{"id":544,"date":"2018-10-01T05:09:35","date_gmt":"2018-10-01T09:09:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=544"},"modified":"2019-04-15T10:47:54","modified_gmt":"2019-04-15T14:47:54","slug":"a-reader-asks-why-is-the-no-reformat-reinstall-failing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/01\/a-reader-asks-why-is-the-no-reformat-reinstall-failing\/","title":{"rendered":"A reader asks: Why is his no-reformat reinstall failing?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Reader Bill Hagemeyer asks, via the <a href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Contact<\/a> link:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: I have tried to do your <a href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=2603\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Win7 no-reformat reinstall (opens in a new tab)\">Win7 no-reformat reinstall<\/a> several times, but the system just doesn&#8217;t ever finish. It gets lost in the middle of the process and never completes. Any advice would be welcome.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A: I think we can get you going, Bill!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have two major suggestions. But first, so we\u2019re all on the same page, here\u2019s what I think is happening on your PC:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The older an operating system gets, the more opportunities there are for incompatibilities to creep in. In fact, you&#8217;re probably looking to do the no-reformat reinstall to correct some significant slowdown or problem with your setup, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;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\u2019ve added, removed, or updated; think of how many customizations and tweaks you&#8217;ve made to the system. You may even have replaced or upgraded major parts, such as the hard drive or RAM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Almost surely, the incompatibilities or other problems you\u2019re now encountering stem from some change, patch, or update you\u2019ve made along the way &#8212; or that the system made to itself, via something like Windows Update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I bet you still can get the no-reformat reinstall to work! Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>First, make a <strong>full backup<\/strong>; an <em>image backup<\/em> is best; if that&#8217;s not possible, a full <em>file-based backup<\/em> is the minimum. (Info? See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ltnow.com\/file-backup-vs-image-backup-which-is-best\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">File Backup vs. Image Backup \u2013 Which is Best?<\/a>)<\/li><li>Next, do a <strong>general cleanup<\/strong>: (Sometimes, old software and settings retain hooks into the current system, yielding unexpected incompatibilities.) The <strong>Disk Cleanup Tool<\/strong> built into Windows can get rid of a ton of junk files, including old, unneeded copies of previous Windows components. Microsoft\u2019s info on the classic Disk Cleanup Tool (as in Win7) is <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/help\/17421\/windows-free-up-drive-space\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>. Win10 now sports a new version of that tool; I wrote about it <a href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/18\/say-goodbye-to-windows-classic-disk-cleanup-tool\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/li><li>I still recommend periodic use of a <strong>Registry-Cleaner<\/strong>, too, although I am increasingly in the minority in this view. A tool such as CCleaner (free\/paid; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ccleaner.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.ccleaner.com\/<\/a>) 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.<\/li><li>Next, check your hard drive\u2019s physical health using the <strong>Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology<\/strong> (aka <strong>SMART<\/strong>) subsystem built into most current hard drives; there are many free SMART apps to assist you. (<a href=\"http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/y9tsfjqd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Examples<\/a>.) Then use <strong>Chkdsk<\/strong> to check the drive\u2019s logical health (e.g. file system integrity): In File Explorer, right-click the drive that you want to check and select <em><strong>Properties\/Tools\/Error-checking\/Check now<\/strong><\/em>. If you want to go the extra mile, use the same dialog above (<em><strong>File Explorer\/right-click Properties\/<b><i>Tools\/<\/i><\/b>Error-checking\/<\/strong><\/em>, but now select <strong><em>Defrag\/Optimize<\/em><\/strong> (the verbiage depends on your Windows version). Let the process run to completion.<\/li><li>Now <b>try the no-format reinstall again<\/b>. 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!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Still no dice? The most likely culprit is some software or driver you\u2019ve added since the last time you successfully ran the no-format reinstall process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may be able to do an end-run around the problem by booting into <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/help\/17419\/windows-7-advanced-startup-options-safe-mode\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Safe Mode<\/strong><\/a>, and trying the no format reinstall from there &#8212; Safe Mode bypasses many non-essential drivers and add-on components, and so might clear the way for a successful reinstall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If that still doesn\u2019t 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&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Pro tip: The easiest way to see when software or drivers were installed is via <strong>Control Panel\\Programs\\Programs and Features<\/strong>; the<strong> Installed on<\/strong> tab will show you exactly when each item was installed.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That could be a lot of work, and there\u2019s still no guarantee you\u2019ll quickly zero in on the problematic software. At some point, if you\u2019re still slogging through system cleanup\/rollback, you may decide it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can\u2019t get the no-reformat reinstall to work, or if you decide it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But before you do that, think about that <strong><em>law of diminishing returns<\/em><\/strong> I mentioned earlier. You&#8217;re pouring major effort into an OS getting very near the end of its useful life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;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&#8217;re part of a corporation, you&#8217;ll be able to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>pay<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to have Microsoft deliver security patches to you, but as an ordinary end-user, Windows 7 will become an obsolete and unsupported &#8212; and therefore <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>unsafe<\/em><\/span><\/strong> &#8212; operating system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So that&#8217;s my second major suggestion: If you&#8217;re still using Win7, it\u2019s really time to move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can&#8217;t or don\u2019t want to move to Windows 10, take a look at any of the current major distributions of <strong>Linux<\/strong>; 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Linux_distributions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>, or a subset of just the most popular distributions <a href=\"http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/y7lqp9d6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You have a choice: If you wish, you can use Win7 until the wheels fall off. But look out! The wheels are already wobbling!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seriously, it\u2019s time to consider a newer, better OS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em><small>(Note: See reader comments towards the bottom of this page.)<\/small><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\"><strong><small><em>Permalink: <a href=\"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-8M\">https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-8M<\/a><\/em><\/small><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Reply? Questions? Use the comment box below, or click <a href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/contact\/\">CONTACT<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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&#8217;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&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,6,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-reader-asks","category-long-form","category-windows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-8M","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2602,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/04\/16\/a-reader-asks-why-am-i-not-able-to-reset-my-pc-or-reinstall-windows\/","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":0},"title":"A reader asks: &#8220;Why am I not able to reset my PC or reinstall Windows?&#8221;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-04-16","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by\u00a0Reese Lynn.) The most common problems include obsolete drivers (check your PC vendor site for updates); too-aggressive third-party software (e.g. anti-rootkits\/anti-malware); and disk errors (run chkdsk ). For some general how-to fixes, see this text; it mentions Win7, but the general fixes discussed there work on any Windows\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1133,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/11\/21\/a-reader-asks-why-does-tech-support-think-that-formatting-your-hard-drive-is-the-only-solution-for-all-your-pc-problems\/","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":1},"title":"A reader asks: &#8220;Why does tech support think that formatting your hard drive is the only solution for all your PC problems?&#8221;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-11-21","format":false,"excerpt":"Q: \"Why does tech support think that formatting your hard drive is the only solution for all your PC problems?\" (via Quora) A. Holy smokes! Who told you that? If that\u2019s your experience with tech support, you really should change techs, brands, stores --- or wherever it is you\u2019re getting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2603,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/04\/16\/reprint-win7s-no-reformat-nondestructive-reinstall\/","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":2},"title":"(Reprint): Win7\u2019s no-reformat, nondestructive reinstall","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-04-16","format":false,"excerpt":"The column reprinted below was originally published in the July 14, 2011, Windows Secrets newsletter. I\u2019m reprinting selected Windows Secrets columns here to help ensure readers can find and access information I\u2019m referencing in new columns; until older Windows Secrets\/LangaList columns are moved to their new home at\u00a0AskWoody.com. Specifically, this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Long Form&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Long Form","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/long-form\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W20110714-TS-FinalUDate.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1697,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/21\/a-reader-asks-i-thought-an-old-external-drive-was-full-but-it-shows-up-as-empty-and-needing-format-when-i-plug-it-in-is-it-really-unused-or-broken\/","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":3},"title":"A reader asks: &#8220;I thought an old external drive was full, but it shows up as empty and needing format when I plug it in. Is it really unused, or broken?&#8221;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-01-21","format":false,"excerpt":"Badly scrambled, is my guess. An error during shutdown, or storage, or reboot, may have damaged the disk's MBR or Boot Sector or GUID table (depending on how the disk was set up). If there were files on the disk, they're still there, but the OS can't see or access\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3231,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/27\/my-pc-needs-repair-and-will-be-reformatted-should-i-just-save-my-files-and-programs-or-should-i-clone-my-entire-hard-drive\/","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":4},"title":"&#8220;My PC needs repair and will be reformatted. Should I just save my files and programs, or should I clone my entire hard drive?&#8221;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-08-27","format":false,"excerpt":"The silver lining, when you have to reformat a PC, is that it\u2019s chance to start over with a 100% clean rebuild \u2014 to set up everything afresh in a like-new, pristine setup. For that, a simple \u201cfiles and data\u201d backup can suffice: After the repair, reinstall the OS from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1680,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/17\/a-reader-asks-what-do-i-do-with-the-usb-drive-that-i-found-in-a-department-store-changing-room\/","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":5},"title":"A reader asks: &#8220;What do I do with the USB drive that I found in a department-store changing room?&#8221;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-01-17","format":false,"excerpt":"You have four choices: a safe and ethically positive one; a probably-safe but ethically murky one; a maybe-kinda-sorta-safe one, also with murky ethics; and a totally unsafe one, with murky ethics. The 100% safe choice is not to keep the drive. For one thing, the person who lost the drive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=544"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2620,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544\/revisions\/2620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}