PSU HYTEC 600W & Thermaltake 650W Toughpower Power Exp
Case Thermaltake Armor LCS (Liquid Cooling System)
Cooling Liquid Cooling System
Hard Drives SATA 150GB
SATA II 250GB
USB IDE 750GB Ext.
64-bit Windows 10 Pro build 11082
Thank you Mr GRiM.
Keyboard Logitech Living-Room K830
Mouse Logitech MX Master
PSU OCZ Series Gold OCZZW
Case Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition
Cooling Corsair Hydro H100
Hard Drives 256GB OCZ Vector
2 x 1TB Samsung HDD HD154UI SATA
Internet Speed 100 Mb/s Download and 10 Mb/s Upload
Antivirus Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Browser IE11
Other Info Microsoft LifeCam Cinema
* Lite-On iHBS212 12x BD Writer
* Samsung CLX-3175FW Printer
* Netgear Nighthawk X6 R8000 Router
* Arris SB6183 Cable Modem
* APC Back-UPS XS 1500
* APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL
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All times are GMT -5. The time now is .Get the fix to the “Your PC needs to be repaired” error that appears on the following Windows versions: Windows 8 and 8.1
About Your PC needs to be repaired
The “Your PC needs to be repaired” screen appears on Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 systems only and it’s identified by a specific error code.
These errors can also happen on Windows Vista and Windows 7 systems, but without the “Your PC needs to be repaired” title on your screen.
The error screen always has the error code mentioned. You can use that error code to troubleshoot why your computer doesn’t work. You can find the error code on the “Your PC needs to be repaired” screen below the File: row, at the Error code: row.
Here’s the same screen with the error code as specified as 0xc000000f:
The screen text is:
Your PC needs to be repaired
The Boot Configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains errors.
File: \boot\bcd
Error code: 0xc000000f
You'll need to use the recovery tools on your installation media. If you don't have any installation
media (like a disc or USB device), contact your system administrator or PC manufacturer.
Press Enter to try again
Press F8 for Startup Settings
Press Esc for UEFI Firmware Settings
Depending on the error the screen text can be different, but the screen will still be called “Your PC needs to be repaired”:
This error code is �:
Your PC needs to be repaired.
An unexpected error has occurred.
Error code: 0xc0000225
You'll need to use the recovery tools on your installation media. If you don't have any installation
media (like a disc or USB device), contact your system administrator or PC manufacturer.
Press Enter to try again
Press F8 for Startup Settings
Press Esc for UEFI Firmware Settings
Fix Your PC needs to be repaired with Easy Recovery Essentials
Easy Recovery Essentials can fix many errors such as this automatically using its built-in Automated Repair option. EasyRE is currently available for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 and can be downloaded and created on any PC.
. Make sure to note your Windows version (XP, Vista, 7 or 8) before you download EasyRE. This guide can help you
you have installed.
Burn the image. Follow these instructions on
very carefully, as making a bootable CD can be tricky! Alternatively, these instructions explain .
Boot up your PC
or USB you created.
Once EasyRE is running, choose the “Automated Repair” option and click Continue.
Choose “Automated Repair” in Easy Recovery Essentials
After EasyRE scans your computer’s drives, identify and select the drive letter for your Windows installation from the list, and then click on the Automated Repair button to begin.
Choose the drive associated with the Windows installation you’re trying to repair.
Easy Recovery Essentials will start analyzing the selected drive for problems. EasyRE will test for and attempt to automatically correct errors with the disk, partition, bootsector, filesystem, bootloader, and registry. No intervention is required, as EasyRE’s repair is fully automated:
Easy Recovery Essentials searches for errors and makes corrections to the selected Windows installation.
Once the process is complete, EasyRE will report its findings. Click on the Restart button to reboot your PC and test the changes.
The “Your PC needs to be repaired” error should now be fixed as your PC begins to load:
Windows, booting up successfully.
You can download Easy Recovery Essentials .
Others fixes for Your PC needs to be repaired
Windows Setup CD/DVD Required!Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use
instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.
Fix #1: Troubleshoot the error code
In order to fix and remove the “Your PC needs to be repaired” error that’s preventing you to start Windows 8, you need to identify the error code:
If you have “Error code: 0xc21;, read
If you have “Error code: 0xc000000f”, read
If you have “Error code: 0xc000014c”, read
If you have “Error code: 0xc21;, troubleshoot the 0xc0000098 code
The error code can be found at the Error code: row. Once you’ve identified the error, troubleshoot it to find specific solutions for it.
If no specific solutions will fix the identified error, follow these instructions:
Fix #2: Remove peripherals and hardware
Remove unnecessary peripherals from your computer, except your mouse and keyboard, and restart the computer.
Make sure you don’t have any CDs, DVDs or USBs plugged-in.
If you recently added new hardware to your computer: remove it, restart the computer and check if the error screen appears again.
Fix #3: Rebuild the BCD
On certain errors the “File:” row mentions “\boot\bcd” as a potential damaged or corrupt file that’s causing the “Your PC needs to be repaired” screen to appear, along with the exact error code at the “Error code:” row.
In these cases, you can rebuild the BCD as your computer’s BCD file might be damaged or corrupted.
To do so, follow these steps:
Insert the original installation DVD or USB Drive
Restart your computer
Boot from the disc/USB
At the Install screen, click Repair your computer or press R
Click Troubleshoot
Click Command Prompt
Type these commands:
bootrec /FixMbr
bootrec /FixBoot
bootrec /ScanOs
bootrec /RebuildBcd
Press Enter after each command
When the bootrec /RebuildBcd command finished the process, remove the installation DVD/USB
Type exit and press Enter
Restart your computer
Fix #4: Set correct partition
If the error screen appears because an incorrect partition is set as active, you can use the diskpart utility to set the correct partition:
Insert the original DVD/USB install media and boot from it
Click Repair your computer at the Install screen
Navigate to Troubleshoot & Command Prompt
Type this command:
Press Enter
Type this command:
Press Enter
Determine which partition must be set as active.
Type this command:
select partition x
Where x is the partition that must be active.
Press Enter
Type this command:
Press Enter
This this command:
Press Enter
Linked Entries
Support Links
– our repair and recovery disk.
It’s an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It’s available for ,
and . It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.
Read more at .
, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.
Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: .
Applicable Systems
This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:
Windows 8 (all editions)
Windows 8.1 (all editions)
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