How To Perform a Repair Installation For Vista

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Hello Kevin, and welcome to Vista Forums. For the best results, it would be best to have both the exact same version.

For the first time in years I was forced to do a repair (upgrade) install of my main Vista Ultimate SP2 x64 OS (I multi-boot thank God so am talking to you now from my main Win 7) because it had started acting up and both System Restore and sfc /scannow failed for some unknown reason.
I say successfully in that it has got as far as activating & letting me log in...with great difficulty as I have no mouse control. I always have a USB Mouse and a PS/2 keboard attached for such occasions plus they normally work in Safe Mode, BIOS etc, whereas Bluetooth ones often don't.
I tried unplugging the mouse several times, rebooting several times to no avail. Cursor annoyingly present yet no mouse control but keyboard OK. Nothing in Safe Mode either by the way. I can only do so much using the arrow keys on the keyboard.
This the first time this has happened to me and am wondering what I can do if anything.
I waited a long time in the hope that Windows might rediscover the drivers by itself but no, that was not to be.



Ideas anyone?

Hello Peter,

If you haven't already, you might see if uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers may help.

using iPad now. Can't do that as I have no idea how to that using only a keyboard. Windows did ask at one stage but didn't know how to bring focus to that window. It hasn't offered since.

Try pressing the windows key to open the start menu then tab to the search bit and type devmgmt.msc + enter to start device manager, you should then be able to navigate it with the arrow and tab keys.

Hey thx guys....finally got my mouse back and now trying to install what seems like 8 trillion updates. Should have just formatted and installed afresh but wanted to more or less preserve my settings.
Thank again.

That's great news Peter. It'll only be a few hours later until finished with the updates.

Almost there actually. Just installing the Ultimate Extras. I find it quite bizarre that Windows wouldn't ensure that at least a basic optical mouse worked. Now to get my Bluetooth working, that's another story.
Also just as bizarre - now Device Manager says my media burners, 1 Blu-ray and 1 DVD, can't start, although drivers are up to date...Windows mystifies me at times.
Strange how 1 of them was used to repair Vista.

Edit: Got rid of the burner errors by going into the registry and deleting the Upper and Lower Filters.