Vista - Repair Install For Vista

Hello Papadi,

What type of Vista installation disk do you have?

Vista with SP 1 English MSDN Version

I just double checked, and you are correct. You cannot do a upgrade install from within Safe Mode.

If you are unable to do this from within Vista, then have you already tried a System Restore (Method Two) at boot using a restore point dated before your problem to see if it could fix it?

Even after preparing a SP1 slipstream disc, Setup disables the Upgrade option and tells me to run setup from the existing installation. That is impossible because the existing install will not boot and Startup Repair is unsuccessful.

How, with Vista do I perform an "inplace reinstall" like I have done many times with Windows XP and earlier versions?

Thanks

Hello Alwayswonder, and welcome to Vista Forums.

I'm sorry, but you can only do a repair (upgrade) install from within the current running Vista.

I will post more in your original thread here:

in place repair/install

Shawn

I thought the Repair Install might be the answer to my problems - apparently some Vista files are corrupted leading to such problems as inability to install programs (except in a stripped startup with only windows installer running). Anyway, I stepped through all of the instructions for creating an SP1 slipstream installation DVD, but when I attempted to step through the Repair Install tutorial, I never got to steps 4 - 9. My install jumped from step 3 to step 10, and the corresponding window has the Upgrade option grayed out with the message, "Upgrade has been disabled. The upgrade cannot be started. To upgrade, cancel the installation and then choose to upgrade to a version of Windows that is more recent than the version you are currently running."

I'm running Vista Ultimate 32 Bit. The OEM Vista disk I have (and used to create the slipstream) is from Dell, and is labeled, "Operating System. Already Installed on Your Computer. Reinstallation DVD. Windows Vista Ultimate 32 Bit." Is there any way past this glitch that would let me do a Repair Install? Or am I stuck with a clean re-install and all that such a step entails for my already installed programs, etc.?

Thanks, PaulTree

Hi Paul, and welcome to Vista Forums.

With most OEM Vista types you will only have the option of a clean reinstall.

Sorry,
Shawn

Hi Shawn
Thanks for the great write up. I was having troubles installing drivers on my vista sp1 and everytime I got the error "The system cannot find the file specified" so I decided to follow your instructions to repair. I have a dell laptop and as with one of the last few posters I was supplied with this disc:
"Operating System (Already installed on your computer) Reinstallation DVD: Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit. This DVD is not for reinstallation of programs and drivers. For distribution only with a New Dell PC."
So I believe this was not a recovery disc but a full vista install disc.

The uprade feature was greyed out since this was a pre-SP1 disc. I succesfully followed your great SP1 slipstream writeup. Even then the upgrade feature was greyed out. Then I uninstalled Service pack 1. I was skeptical since last time i tried to uninstall SP1 it failed making my PC unbootable and had to system restore to my messed up SP1 state again. But this time it worked. Also my driver installation problems were solved by removing SP1. But I wanted to give SP1 another shot. So I tried the slipstream DVD again and voilà, the upgrade option was available.

The install has started. Hope everything goes well.

Regards

Samarth

You're welcome Samarth.

I hope it all goes smoothly for you as well.

Samarth - Do I understand that you first uninstalled SP1 and then used your slipstream DVD (with SP1 incorporated) to start the repair install with the upgrade option?
Thanks - PaulTree