Reader Bill Hagemeyer asks, via the Contact link:
Q: I have tried to do your Win7 no-reformat reinstall several times, but the system just doesn’t ever finish. It gets lost in the middle of the process and never completes. Any advice would be welcome.
A: I think we can get you going, Bill!
I have two major suggestions. But first, so we’re all on the same page, here’s what I think is happening on your PC:
The older an operating system gets, the more opportunities there are for incompatibilities to creep in. In fact, you’re probably looking to do the no-reformat reinstall to correct some significant slowdown or problem with your setup, right?
It’s no surprise: Win7 first appeared in 2009. Literally thousands of new features and security updates have been incorporated into it since then. Plus, think of all the drivers and other software you’ve added, removed, or updated; think of how many customizations and tweaks you’ve made to the system. You may even have replaced or upgraded major parts, such as the hard drive or RAM.
Almost surely, the incompatibilities or other problems you’re now encountering stem from some change, patch, or update you’ve made along the way — or that the system made to itself, via something like Windows Update.
But I bet you still can get the no-reformat reinstall to work! Here’s how:
- First, make a full backup; an image backup is best; if that’s not possible, a full file-based backup is the minimum. (Info? See File Backup vs. Image Backup – Which is Best?)
- Next, do a general cleanup: (Sometimes, old software and settings retain hooks into the current system, yielding unexpected incompatibilities.) The Disk Cleanup Tool built into Windows can get rid of a ton of junk files, including old, unneeded copies of previous Windows components. Microsoft’s info on the classic Disk Cleanup Tool (as in Win7) is here. Win10 now sports a new version of that tool; I wrote about it here.
- I still recommend periodic use of a Registry-Cleaner, too, although I am increasingly in the minority in this view. A tool such as CCleaner (free/paid; http://www.ccleaner.com/) will almost always find at least a few bogus/obsolete/junk entries in the Registry; and on untidy systems can find literally hundreds. To me, it just makes sense a Registry without junk or errors is better than one with.
- Next, check your hard drive’s physical health using the Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (aka SMART) subsystem built into most current hard drives; there are many free SMART apps to assist you. (Examples.) Then use Chkdsk to check the drive’s logical health (e.g. file system integrity): In File Explorer, right-click the drive that you want to check and select Properties/Tools/Error-checking/Check now. If you want to go the extra mile, use the same dialog above (File Explorer/right-click Properties/Tools/Error-checking/, but now select Defrag/Optimize (the verbiage depends on your Windows version). Let the process run to completion.
- Now try the no-format reinstall again. If your system previously had many errors or was carrying a lot of junk (especially in the Registry), the no-format reinstall may work just fine now!
Still no dice? The most likely culprit is some software or driver you’ve added since the last time you successfully ran the no-format reinstall process.
You may be able to do an end-run around the problem by booting into Safe Mode, and trying the no format reinstall from there — Safe Mode bypasses many non-essential drivers and add-on components, and so might clear the way for a successful reinstall.
If that still doesn’t work, and if you still really want the no-format reinstall, it gets messier: Try identifying and uninstalling the most recent changes and drivers you’ve made to the system. Rolling them back, starting with the most recent, should eventually get you to a condition where you can complete the no format reinstall.
(Pro tip: The easiest way to see when software or drivers were installed is via Control Panel\Programs\Programs and Features; the Installed on tab will show you exactly when each item was installed.)
That could be a lot of work, and there’s still no guarantee you’ll quickly zero in on the problematic software. At some point, if you’re still slogging through system cleanup/rollback, you may decide it’s just not worth it to remain committed to the no-reformat reinstall. Remember that Windows 7 is a decade old, which is ancient in operating system terms. The law of diminishing returns is in full effect.
If you can’t get the no-reformat reinstall to work, or if you decide it’s just not worth the hassles of slogging onward, your fallback option is, of course, a standard reinstall. As long as you made a complete, known-good backup of all your user data in Step One, you can try a full reinstall with essentially zero risk of losing anything vital.
But before you do that, think about that law of diminishing returns I mentioned earlier. You’re pouring major effort into an OS getting very near the end of its useful life!
Here’s the hard reality facing Win7 users: Windows 7 only has about another year worth of security patches in the offing. After that, if you’re part of a corporation, you’ll be able to pay to have Microsoft deliver security patches to you, but as an ordinary end-user, Windows 7 will become an obsolete and unsupported — and therefore unsafe — operating system.
So that’s my second major suggestion: If you’re still using Win7, it’s really time to move on.
If you can’t or don’t want to move to Windows 10, take a look at any of the current major distributions of Linux; they offer a free or low-cost functional equivalent to Windows 10, with fully current, up-to-date OS software and drivers; and can run just fine on many systems that are too old or underpowered to run Win10 itself. See a list of Linux distributions here, or a subset of just the most popular distributions here.
You have a choice: If you wish, you can use Win7 until the wheels fall off. But look out! The wheels are already wobbling!
Seriously, it’s time to consider a newer, better OS.
(Note: See reader comments towards the bottom of this page.)
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PMFJI, but:
I have added this note to several discussion boards, because I don’t feel it’s been adequately discussed:
For a successful reinstall, one needs to ensure that:
a.) All libraries (reparse points) are pointing to the original locations on the C: drive, and
b.)The C: drive must have free space equal to the Windows partition size + 9 GB. (for Windows 7)
Zig
Thanks for jumping in — that’s what this is here for ? And you’re right — the more customized an installation is — the further away from default — the more difficult the reinstall can be. Always always always make a full backup before trying anything like this!