Windows 7 System Repair Disk

[SunSeek01]

This has probably been posted before, but the Windows 7 System Repair Disk saved my butt today. Woke up Sunday and the laptop had the power cord slightly pulled out of the power strip. I think it was downloading upgrades and the battery finally quit but of course I didn't know it.

I think AVG may have done something wrong too, not sure.

Anyway, could not boot up, just went to a repair screen and would not repair or do anything at all. So I made a System Repair Disk on my GF's laptop. What I did not realize mattered is, her's is AMD, mine Intel. It would boot to the Recovery CD but would not repair, however I could get to a command prompt and probably managed to do some more damage, trying various things related to classpnp.sys and trying to remove some AVG files. Nothing.

So finally I figured out the AMD/Intel problem (this was 64). But no Intel box available! Went to 2 Net shops last night, could not explain right and they didn't have Intel/7/64 anyway. So I was reduced to downloading the Intel/7/64 System Recovery Disk from Torrents over night .

So I wake up today, burn the .iso (had bought 3 CD's last night at 7/11, 39 baht). Boot it up and click to the repair and crossed my fingers. Took about 15 minutes, then it said it might be fixed, reboot and find out!

So I reboot, and it finally came up! I had made a restore point a couple weeks ago so I'm not sure if it used that or not. I did have to download again about 15 updates. Then I uninstalled AVG and installed Microsoft Security Essentials.

Anyway, my point is, grab a blank CD (not need to be DVD), go to control panel\security, and make yourself a System Repair Disk. If you make it on your own PC, it's going to work if possible. I read it does not always work but my laptop was pretty borked up and it worked for me. I did do a disk check/repair with a Hirens DVD and it found 16 bad blocks but I don't think that factored in.

You know you can always re-install Win 7 over your old install, it will put your files in a Folder named Windows.Old, but you lose your old OS install, like all your programs, so saving your old install is much better,

[MJCM]

Good that it saved you !!

I regularly make a Image of my systems with Macrium Reflect Free. http://www.macrium.c...eflectfree.aspx

After imaging your whole system you can restore it via a Bootable CD (included in the download file as an Image file)

Edited August 20, 2012 by MJCM

[seabear]

There is no "Security" in my Control panel. ???

[SunSeek01]

Here is the path/steps to get to it - Control Panel\System and Security\Backup and Restore\Create a system repair disk

MJCM, I am going to look at Macrium. I used to use Paragon Backup Free but since my last laptop around a year ago, it's not working so well. Tried Macrium Free once and it would not complete. I better try again. The image method (both use) is the best insurance. Most of my data is on a D drive or external but I still have alot of stuff on my desktop, plus like I said before, all the programs, the install, the favorites and all that stuff.

[Pib]

Big 10-4 on having a System Recovery Disk and a Disk Image Backup....sooner or later a person's computer/hard drive fails or corrupts and having a System Recovery Disk with Disk Backup should can help keep reduce the blood pressure and cussing. Now, if I can just get in the habit of doing a monthly backup versus every six months or so.

[rakman]

Big 10-4 on having a System Recovery Disk and a Disk Image Backup....sooner or later a person's computer/hard drive fails or corrupts and having a System Recovery Disk with Disk Backup should can help keep reduce the blood pressure and cussing. Now, if I can just get in the habit of doing a monthly backup versus every six months or so.

According to the Macrium website, you can schedule those backups, even with the free version.

[Pib]

Big 10-4 on having a System Recovery Disk and a Disk Image Backup....sooner or later a person's computer/hard drive fails or corrupts and having a System Recovery Disk with Disk Backup should can help keep reduce the blood pressure and cussing. Now, if I can just get in the habit of doing a monthly backup versus every six months or so.

According to the Macrium website, you can schedule those backups, even with the free version.

Yea, but I have to get off my butt, go find my external USB drive I use for backup, and backup both my laptops--that takes effort. Plus, I don't use backup software like Macrium; just the Windows built-in disk backup function.