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[Solved]Windows 7 corrupted after installing backup

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jmk909er:
I am trying to fix my daughters laptop. The hard drive was going bad so she backed it up onto 3 CD's, then changed the hard drive and then installed the backup from the 3 CD's.

It didn't install properly or it didn't back up properly to begin with. So the computer works and is usable for the most part but it does have some issues. Mainly the Window Update no longer works at all. There are things that don't work because I am sure it needs patches and fixes.

I finally got into Microsoft support and 2 different times they remoted in and tried many things to fix it but could not. Is there any way to download a copy of the Windows 7 Home Premium from somewhere and just start over? I don't need to save anything and I do have the product key

Boggin:
If the machine is an OEM one and came with Win 7 preinstalled then a Win 7 ISO cannot be activated with the COA sticker or the vendor's generic key.

It would take a valid retail key to activate a Win 7 ISO and MS are no longer selling Win 7 anything, but if you have a valid retail key then you can enter it into https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows7 and it is accepted, may still provide you with the version download for your key.

You can then use https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool to create a bootable USB or DVD from the saved download, depending upon what the computer supports to boot from before the HDD.

If your key isn't a valid retail key then there's two other ways you could go about this and one is to contact the computer vendor and purchase a set of OEM Recovery disks to factory reset with, or I can burn and send you a couple of Win 7 SP1 ISO disks to perform an offboot sfc /scannow so that the volume would be checked against the incorrupt source from the disk.

However, if the machine had a recovery partition and that is still intact then you may still be able to create your own set of Recovery disks.

jmk909er:
Thank Boggin, I tried the first link and it didn't work. Then I contacted Sony and they gave me a number to call on Monday to get a new one. They said it could be $50-100  :sad:

My key is the one that came with the laptop when it was new.

About the recovery partition you mentioned...is it possible that it is intact with the backup? Can I try to do a factory reset and maybe it would work?

I have something else I want to run by you...I have another laptop that also runs Windows 7 and I do have a good system backup of it on a thumbdrive. Do I have any options with this?

Boggin:
I bought OEM Recovery media for each of my two Toshiba Win 7 laptops.

For the older one, that came on a single disk which cost the equivalent of about $45 and for the newer one - that came on a 16GB USB which cost the equivalent of about $60 which may have accounted for the increased price.

If you are able to create your own Recovery disks then it would be prudent to also create a Win 7 Repair disk and full external system image should the Recovery partition be corrupt as well and then at least you would still be able to restore to a part working machine.

This would also apply if you tried the factory reset from within the machine as it could baulk.

You wouldn't be able to use Recovery disks or any image from another OEM machine as OEM installs are not transferable as they are tied to the motherboard of the original machine they were installed on.

This would apply even if the machines were by the same vendor.

Depending upon how much corruption there is on this machine, you could give the Windows Repair a couple of runs to see if it can put it back together, but it won't be a problem for me to send you a couple of Win 7 SP1 ISO disks if you want to try the offboot sfc /scannow.

Just PM me your address and if it's for a 32 or 64 bit system if you are interested.

Boggin:
Just as an Edit to my last post, if the machines were the same make and model and they had the same short model number, then you could use the Recovery disks from that machine, as it's that number which determines which set of Recovery disks the vendor would send you.

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