Windows Help & Advice - USA (2019-08)

(Antfer) #1

70 |^ |^ August 2019


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Repair a Windows install


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ot all reinstalls require a
complete wipe of your
hard drive. A repair or
refresh installation
leaves your programs,
settings and files in
place, and restricts itself to installing a
fresh copy of your Windows files over
the top of your existing copy. If your
problem is linked to a corrupt file or
Windows setting, the repair installation
can usually fix it.
All repair installs share one common
characteristic: you must launch them
from Windows itself. You can’t boot
from your install media and repair
Windows through that; you need to
boot into Windows, then start the repair
process from there. If you’re unable to
boot into Windows, therefore, you’ll
need to skip to page 72 and perform a
full destructive recovery instead.

Start the repair
Starting a repair install varies depending
on your PC model and what version of
Windows you’re running. Windows 8.1
and 10 users should (at least initially)
avoid the Refresh/Reset options
provided under Settings > ‘Update &
recovery’. These options will preserve
your files and any apps you’ve installed
through the Microsoft Store, but any
desktop programs you’ve installed will
be wiped along with Windows itself.
Instead, you should ‘upgrade’ your
copy of Windows, which performs a

similar non-destructive reinstall to
Refresh/Reset with the added bonus
that your apps – including those you’ve
installed outside of theMicrosoftStore


  • will be preserved. Todoso,you’llneed
    your Windows installationmedia– see
    the step-by-step guideonthefacing
    page if you don’t havethelatestversion.
    Why do you needthelatestinstall
    media? It’s because upgradeinstalls
    only work if the versionofWindowson
    your PC matches thatonyourinstall
    media, so if you’ve installedServicePack
    1 in Windows 7, for example,youneed
    up-to-date installationmediatoavoid


the laborious task of first attempting
to uninstall Service Pack 1 through
Windows Update (assuming that you’re
ableto),thenreinstallingWindowsand

Post-repair steps


Start by stress-testing your
desktop to verify that
everything works as it should


  • sometimes the repair can
    introduce more problems than
    it solves, in which case if you’re
    running Windows 8.1 or 10 you
    can undo the changes. Go to
    Start > Settings > ‘Update &
    recovery’ > Recovery and look
    for an option to go back to
    your previous version – click
    ‘Get started’ and then follow
    the prompts.
    If the repair doesn’t appear
    WRÀ[\RXUXQGHUO\LQJSUREOHP
    Windows 8.1 and 10 users can
    take one more intermediate
    step – the reset or repair. It will


see you waving goodbye to all
those desktop programs you’ve
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and your third-party security
software), but it will preserve
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and Windows settings. Leave
your install media inserted,
then head over to the ‘Update
& recovery’ > Recovery section
under Settings. This time, click
the ‘Get started’ button under
the Refresh (Windows 8.1) or
Reset (Windows 10) option
and follow the prompts.
If this more drastic approach
doesn’t work, or you’re running
Windows 7, then to page 72 for
destructive reinstall options.

Windows 10 users can launch a repair install directly from the Media Creation Tool.

Both Windows


  1. 1 and 10
    offer asimilar
    waytorepair
    your Windows
    installation.


Windows 8.1 and 10 users can perform a more drastic repair install via
the Reset or Refresh option – be warned, you’ll lose your desktop apps.

All image credits: Microsoft
Free download pdf